Communicate to congregate for change

The other day I stood at the entrance of a giant Supermarket. For some reason the whole store had been refitted to show ‘strength through stock’. What I mean by this made phrase is the following: Imagine rows and rows of square shaped buckets each piled high with fruit and vegetables. The obvious logistical nicety for the supermarket is that stocks are easy to replenish but what a great subconscious marketing message, i.e.: ‘Come and shop exclusively with us as we have plenty to satisfy your demand and desires’

As I gazed at the newly fashioned entrance I couldn’t help mutter under by breath ‘Is it not an outrageous that in our part of the world (London, UK for international readers) there is so much but in many parts of the world there is virtually nothing. Some readers may now be thinking that I’m back on my anti-poverty rant yet again. Maybe I am and what I would say in defence is that we should all be on a mission to make a global change for the sake of equality. We cannot just rely alone on issue awareness seeking programmes (essential as they are too) that ‘hit’ our screens. For example, on Thursday’s 3rd Nov’05 at MTV Europe music awards Sir Bob Geldof was presented with an award. He spoke of the need to carry on his mission to eradicate poverty. Some of you may have read my 2 part ‘I was there’ article on Live8 where I appreciated the nature and sentiment of the gig but was disappointed with issues such as special access areas, press and reporting arrangements. I’m certainly not belittling Bob’s mission but I just feel we should all ‘feel and contribute for the people’

I believe there is a missing element amongst us all – The power to be confident that we can make a change. I condemn the action of drug taking hippies in the 1960s. However, many of them in the US and internationally protested against the Vietnam War. Take another example; there are more Sikhs that sacrificed their lives for the freedom of India. It was Sikhs that gave India religious freedoms and smashed the Mogul campaign of ethnic cleansing.

What will it take for us to be confident of not just passively hoping for change but to demand action?

I always thought that the Internet was free but increasingly it is becoming commercialised. If we feel that not enough is being done for a particular cause we should use the power of email and the potential to communicate to congregate. Do it now before this medium changes!

This morning I heard that not enough money is available for the thousands that are stranded in the highlands of Pakistan due to insufficient short-term funds. The World Bank audit announced on Tuesday 8th Nov’05 that over 86,000 people have been killed due to this disaster. Unfortunately many of the victims died in the earthquake and within days of its wrath. Many victims have had parts of their bodies amputated due to infections / lack of treatment. Money is needed now to prevent further deaths due to the approaching winter.

In today’s world where some have so much and others so little, don’t we owe it to our fellow brothers and sisters to pay a tax, say call it a global relief fund to help fund potential disasters and the current world disaster of inequality.

If insufficient funds is an issue, why not use the power of email to demand change and suggest greater awareness to the media of such events - so that its presence does not continue to distract us all to ignore the suffering of those around us.