Category Archives: Malaria

I Was Here, World Humanitarian Day

Today is World Humanitarian Day, it’s a day recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others.  The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 UN staff.  Everyday, all over the world humanitarian workers devote themselves to helping others despite the sacrifices this often requires them to make.  People risk their comfort, their health, their reputations, and many times their lives to help those in need.

The theme for this years World Humanitarian Day is “I Was Here”.  The idea is to honor those who have, and continue to sacrifice for common good by sending out a unified message of hope through both word and action.  The UN wants to send the biggest social media message ever, a message of hope from 1 billion people who have added their name and pledge to do one good act today in recognition of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and those who still carry on their noble mission by rushing assistance to those who are suffering.  To play a part in this big even just add your voice to the millions of people around the world who also pledge to do something good, somewhere, for someone else.  Even if you miss the deadline, you can still honor international humanitarians by carrying on their hope and mission of a better world for all people everywhere, no matter their location, beliefs, sex, age, or status.

Here is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Humanitarian Day: 

Secretary-General’s Message for 2012

This year’s World Humanitarian Day presents an historic opportunity to bring together one billion people from around the world to advance a powerful and proactive idea: People Helping People.

That is the best way to honour the many fallen aid workers we mourn today, and to celebrate the efforts of others who carry on their noble mission by rushing assistance to those who are suffering.

The spirit of solidarity that animates these courageous efforts drives our commemoration of World Humanitarian Day.

I have seen that spirit in my travels around the world, as I meet with relief workers who leave the comforts of their own homes to aid others in need.

I also saw that spirit earlier this month when I met Beyoncé Knowles, the superstar who is donating her song, “I Was Here,” to our global campaign promoting action for a better world.

Millions of people have already gone to our website to register their support and share their actions. From international efforts to avert a hunger crisis in West Africa to urgent assistance to civilians in Syria to a single good deed from one neighbour to the next, the spirit of People Helping People improves conditions for all.

Let us give meaning to World Humanitarian Day by registering acts of good on the website:www.whd‑iwashere.org. Individual actions may seem small, but collectively they will reverberate around the world, generating unstoppable momentum for a better future.

Ban Ki-moon

Take a Hike! It’s for Charity

Charity Miles is a new free app for Android & Apple that turns you into a corporately sponsored athlete walking, running, or biking for a charity of your choice! Just choose a charity and press start. As you walk, run, or bike, the app tracks your distance and you earn money for your charity. Bikers earn 10¢ per mile; walkers and runners earn 25¢ per mile, all up to the initial $1,000,000 sponsorship pool. As you walk, run or bike with Charity Miles, you also help attract more sponsors to increase our sponsorship pool for everyone.

When you finish your Charity Miles session you can share your achievements with friends & followers on Facebook & Twitter. It also illustrates your impact for you, for example if your charity is The Nature Conservancy a 3.23 mile jog gives 8,083 breaths of fresh air. Charity Miles is a fun new way to stay motivated with your workout, to work together with family and friends to raise money for causes, and to literally make every step count.

 

Charity Miles for Android

Charity Miles for Apple

World Day of Social Justice

Today is the World Day of Social Justice.  For some, “social justice” is a vague term that can be twisted to mean just about anything.  So, with the help of World Vision, I’m going to try and define what social justice should mean for Christians.  Hopefully, this will remove some of the cumbersome ideologies that can so easily sneak between a well-meaning Christian and action on behalf of the vulnerable and oppressed.

Social justice is a fundamental aspect of Christian discipleship, and a mandate of our faith.  Use Jesus as an example – His entire ministry was based around serving those who needed Him.  Repeatedly, He sought out the company of the outcast, and the marginalized.  Throughout the Bible, God clearly shows His great love and compassion for the vulnerable.   In the Bible, references to “justice” mean “to make right” – it’s more about loving your neighbor as yourself than our modern term with its connotations of vengeance and exacting punishment.  The biblical definition of justice is rooted in the nature of God, and in the same way that He is just and loving we are called to “do justice and live in love.”

Often it seems like Christians get preoccupied with the “what” of social justice.  When you start with the “what”, the problems, it’s easy to get sidetracked by the issues – contraception, abortion, labor laws, taxation, social protections, safety nets, etc. –  and you quickly lose sight of the “who”.  When the “what” is the starting point, our ideologies are able to trump our theology and completely hijack whatever good intentions were there in the first place.

It is the “who” we are called to address first.  The “what” should be predicated by the “who”.  When Christians step back and identify who we are supposed to be serving – the weak, the vulnerable, the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the disinherited – and strive to keep the people and not the politics as our main focus, it’s much easier to stay on track.  With people at the center of our plans and actions, clearer goals can be set and realized.  Christians would then be able to experience the direct, life-saving impact they are capable of having when they are free to act instead of being bogged down by larger-than-life problems, weighty ideals,  and frustrating “big picture” solutions.

Social justice isn’t about lofty ideals or contentious policies.  Social justice is about bringing the kingdom of God to a fallen world.  Every action, no matter how small, creates a “kingdom space” here on earth.  Advocacy for social justice is a tool for God’s people to bring about the kingdom come.  Every action that stands in the way of  a social injustice, whether it’s human trafficking, human rights abuses, infants dying needlessly from disease and malnutrition, or less obvious injustices like racism,  bullying, or discrimination in any form, brings a small taste of what God intends for the world.  The call for social justice is rooted in Scripture and based on the character of God, and should be something Christians are committed to as an essential part of our faith.

“For Christians, the pursuit of social justice for the poor and oppressed is the decisive mark of being people who submit to the will and way of God” – Tim Dearborn in “Reflections on Advocacy and Justice.”

My Favorite Organization Today: Food For The Poor

Food for the Poor (FFTP) is the largest international relief and development organization based in the US.  It is an interdenominational Christian organization that serves the impoverished people of 17 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.  Founded in 1982, FFTP works side-by-side with like-minded organizations, missionaries, churches, and communities in these regions to improve the health, economic, social, and spiritual conditions of the men, women, and children they serve.  Their mission is based on Matthew 25: 31-40 which says,

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, “I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (NIV)

The hope of FFTP is that with this Scripture, and Christ’s example as their foundation their ministry will be a reflection of God’s love for all people, regardless of race, status, or creed.

FFTP provides emergency relief in the face of catastrophe, like earthquakes and hurricanes, but they also work with communities to promote sustainability that will provide a long-term solution to poverty.  Their fruit tree program, started in 2007, has resulted in 585,000 fruit trees being planted in Haiti and Jamaica.   FFTP  provides clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training, and micro-enterprise development assistance.  FFTP’s micro-enterprise programs include fishing village empowerment, animal husbandry, agricultural development, fish farming, and programs for women such as sewing, baking, and embroidery classes.

To mark their 30 year anniversary FFTP has compiled a book called Inspiration From The Poor.  It’s filled with beautiful and moving photographs and stories of the work they do and they people they serve.  The entire book is free to flip through online.  But, if you contribute $50 or more to their work, you can receive a hard-copy of the book for free.

There is no joy for a mother like the joy of seeing a healthy baby smile. In that smile she can find the strength to do anything.