Global Perspectives

a limiting theory

2011-03-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have a simple theory. It is also an important theory. One that if proved right could change our experience of the life we live.

The theory is about the depth of human potential within each one of us. The power within. My absolute, sure fire conviction is that we are all capable of greatness; breath-taking courage, resilience and compassion.

It is not just that most of us walk around with untapped potential but that we completely under-estimate the extent of that potential in first place. There is a yawning gap between our perceived limits and our true capacity. We live so far within the safety zone that even limited risk taking is perceived as reckless. I found this in a small way running from Amsterdam to London. People were quick to say the body won't be able to stand what you are asking it to do. For me too, it started as an impossible mission and ended in realisation that I could have ran back to Amsterdam if I had to!

The limits we place on ourselves are a powerful construct. They have the ability of dimming our imagination, narrowing our view and preventing us experiencing life in all its boundless possibilities, wonder and mystery. The years of political stagnation across north Africa is surely testament to the fact that we can so easily put up with the status quo even when it is within our collective gift to create a different, better, brighter reality. When the flames of revolution were fanned, the people found they did have power to change their nation’s history.

So we need the audacity to have big ideas, to go beyond the comfortable and find out for ourselves what we can really do and be. Because that where the good stuff happens. Life transitions from the mundane to the extraordinary when we drive right past the sign that says ‘your limits end here’.

the final assault

2010-12-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Duncan and I completed over 1.1million steps and 140miles over 5 and half days and arrived in Soho Square at just before 11am this morning. It was done with a passion to raise awareness about the reality of human trafficking. People should not be bought and sold.

That said, i have taken off my running shoes and promised my battered feet never to get in those particular trainers again! some semblance of revenge for my feet, I suppose.

overall, I will remember this run not for the euphoric highs of completing each day - even though they were some of the sweetest moments of my life! I will remember this adventure for what it has taught me about pain and its benefits. Pain strips away your pretences. Pain pulls courage out of you. Pain forces you to rely on others. Pain helps you identify with the suffering of others. Most importantly, pain extinguishes the numbness of life and helps you cherish the good things.

I will also remember the sparks of kindness and generosity that we were shown along the way. I don't particulalry need my faith in humanity revived but there was plenty of evidence on offer as we ran. From Vince the masseur who gave up 2 hours of his time today to rescue our legs to the east london mini cooper driver who kept driving past us and shouting 'you can do it', we saw people at their best during this run.

a really big thank you to everyone who has supported Duncan and I in small ways and big!

hello london!

2010-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

i have never been so excited to see the cars rumbling slowly down the M25! 120 miles of pounding runs had brought us to this first glorious glimpse of London. We danced and sang under the bridge like school boys.

today was super-fun (also painful). the day started in BBC Radio Essex. when we were done, we had two support cars in front and behind and Duncan and I ran every step together - literally pushing each other through. We had planned to run 24miles but Duncan was so excited to get to London that we stuck on a couple more to reach a full marathon.

the sun was out and our spirits were high. we knew this was the last big push. I struggled for the first hour or two but slowly the body started coming to terms with running again and found the groove.

the support cars with big banners and the radio interview meant that drivers were honking their horns and pedestrians were cheering as we went by. People took a double take when they realised the two guys had run from Amsterdam!

Lots have people have said we are crazy to be doing this. But running through the daily commute made us think; what's crazy is letting life slip past and not trying to make the world a better place!

marathon montage

2010-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

payoff run

2010-12-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

today, i cashed in my chips for getting through three really tough runs. For the last three days, I have run like Quasimodo - shoulders hunched and dragging my painful leg behind me.

today, i warmed up and the leg felt stronger. As I started to run, the most amazing thing happened - there was no pain! I kept my head down and got into a groove. For the first time on this adventure, I wasn't holding people up - this time, I was out in front and wanted to stay there!

Duncan on the other hand was entering a different place. Every step sent shooting pains up his legs. He made it in the end but was in bits. I held him at the end as the whole frame of his body heaved with pain. I looked at him and pure courage looked back!

the support from so many people has been humbling. yesterday, two of Duncan's friends drove 2 hours each way to give us a massage. Phil Lane is anohter hero. He has cycled behind me for most of the route from Amsterdam - encouraging me, pusing me on. Today, he inspired me with a story of a woman he knew in Brussels. She had been trafficked to Brussels and Phil said that today, she was likely to be raped 5 times by 'clients'. That made me angry! Phil told us to put our pain in perspective and get out there!

the day ended in a doctor's surgery. His advice; stop running! Not likely...

I learnt a lesson today; there is a reward when you don't give up when the pain starts.

www.justgiving.com/markdrowland

tear jerker

2010-12-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

what a great night! duncs had got us an upgrade on the overnight ferry from Holland so we went delux class! the mini bar was free but we had to refrain from turning to heavy drinking at that juncture...

we decided to dedicate the day to a two year old girl, Babou. Her mother gave birth to her unaccompanied on the roof of a train station in Mumbai after the hospital turned her away. not able to make ends meet, Babou's mother was sold to a trafficker, aged just two. she hasnt been seen since. it was all the motivation we needed to run another 25 miles today.

As we set off, I felt emotion welling up - part empathy for the reasons we were running and part in apprehension for the run ahead. Nearly six hours later, the emotions burst out again - this time in pure relief. Duncs blubbed too - so i knew it wasn't just me going soft!!

no snow today but was harder in some ways on the concrete roads. the body was in open revolt: knees, achillies and calves led the attempted coup. i had to hold the line - obedience was a non-negotiable!!

tomorrow's run includes a six mile hill - so sure the revolutionary body parts will plot another uprising. more tears likely.

www.twitter.com/stopthetraffik
www.justgiving.com/markdrowland

running in ice blocks

2010-12-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

you have to back to 1901 to find a december that was as cold as the one we ran in Holland today! duncan and i raunthrough snow for almost 5 hours and slipped and slidded our way to the Hook of Holland.

It was a mamouth experience! it started in such great pain as our legs started working after the 30miles of yesterday. Profanities spilled from my mouth as I tried to come to terms with running on a dodgy knee. i whinced with pain every time it bent - which isn't great when you have 20 miles to go. Duncan was dealing with his own private hell and we got through singing various hits from Simon and Garfunkel.

the snow started to fall and the wind blew. Icicles formed on our hats and scarves. but it was going to take more than a blizzard to stop us! I got passed by a cyclist who wanted to know where i was running. I told him. 10mins later he returned pushing 35euros in my pocket. Amazing!

Duncan had to go faster than my shuffling pace and I lost sight of him after about two hours. From there it was just about taking every half hour. i didn't think the end would come but the euphoria when i finally saw the ferry was incredible.

the day was finished with an all you can eat chinese and the most amazing armed military policeman who was a sports masseur! he spent half an hour giving duncan and i a massage in the ferry terminal. I didn't even realise that Angels carried guns!

message for cohen

2010-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

cohen - i wanted to post a video so you could see us running but it won't load up. here is a pic of us instead.

when you run long distances, you get weak and you realise afresh the things you most value. and for me, its you!

hope you are doing ok

epic day 1

2010-12-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

incredible first day - am sitting with both knees iced up after Duncan I ran 30miles from Amsterdam. It took us 6 hours of running in sub zero conditions. it was beautiful but FREEZING running along flat Dutch countryside.

We were joined by Dutch media to set us off which was great. Tried to make sense to the reporters but only really got as far as saying we run because small steps get us along way - and it will be the same in combatting trafficking!

A fool hardy band of three other runners who made it most of the way.

Tomorrow will be equally cold as we try to get another 20miles under our belt. My knee is protesting LOUDLY - we will see who wins the battle of wills!

Why I am running from Amsterdam to London

2010-11-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

13th Nov 2010

On Dec 3rd, my friend Duncan Parker and I plan to run 136 miles from Amsterdam to London. It is just over five marathons in six days – enough to stretch the body and mind to new limits. It is in part an experiment to discover what lies beneath for me when the veneer of easy living is stripped away.

That is important because I need to find ways to identify and remember that for many people, life is not comfortable.

UNICEF for example, cite that 1.2million children are trafficked each year. Children sold and transported into slavery for sexual exploitation, sweat shops, child brides, circuses, sacrificial worship, forced begging, sale of human organs, farm labour, domestic servitude. That is the antithesis of comfort. The trend is growing too – with over 2-4million people in total trafficked each year.

For many people, enduring their daily routine is much more demanding than running long distances will ever be.

I remember seeing that endurance in the eyes of a village elder called Waling when I visited Shan State in Burma several years ago. Standing on the spine of a mountain ridge with incredible vistas of Burma’s jungles, Waling told me how he had fled his village when the Burma Army had attacked. Out of 70 families, only 4 had made it to safety. Just before I finished speaking with him, I asked if he had lost any family members in the attack. He told me that his elderly parents had been too slow to leave and were burnt alive in their home.

Pain like that takes some carrying. Waling carried it without a trace of self-pity. Our conversation has stayed with me because as I returned to my life in the UK, I didn’t want indifference to corrode my soul.

So, this run is a simple way to keep me connected to people like Waling and those caught up in the murky world of traffiking. I want to send a message; I do care; I will act; their plight is not forgotten.

To support our run go to; www.justgiving.com/markdrowland

See more info; www.partnersworld.org and www.stopthetraffik.org

ENDs

Running from Amsterdam to London

2010-11-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Why the Church should care about injustice?

2010-11-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Frontline Church, Liverpool 31st Oct 2010

Good morning. Its great to be back here - over a decade since I left as a student. It is great find you have lost none of your warmth, dynamism and energy.

I come here today with a simple message. It is this; that issues of justice are right at the core of the Christian faith and that the renewal of the church and our own spiritual growth depends upon the commitment we have to those issues. Social Justice is not an issue Christians can add as an optional extra - like ordering extra cheese on your pizza. It is the pizza.

I want to start with a story.

There was once a devout man who lived in a world where all religious belief was illegal. He was accused of being a follower of Christ, arrested and dragged before a court.

He had been under clandestine surveillance for some time and so the prosecution had been able to build up quite a case against him; photographs that show him attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in prayer and worship services; poems and journal entries concerning his faith; a well worn bible, with scribbles, notes, and underlinings throughout.

Once the prosecution had finished presenting the case, the judge looked deep into his eyes and began to speak;

‘Of the charges that have been brought forward, I find the accused, not guilty’. ‘Not Guilty?’. Fear and terror turn to confusion and rage. He demands that the judge gives an account concerning why he is innocent of the charges.

‘What about the poems and prose that I wrote, the services I spoke at?’ He said. ‘They simply prove that you think of yourself as a poet – evidence you are good actor perhaps - nothing more’. replied the judge. ‘But this is madness. It would seem that no evidence would convince you!’

‘Not so’ replies the judge. The court is indifferent towards your bible reading and church attendance. It has no concern with your worship with words or a pen. We exist only for those only for those who would lay down their life in an endeavour to create a better world – not describe it. They are a threat to our state. So until you live as Christ and his followers did, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself, then my friend, you are no enemy of ours..’
Peter Rollins

After leaving Liverpool as a student, I have had the real honour to travel across in Asia, South America and Africa and hear the stories of the poor; stories of great suffering, but stories of faith and a struggle for justice.

My first job after University was to work with the Foreign Office and the family of James Mawdsley – who was a 27 year old imprisoned in Burma for a peaceful protest against the military regime. I saw up close where a deep Christian faith and a belief in justice for the world’s poor can lead you. It’s a dangerous calling. For James, it meant 17months in solitary confinement with just a copy of the bible and Thomas A Kempis’ Imitation of Christ for company.

We eventually made ourselves enough of a nuisance that the Burmese regime released James. It was good to make use of my God-given gift to make a nuisance of myself! I had worked myself out of a job but found a vocation.

The concept of justice does not need explaining. We know it when we see its anti-thesis; injustice. I’ve seen it in the tears of my son when his Buzz Lightyear toy has been snatched from him; I’ve also seen it in the ashes of a Burmese home, burnt to the ground before an elderly grandmother had time to escape.

We need to get angry about injustice but not act in anger.

No issue of injustice is so endemic, so scandalous, so damaging than the issue of poverty. In today’s world there are a billion people living in conditions comparable to feudal Britain in the 14th century. The bottom billion of our world live in about 40 countries that instead of moving forward, are on a slow train that is decisively moving backwards. If you live in one of those countries, 14% of your children will die before they are four years old. Average life expectancy is 47.

I recently visited another of these countries. Sierra Leone only comes ahead of Niger and Afghanistan – in the UN Human Dev index. Sierra Leone is resource rich – it has diamonds, iron ore deposits, beautiful beaches. But the reason people live in poverty are rooted in its 15 years of civil war – a war that ordinary people did not ask. It is also rooted in the unequal playing field that allows Western companies to mine their precious natural resources without paying fair rates of tax that could be used to build schools, roads and hospitals. I met with executives of a mining firm in SL and they flatly refused to comply with SL’s own legislation about how much tax should be paid by mining companies. It is also rooted in the worsening climate that has seen more erratic weather conditions and lower yields for poor farmers. It complex but lets be clear. It amounts to a huge injustice.

We all need light bulb moment to shake us from accepting the world as it is. I remember that moment for me. I was visiting a village of Leffe in the Siltie region of central Ethiopia. It was the rainy season and on the surface at least, all seemed lush and fertile.

But the green vegetation flattered to deceive. The water table was dangerously low and access to clean water was a huge problem.

As I climbed up a bank, what confronted me needed to be seen to be believed. Half a dozen women are wading knee deep in turgid, brown coloured water. They were helping each other fill brightly coloured jerry cans as part of a daily routine to collect and carry the 20 litres of water they need. Buzzing mosquitoes surround them – this is a natural breeding ground for malaria, typhoid and water-borne diseases.

I spoke with one of the women, Fatima Ahmed, who was carrying her three year old daughter on her back as she collected water. She told me that she sometimes she sees worms swimming in her water but she has limited choice. The only alternative is a three hour round trip to the nearest stream. I asked her what she used the water for; she said, cooking, cleaning and drinking.

In the 21st century, women are still collecting water that could kill them.

As Bono said ‘Africa didn’t just blow my mind, it opened my mind!’ Poverty is a scandal – because it exists as a result of the active choice of the empowered and privileged. Did you know that there is more money spent on treating baldness than treating malaria? A million people die each year from malaria – 90% are children under 5 in Africa. I have to tell you that if a million American or European children were dying of malaria, we would find the money for treatment.

That is exactly why Christ gave us the prophetic mandate to address issues of justice. Christian are surely called to make choices that support the weakest not exploit or expose them.

And we know where different choices can lead. Revd Jesse Jackson was with us in London last week and he reminded me that the civil rights movement, led by the churches, created the reality in which he now lives. He now lives in a country where he no longer gets jailed for stepping into a public library. That’s justice.

There are over 2000 verses that point us to God’s view of poverty and justice. Psalm 82 3-4 is one; ‘Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy.’ So, the gospel is emphatically good news for society as well as the individual.

In Luke 4.18, in one Jesus’ first public pronouncements, he sets his mission statement for his ministry when he unrolls the scroll in the synagogue; ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.’ This was a man with a vision of spiritual and social transformation.

Theologically, there is a danger of privatising salvation to an emotional experience which fails to fully lead us into the challenge of Christ’s calling on our lives. The mystery of the gospel is that it draws us inward to understand ourselves and God and pushes outward to love and act. This is the essence of faith captured in Micah 6 8;
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy (that’s the outward process)
and to walk humbly with your God (that’s the inner life)

My reflection of my own discipleship is that it majored on the inner journey to the neglect of the outer one. We need a clear theology of justice so that we ensure it does not become relegated to an optional extra. For me this comes with an understanding that relationships at every level, individual, local, national and international, are fractured. It is from these fractured and unequal relationships that creates much of the pain and injustice we see in today’s world. Christ’s redemptive mission was to restore right relationships between Himself and His people but also between people, communities and nations.

So the relational theology brings together the inner and outer journey – something that it elusive. The Franciscan writer Richard Rohr writes ‘All of us (every church) have evaded the unmistakable teaching of Jesus’ challenge on poverty. All of us have evaded his straightforward doctrine of loving your enemy. Jesus is too much for us.’

For me, the quest for a more just world is the defining challenge of our generation. I believe that the dividing lines between churches for the next generation will not be between Protestants and Catholics or between evangelicals and liberals; I think the great distinction will be between those Christians who build issues of justice into the very DNA of their faith.

So where to start? what can we actually do? Jesus wasn’t prescriptive about how to respond. No easy answers. His use of parables left his audience an active part to find their own conclusions. And that’s the same challenge for you today but here are a few hints.

1. Courage – it always takes courage to fight injustice because you will be exposing vested interest and powerful alliances. We need courage to decide to challenge our own self-interest and make choices that carry a cost
2. Creativity - there are many options to respond; to volunteer time, perhaps giving your expertise as a trustee, to give money, to review your own carbon consumption, to buy/invest and use your money more ethically, to learn about a specific issue, to educate and inspire others, to use your voice in protest. The key is to match your God-given talents and harness them in a just cause. If you are a teacher, teach the young to fight injustice, if you are an intellectual, use it to help shape policy that will benefit the poor, if you are a writer or muscian, tell the stories of the poor.
3. Commitment – we have to decide to do something. To reject indifference and align our values, choices and actions.

Just like the man in the story we have to make sure we are ‘not too busy doing church work that we fail to do the work of the church’.

The Scandal of Sweet Home Farm

2010-07-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

It was the morning after the dreadful night before and I was making my way with my best mate in a gold, rust-ridden 1985 Volkswagen Passat into one of South Africa’s informal settlements – Sweet Home Farm.

We hadn’t even driven round the first corner when the young boys from the community spotted our car. Worse, they knew we were English. Before you could even utter the words ‘goal-line technology’, these boys were running up to the car laughing and holding up four fingers with one hand and just one solitary finger with the other. ‘Germany 4; England 1’, they shouted with glee. And with that went my faint hope that this might be the one place where that news had filtered through...

But if I needed a perspective for my football blues, I had come to the right place. Sweet Home Farm is one of 323 informal settlements in Cape Town. It is located East of Cape Town's Southern Suburbs within the district of Philippi. The settlement started in 1995 on a rubbish dump when 12 families arrived from the Eastern Cape – looking for the promise of work in the aftermath of apartheid. Today, there are 17,000 people in Sweet Home Farm. The result of this massive urban migration (some one million have arrived in Cape Town since 1994) is an unemployment rate of up to 70%. The consequence is predictable; grinding poverty.

The constitution of South Africa confers the right for families to stay in a location unless the government can provide a suitable alternative. In the case of Sweet Home Farm, no alternative has been given. But the people live in a legal limbo land. An informal settlement means that residents don’t enjoy the same privileges as those living in formal settlements . For example, it took Cape Town City Council ten years to provide any toilets in Sweet Home Farm and basic water points have only just been provided. Only in formal settlements can families attain the title deeds in order to own a plot of land and then your own home. Home ownership is one of the main ways poor families can pass on a better hope for their children’s future. As Joy Klimbashe – the co-ordinator for the SHF team which works through 'The Warehouse' charity - put it, ‘if people have a home, it brings dignity and dignity changes people’s mindset – suddenly they have rights.’

I asked Joy why on earth the government hadn’t designated Sweet Home Farm a formal settlement so that the community could start to develop? He told me that the issue comes down to two men in Johannesburg who own half the land and have so far refused to sell it to the government. If the land isn’t municipally owned, then it cannot be declared a formal settlement.

My reaction? Appalled. Apalled that two men could halt the progress and development for 17,000 people. Appalled by the apparent desparate lack of urgency on behalf of the City Council to resolve an issue that has been rolling for a decade. Appalled that the power of the wealthy could be used to undermine the future of the poor.

However, hope is a renewable energy resource that is still there to be harnessed. The Warehouse is one of the few organisations committed to seeing the development of Sweet Home Farm. They have also identified a window of opportunity. In 2011, there are local government elections in Cape Town. It is a chance to put the scandal of Sweet Home Farm firmly on the local political agenda. A targeted and determined advocacy campaign to see the city authorities designate Sweet Home Farm a formal settlement is needed alongside work to mobilise community leadership from within Sweet Home Farm to articulate their own struggle.

That is much easier said than done. But in a country that has defeated apartheid, you have to believe that it is within the realms of possibility to see Sweet Home Farm transformed into a entitled, represented and even prosperous community. Gaining formal settlement status is the critical first step and like England’s goal that wasn’t against Germany, there is no sensible reason why the authorities haven't allowed this.

roll up, roll up - lets change the world

2009-12-10T13:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/philanthropy/

Memoirs from North Korea - Day 1

2009-02-14T05:31:00.001-08:00

From Feb 3rd-7th I joined a parliamentary delegation visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) headed by Lord Alton and Baroness Cox. Here is my daily account:

Feb 3rd

As we touched down in North Korea, the landscape appeared barren and brown. Although the sun was shining, the lakes were frozen over as a result of minus 13 degree conditions the week before. From the plane you could see small silhouettes of people skating on the ice.　However, my concerns over a frosty reception were allayed when we were met on the tarmac by an enthusiastic welcoming committee, including the DPRK Ambassador.

We were ushered into the VIP lounge in which we exchanged pleasantries. After a few minutes, we were asked to hand over our mobile phones。 Although not unexpected, this was a reality check for me。 With my digital umbilical chord temporarily severed, I was driven to our hotel in a brown 1960s Mercedes. Its beige seats and flannel covered steering wheel were symbolic of the fact that time too had frozen here.

On the road to Pyongyang, we passed ordered villages built in symmetrical rows. We were told that in Pyongyang everyone had jobs, a house and enough to eat. However, outside the bubble of the capital, life was much starker. The separation with the south has meant that the North can't easily afford to feed its own people. As a result, almost 2million people died of food shortages in the 1990s and still more than 37% of six year olds in North Korea are chronically malnourished.

We arrived at our splendid Koryo Hotel and unpacked bags. Baroness Cox and I went for a walk before dinner. After a few minutes we realised we had been tracked down by our North Korean guide. He told us it was not possible for us to walk alone。 We witnessed a quiet city full of greying high rise apartment blocks and ordinary people who kept their heads down as they walked past, shy of catching your eye.

We returned from our walk for a formal dinner at the hotel。 The setting was almost opulent. After a series of speeches and course after course of food, the conversation drifted to anecdotes of the North Korean's visit to London. Apparently our host had visited the Tower of London in 1989 for a reception and parked his car in the space reserved for Lady Thatcher! He said he had been invited to the UK by a young Scottish, Labour MP. No-one could think who that would have been. 'Scottish…Labour MP?' I ventured, 'it wasn't Gordon Brown was it?' They seemed to get the joke.

The night ended with a coffee with the newly installed British Ambassador. he was obviously knowledgeable and very supportive of our visit to North Korea.

Memoirs from North Korea - Day 2

2009-02-14T05:30:00.001-08:00

Feb 4th

The first full day started with a visit to the birth place of North Korea's Great Leader. Born in the woods around Pyongyang, Kim Il Sung had gone on to liberate Korea from the Japanese in 1945. Although his son Kim Jong Il has taken power since his death in 1994, Kim Il Sung is still considered the immortal leader of North Korea and is revered by all who live in the North.

We left the woodlands to attend a meeting with DPRK ambassador. He expressed real sadness that relations with South Korea had deteriorated badly in recent months and at one point said 'there is no telling how bad this situation can get – our soldiers are angry and indignant'. A new harder line government has won power in the South and is now insisting on new conditions before engaging. For the North, this is seen as reneging on previous bi-lateral agreements and an act of provocation by the South.

The second meeting followed soon after with the business sector. These 9 men responsible for running North Korea's big business. They talked proudly of the export, manufacturing and IT sectors in which they work. Although there is no private sector in DPRK since everything from restaurants to railways is state-owned， they know that foreign investment is critical to the country's future prosperity. We saw at least two covered markets in Pyongyang which suggested some that some liberalisation has taken place.

The next meeting was with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Kung Sok Ung. After exchanging pleasantries, David Alton asked Mr Sok about reports we had seen of North Koreans dying in their attempts to flee the border and about the conditions in the prison camps where at least 200,000 are reportedly held. Finally, he raised the level of military spending in North Korea - 30% of the county's GDP and asked if this could be better used in other areas. Mr Sok refuted the claims over human rights abuses as Western propaganda and branded all 'defectors' from North Korea as criminals (something David Alton countered because he had met at least one escapee who had been born in the camps). Although Mr Sok said he would welcome further assistance on the food security question, he repeated the mantra that while hostile relations with the US and the South remained, a strong military was essential.

I was impressed by David Alton's skill in surpassing platitudes without losing a sense of respect for our hosts. Politicians have too often been given a bad name but it is impressive to see the 'dark arts' deployed to such good effect.

The day ended with dinner at the invitation of a few of the embassy staff and a small number expats that are teaching English in Pyongyang - we ate fine food and drank beer before I retreated to bed.

Memoirs from North Korea - Day 3

2009-02-14T05:29:00.000-08:00

Feb 5th

In the morning we went to see the body of Kim Il Sung lying in state. This is not the place to describe what one sees there – suffice to say that it will remain with me for many years to come.

We left the mausoleum for the more enlivened environment of Kim Il Sung University. We were welcomed to an excellent English class where a dynamic teacher was instructing a very attentive class. Of course we had to take our turn in addressing the class but it was refreshing to see the students eagerness to learn and enthusiasm to absorb as much information as possible. If students were like this in the UK, the teaching profession would be dream vocation.

After lunch we had a meeting with the highest ranking member of the authorities on our itinerary - the Speaker at the Supreme People's Assembly. He had a calm presence and kind eyes and carried a statesmanlike air about him. He welcomed us warmly although repeated the credo about building up a powerful and prosperous nation and how their 'military first' strategy was the highest priority. Our discussion centred on how we can help North Korea move towards, not away from, the international community as means of achieving their goals for the prosperity of their country.

After our visit to the children's palace to see a celebration of the Lunar festival, I understood something of what sustains the North Korean system。　Children filled the stage and performed breathtaking gymnastic, scintillating piano concertos and wonderful dance routines which would have put my school panto firmly in the shade. But they also sang songs of devotion to The Great Leader that made your realise how quickly a person's view of the world can be set in place.

We finished our day with what can only be described as banquet with the Speaker of the Korean parliament. I counted that we were served eleven courses from trout to pheasant dishes. Baroness Cox recounted the story of Churchill, who was no fan of women in politics, but was once told by the first female member of parliament 'Winston, if I was your husband, I would put poison in your coffee.' To which Churchill replied, 'madam, if I was your husband, I would drink it!' Our Korean hosts were almost bent double with laughter.

Memoir of North Korea - Day 4

2009-02-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

Feb 6th

We finished our time in North Korea with a visit to the beautiful mountains North of Pyongyang. We visited a museum - perhaps the only one in the world - which contains hundreds of gifts from the leaders of nations who wanted to honour the life of the late Kim Il Sung. Gifts from a list of leaders including Stalin, Tito, Mugabe, Honeker, Chairman Mao, Castro, Ceausescu were a sobering reminder of the lure of totalitarianism that defined the last century.

We took the opportunity to visit churches – Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox which are starting to emerge – and we impressed upon those we met the importance of allowing religious liberty to prevail. Some progress has been made in terms of them being able to build new buildings which was positive. The priests we did meet talked enthusiastically about their congregations though clearly allegiance to Kim Jung Il is a prerequisite for all in North Korea. It wasn't clear how easy it is for ordinary citizens to practice their faith freely.

Our last meal in North Korea was dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of the Koyro hotel。 It was an opportunity to thank our hosts。 I made a speech in which I admitted that I had come to the country with that attitude 'that I thought I knew what is best for North Korea'. I felt it important to express how humbled I had been by the sincerity and kindness with which we had been received. I hadn’t expected it but my comfortable preconceptions had been challenged.

I went onto say that there is a big job to do if we are to build a more peaceful and equitable world. We would all need to be willing to learn from each other.

10 things you might not know about North Korea

2009-01-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

Next week, I am visiting one of the most closed countries on earth – it is one of the few remaining Stalinist states. Here are a few key facts:

1. After a half century of isolation, North Korea remains has one of the largest standing armies in the world.
2. 80,000 South Korean civilians are thought to have been abducted by North Korea during the Korean war (1950-53)
3. In 1994, The Great Leader Kim Il Sung died after 50 years of undiluted power.
4. Succession went to Kim’s son Kim Jong-il – a man whose birth was apparently marked by a sightings of a double rainbow and a new star
5. An estimated 2 million people died from food shortages in North Korea during the 1990s.
6. In 2002 US President George W Bush named the country as part of an "axis of evil"
7. In 2006, North Korea became the ninth country to possess nuclear weapons
8. In June 2008, the authorities in the capital Pyongang finally handed over a list of the country's nuclear assets and in the October agreed to give international inspectors full access to its nuclear sites
9. Military spending is still 20% of GDP
10. There is no internet connection in North Korea

Boxing Day at Crisis 2008

2008-12-30T01:31:00.000-08:00

By the time I completed my third and final day volunteering at Crisis, I was starting to develop my own ideas about how the day centre could be run...

Some of the guests had expressed unhappiness at management’s insistence that guests showered before they were able to take advantage of the massage services on offer. I agreed and took this up with some of the ‘green badge’ supervisors. It seemed altogether the wrong message that we considered guests to be in some way unclean – especially as some of the guests were cleaner than the volunteers!

My many hours on security had also convinced me that we needed to take a harder line on preventing alcohol into the centre. The day before (Christmas Day) the police had arrived as trouble started to brew between guests. It was all drink related and I thought that was entirely preventable with a zero tolerance approach to allowing alcohol onto the premises.

But given that this was my last day, I thought I better concentrate my efforts on engaging the people I had come to serve. My answer was Chess.

It didn’t matter what country guests came from, chess was universally understood and could be played regardless of an individuals grasp of English.

My miserable defeat to one of the guests exposed my own prejudice. When we started, I assumed the ragged looking man opposite probably couldn’t tell his bishop from his knight. How wrong I was! It was actually embarrassing as he took my Queen without reply and set about cutting through my defences with consummate ease. What frustrated me was the speed with which he made his moves – I didn’t have time to think!

The highlight of my final day was meeting and talking to George. George was a statesmanlike Jamaican born man in his fifties who looked a little like Morgan Freeman. He was the most articulate person I can remember meeting. It wasn’t long before I was recommending that he run for London Mayor!

What I found absorbing about him was his twinkling eyes and that he would lightly touch your arm every time he wanted to make a point. He rattled through his views on European integration, immigration, culture, economics and the war in Iraq. With souring rhetoric, he concluded one monologue about terrorism which was punctuated with emphatic hand gestures, saying, ‘you see, we must take a stand, we must take a stand.’

So I finished my time with Crisis. I was certainly uplifted, surprised and inspired by the buoyancy of the individuals I had met. I had found little trace of self-pity – just a group of people who had come up against life’s harshest realities and were busy trying to survive.

Christmas Day at Crisis 2008

2008-12-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

My second day at Broadway Centre felt very different from the first. By now, I felt like a veteran of the system. I generously helped to give guidance to volunteer virgins who looked as disorientated as I did on my first day. The absence of public transport meant that I had cycled for an hour in quiet London streets to arrive at Shepherds Bush and the exercise had put a spring in my step.

It struck me throughout the day that the Crisis centres are set up at Christmas as much to benefit the volunteers as they are for the guests. Everyone of the 40 volunteers had their own reasons for being there. One volunteer from Sunderland told me that she had lost her husband six months ago. Another volunteer was there to escape the spectre of another family Christmas. For me, the main driver was to find an antidote to the self-pity that threatened set in because I couldn’t spend Christmas with my own family.

From that perspective, the guests are very gracious. They sense the vulnerability of the volunteers who want to engage.

After I finished my morning security shift, I got a cup of tea and sat down in the café. I started chatting with Noel – an Irish guest who must have been in his late 60s and had spent 15 years sleeping rough in some of the toughest areas of London and Birmingham. He hadn't seen his wife and children for 25 years but he said he would never stop loving his wife, as long as he lived. His face and hands were badly scarred from what look like severe burns. Although he wore dark glasses, his piercing blue eyes would look at you over the top of his frames when he wanted to be sure you were listening.

I made the mistake of straying onto the issues of politics with Noel. In no time at all, Noel was expressing his apoplectic anger at the sight of Polish and other immigrants who were diluting British culture and using services that they had never contributed to. The issues he raised were a common theme that emerged from guests who felt the help on offer was not reaching the people who really needed it. The tension between the Eastern European guests – many of whom were much younger– and the ‘local’ guests was palpable.

I decided to chance my arm at connecting with some of the Polish guests. It was much tougher. Many could barely speak English. They could play table tennis however. I confidently challenged one guest to a game. Unfortunately, I lost pretty quickly to a Pole who I can only assume must have been a table tennis champion in his home town!

The day finished with an uplifting debrief where we heard Edwin’s story – a volunteer who had almost died on the streets but who had literally been saved by visiting a Crisis Centre. He now gone 14 years without a drink and there was no more powerful advocate for the value of the work Crisis does.

Christmas Eve at Crisis 2008

2008-12-26T03:32:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, I decided to volunteer at the Broadway Centre for the homeless with Crisis.

Like starting anything for the first time, it takes a while to find one’s feet. As my two year old boy would say ‘it is a little bit scary.’

The day began with a short induction – 24 volunteers crammed into a smelly room. None of us had met before and with next to no training we were being tasked with running a day centre for 100 guests over Christmas. After some rather poor jokes aimed at breaking the ice, our team leader started allocating tasks.

My first shift was on security. The first guy that walked past told me that he thought I was a sanctimonious middle class do-gooder. He probably had it right.

Anyway, I was kitted up with a radio and told to monitor who was coming in and out. It was freezing. Just when I was beginning to think this was a complete waste of my time, two guests, David and Wayne showed up.

David was a hooded 25 year old who looked like he was in his mid 30s. He had a quiet demeanour although you could tell that, like a volcano, any eruption would be quite dramatic. David told me that he had spent the last three weeks on the streets. In that time he had been assaulted twice – leaving him with stitches in his head which he proudly showed me.

Like most people who end up on the streets, David was heart broken. He had split up with his girlfriend who had disappeared with their 9month old daughter. The council had told him that due to his criminal record, David was a ‘danger to his own daughter’ despite the fact that he had seen his partner hold a knife to his daughter’s throat. He was coming to terms his enforced estrangement from his family – with absolutely no power to address the situation.

David’s friend Wayne was a little more inebriated. Clutching a tin of cider, Wayne was busy confessing his undying love to my security colleague, ‘the beautiful Ellen’. His love was evidenced when he ran off to the shops and used his scant resources to buy Ellen a box of Ferrero Roche. Quite a gesture.

After two hours on the door, I moved inside and listened to a talented musician entertaining the guests with moving covers of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and David Gray’s Babylon. I met two more guests who described themselves as the old gents fo the centre. One was a totally toothless Scottish guy called Gordon (he advised me to look after my teeth while I still had them) and his pal David – another David – who was a former employee of the Bank of England (from 1963 to 1976 he told me). These guys were great company – the kind of individuals who you felt had a much deeper understanding of the way the world worked than I would ever obtain.

I resisted the temptation to grab the mike and entertain the guests with a few tracks of my own and decided instead to help out in the kitchen. The ladies in the kitchen were impressed with my mopping skills. I had to let them know that I wasn’t this good at home and that really I was just a show-pony. So that became my nick-name for the rest of the day. I thought ‘Mark the show-pony’ was rather apt.

From Faith to Ideology

2008-12-24T01:41:00.003-08:00

The Mumbai terror attacks last month are ample ammunition for some to point to the destructive and divisive role of religion in the world today.

In some respects, I agree. The single biggest threat to peace between peoples of the world is the journey from faith to ideology. It is the distortion of religious thought and spiritual manipulation that cannot be underestimated in its explosive power to breed enmity.

That is what has been happening in the southern states of Pakistan where the major it the Mumbai killers have come from. It is not that the political situation in Kashmir or the crushing urban poverty has driven these men to calmly walk into cafes, hotels and community centres and wantonly kill. It is a brittle and narrow belief system that leads individuals to apocalyptic conclusions about the future and a delusional sense of the importance of their own contribution to the struggle.

This comes to the heart of the distinction between faith and ideology. Religious faith is an essentially humble commitment to a spiritual journey that brings opportunity to find reference points to understand God and give meaning to the complexity of our own existence. Ideology is a fixed world view – set of hard-wired beliefs that is less about spiritual growth than about controlling peoples behaviour and thinking from an individual to societal level.

When Muslim men in Pakistan and Bangladesh throw acid into the eyes of women as is increasingly common in agricultural heartlands such as the Punjab state; that is ideology at work. When Protestant gangs in Northern Ireland take a hammer to another (Catholic) man’s knee and render him unable to walk for a lifetime; that is ideology at work. When individuals fail to countenance any possibility that they could be wrong or could learn from those of different tradition; that is ideology at work.

But when men like Martin Luther King sustain their campaign for civil rights in America – knowing that it could end his own life prematurely; that is faith at work. When women like Aung San Suu Kyi refuse to take a loaded offer to leave Burma and visit her dying husband, Michael Aris, in the UK – because she knew the ruling junta wouldn’t let her return; that is faith in action. And when ordinary individuals choose to open their homes and hearts to others at Christmas; that is faith in action.

Although ideology often masquerades as faith, the two are quite different. It is my view that genuine religious faith has been the inspiration behind some of the greatest individuals who have ever lived. Genuine faith has the power to release individuals to be the best the best they can be. It stands to reason perhaps that ideology also has the power to deceive people into being the worst they can be too.

What we need to do examine ourselves – how far have we gone in turning our faith into an ideology?

Finding Solace

2008-11-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I heard a story about a Rwandan choir who needed help. I was immediately intrigued. The choir in question is the Solace Praise Choir – a gospel choir made up of young people who have been orphaned either through the 1994 genocide or its related cousin – the HIV pandemic.

The choir formed because of the work of Solace Ministries which I visited in 2004 and has been providing exemplary vocational training as well as emotional and spiritual support for traumatised children and widows ever since the genocide.

Now, this talented and ambitious choir wanted to record their music as a precursor to a possible European tour. They found a European recording company who claimed they would record an album for them. Money was paid for their services but the choir got nothing in return as the music producers ran off with the cash.

This choir who had all endured so much now faced the prospect that their music dream was in tatters.

There didn’t appear much that anyone could or would do. That only changed after a tragic set of circumstances. In May of this year one of my friends, Jo Swann, decided to take her own life. It was a shocking piece of news. Although a few years older than me, Jo had been one of the individuals from my youth that had shaped the person I am today. A big group of us came to her funeral to remember Jo.

As friends old and new talked together at the funeral, a question emerged; why couldn’t we raise funds to build a state of the art recording studio in Kigali to give the Solace Praise Choir (and many others) the opportunity to record music? It would be an answer to the choir’s prayers and a fitting way to honour Jo’s life. Out of this very sad event, the energy for something very good was released.

So, in January 2009, a group are going to Rwanda to fit a recording studio. It will cost £15,000 and we need to raise the funding in just two months! The benefits of the studio are clear:
- providing a much needed source of revenue for Solace Ministries – who will hire the studio out to organisations such as the local university
- providing training opportunities for young people interested in music production
- giving opportunity for the Solace Praise Choir and other musicians to record their music and share it with the world

Music has a unique power. Every culture has its musical its traditions. Music can inspire, lift spirits and provide comfort. That is what I call finding solace.

ENDS
If you want to help, please visit, www.studioforsolace.co.uk.

The fierce urgency of now

2008-11-09T05:56:00.000-08:00

When Obama launched his presidential campaign 22 months ago in Chicago, Illinois – he borrowed an expression from Martin Luther King when he talked about the ‘fierce urgency of now’. Despite only being a senator for little more than 2 years, Obama didn't wait to be invited to apply for the most influential job in the world.

His sense was that he could not afford to wait - not due of personal ambition - but because of his conviction that the world desperately needs a new breed of leadership which calls out the good latent in the human heart.

Despite his audacious belief that he was the man to do it, that sense of urgency that has propelled Obama – beyond all expectations - to become the 44th President of the United States of America.

Obama’s victory is a game changing moment in history.

Certainly, on the issue of race, we have taken a huge step forward. It exposes the poverty of equality of other nations. The UK's wretched record on involving ethnic minorities at the top table of political power is a case in point. We have only ever had 3 black cabinet ministers (Barsoness Scotland, Baroness Amos and Paul Boatang) in the history of British politics!

Obama's victory is also an opportunity to challenge the fundamental assumptions that so often underpin modern life. Might is right; feed the greed; me first; dog eat dog – these are all expressions of a world view that panders to the dark side of human nature. We have colluded in convincing ourselves that ‘we are only human’.

What Obama’s rapid ascent demonstrates is that people right around the world want their leaders to raise sights, chart a course and help us rediscover our truest sense of self.

The gap between who we are and who we could be is often not large. It takes relatively small steps for us to find the capacity for courage, sacrifice, love, humility, creativity and kindness.

There is an urgency for us individually and corporately to start finding and living by these qualities. The stakes have never been higher. Just when we face some of the most serious threats to life on this planet, Obama has reminded us that today’s reality does not have to be tomorrow’s destiny – it is ours to shape. While cynicism has dominated public life, Obama has galvanised millions with a vision that the best in human history is still in front of us, not behind us.

The poet Ben Okri puts it better than me when he writes 'In a time when people no longer dream great dreams, in which there are fewer great adventures of the spirit, in which we are encouraged to dumb down, to have such a man running for the highest office in America is nothing short of an extraordinary act of the imagination.'

We must take hold of this moment. If we conclude that no one person can change anything, we will be proved right. If, however, we resolve to live by our highest ideals, there is no reason why justice, freedom and equality can’t make serious inroads on the territories of injustice and suffering.

Despair is not an option; indifference must be banished. As Admiral Nelson once said ‘England expects each man to do his duty’. None of us can hide. We all have the power to choose what is right and good. Now is the time to make the change.

Remembering Grandpa – Hugh Robin Rowland (1915-2008)

2008-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

When God was writing the job description for the role of Grandfather, I think he must have had our Grandpa in mind. He was the model of what all grandfathers should be. Kind, patient, seemingly all-knowing and great company.

Most importantly for a Grandpa, he was also a fantastic link to our heritage - connecting us naturally to values and a world that it would be easy to forget.

We all respected Grandpa because we knew he had really lived. Anyone who has settled in three different continents, risen up the ranks of the Colonial office, played off an enviable golf handicap of 14, had a sillouette which directly resembled that of Winston Churchill and outlived the reigns of 19 different British Prime Ministers, deserves respect.

Given his intellect, Grandpa could illuminate parts of history that we would otherwise be ignorant of. He once brought to life for me Harold Macmillan’s ‘wind of change’ speech, whilst walking on the cliffs above Birling Gap. He explained how it was a turning point in our country’s sense of identity and signalled the end to the colonial era. It directly affected Grandpa and Grannie – just four year’s later Nyasaland was independent of Britain and they returned to the UK.

At a time when many of us place a premium on personal happiness, Grandpa embodied the value of the ‘service above self’. I felt it was only right to ask the British Government to recognise the contribution that Grandpa made to Queen and country. I wrote to Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development and to his immense credit, I received a response within days paying tribute to my Grandpa and ‘his impressive career overseas working for the UK Government’.

But Grandpa was very long-suffering of his grandchildren. He had our number all right! He always knew when we were playing a prank and was happy to play along. I once provocatively asked him if he thought it would be a good idea if Britain got rid of the monarchy, a la France. He was quick to dispatch the question saying, ‘I’ve never heard such nonsense in all my life’. His mock admonishment was laced with a typical softness in his voice and a twinkle in his eye. The repartee that you could share with Grandpa was something special.

Although the world Grandpa was born in changed almost beyond recognition in his lifetime, ours was a contemporary Grandpa. He had a laptop and could surf the web before most of us! My first laptop was one of granpa’s hand me downs! How many other people had grandfathers who they could stay in regular e-contact with his family as they travelled to different corners of the globe? That was our Grandpa; open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.

More than anything, Grandpa was a true English gentleman – never imposing but honourable, humble and humorous.

This is our time to say goodbye to you Grandpa; to thank you for the love you poured into us; and to re-affirm our commitment to pass on to our children, your example of how to live with faith, dignity and grace.

ENDS

Double or Quits Marathon Challenge

2008-09-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

In memory of my grandfather - one of the best grandfather's in the business - who passed away on Sept 2nd 2008, I'm running the New Forest Marathon on Sept 21st. I need your help (not just your money) in getting me round....

Here's my idea.... you make pledge to me via www.justgiving.com/markrowland for Christian Aid's work with poor communities. The twist is that if I run the race in 3hrs 33min or under (beating my twin brother's time), then you agree to double your sponsorship level.

Given that my best marathon time (i've only run one) is 4hrs 17mins, some would say I'd have more chance of outsprinting Usain Bolt. Nevertheless, I am up for the challenge if you are.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. If you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thank you for standing with me.

Mark

Death of Dad

2008-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

On the scale of pernicious social mores, the current dilution of the role of the father has to be up there.

Today, the British parliament has voted against amending a Human Embryo and Fertilisation Bill which is, among other things, will remove the obligation on IVF doctors to consider a child’s ‘need for a father’. Furthermore, parliament has opposed a further bid to ensure there is a "father or a male role model" before fertility treatment.

The legislation is designed to ensure that singletons and same sex couples are not barred from gaining access to the same fertility opportunities as heterosexual couples. That is a good thing. Our concept of what a ‘normal’ family is must and should broaden. However, while I’m in favour of the right for gay couples to be able to have a family (which they are currently doing), this legislation confirms what has already been accepted in society at large: namely, that fatherhood has been relegated to an optional extra – like a plasma TV – a nice bonus if you can get it.

Modern life puts men and women in an unenviable position. Traditional gender roles are no longer economically, let alone socially viable. Rising house prices and above inflation increases in commodities have outstripped salary increases and left the family unit with little choice than to double their earning power. However, at a time when long-hour working cultures are reaching unreasonable levels (nine to five jobs are almost considered part-time), there is renewed pressure - especially on men - to be family centred. So while society has eroded the once clear roles for men and women, it has left them with real existential confusion over the most appropriate priorities.

But if a relationship falters (and 50% of first time marriages still end in divorce), it is often assumed that the dad must move on. Separation from his children is considered less intense – something he just has to deal with. With 62% of divorces including children, this is becoming an epidemic of silent grief.

By any measure the current family justice system is running a mock. A standard custody arrangement ‘allows’ fathers to see their children once every other weekend – which is regarded as generous if the mum is working.

The legislation passed today simply echoes the legal bias facing dads seeking custody of their children after a divorce. How can father’s claim equal legal rights to their children when legislation now states that the need of a father is not a valid consideration? Why do we talk the language of equality and then quickly drop that lexicon in this context? Is there any evidence that children raised by single fathers fare worse than those by single mums? I haven’t seen any.
What is wrong with a presumption towards shared parenting – surely the best parenting is both parents? Why aren’t we seeing more mediation and less legal wrangling? Why can’t the law seek as much possible to maintain the previous status quo which in most cases is what is best for children? Above all, why are we left with an adversarial, winner takes all system?

All of this heartache for fathers, you may say, is nothing compared to the years of discrimination, marginalisation and chauvinism that women have had to endure down the centuries. I agree. But we diminish our society if we think that women are any more liberated by the subjugation of fathers.

I am quite sure that the litany of angry and bitter fighting over children (which the lawyers encourage) neither brings the best out mothers or fathers. More crucially, the child is the net loser. Maybe the British parliament should do something about that.

ENDS

World’s Apart

2008-05-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Something is happening in the world of philanthropy. Formerly the space reserved for the noble – it is being increasingly colonised by a new breed of smart (often young) business men and women.

These ‘social change agents’ range from the high profile – such as the sports shoe tycoon, Sir Tom Hunter - who has made no secret of his desire to give away $1billion, to the more discrete such as the anonymous Arab Sheik who recently gave the government of Bangladesh over $3billion to help the country recover from recent floods.

What these converts from business have in common is a recognition that commercial thinking and practice has a central role to play if this generation is to do a better job at sharing resources, empowering the vulnerable and protecting the planet.

We all know the trends are alarming. By 2030, the world’s population will have increased by another third – to 9 billion. Intra state fighting (which now far outstrips conflicts between nation states) is continuing to rise as the unholy scramble for the world’s resources intensifies. As geologists issue warnings that we are touching the limits of the world mineable assets, the relentless demand for gas, oil and coal continues unabated. In China, there are currently a modest 37 million vehicles in circulation. By 2030, this is predicted to increase to a staggering 270 million. All of this set against the reality that the ‘easy oil field’ finds of the Middle East are not repeatable.

In the next few years, $100 barrels of oil could seem cheap. Dfid predicts that we will see the price of oil rise to $150 per barrel in the next three years.

Inevitably, as basic commodities become more expensive, it is the poorest who suffer the most. Even today, 554 million people are without access to energy sources. What chance do they have of claiming their energy rights if trends continue? 85% of India continues to live on less than $2 per day – that in a country whose economic growth is the envy of all bar China. With these disparities, it may be that certain communities or even countries may not get any energy supply at all.

There is a fundamental and glaring discrepancy between the language used by international leaders in their desire to cut Co2 emissions while at the same time facilitating a massive demand for energy – fuelled by an unquestioned commitment to maintain economic growth.

Many ‘new philanthropists’ have little time for government quangos – they are also scathing of a voluntary sector that has failed to deliver meaningful progress with the $100billion that is passed its way each year. Their message to charities is forthright, if not pugnacious: stand aside – you’ve had a go at this – now let someone else try.

Understandably, there are those in the not for profit sector who view the new kids on the block as a threat. They would rather that these individuals worked through traditional structures and at least learnt from the sectors’ decades of lessons on the pitfalls of development. The fear is that the brash ‘business knows best’ attitude belies the complexity involved in bringing real social change.

However, if we are to meet the challenges of tomorrow, an inclusive movement which harnesses the talents and resources of every sector of society is the greatest challenge. That takes a quality of leadership rarely seen – to use the language and win the confidence of those outside your natural orbit. The synergies between voluntary and commercial organisations are only just now being explored. Commercial companies are talking to large NGOs about developing business models designed to create jobs in the poorest communities while still making a profit to ensure real sustainability.

Whether the philanthrocapitalist model gains traction will owe much to the extent to which old stereotypes and prejudices can be laid aside in favour of genuine collaboration. Currently the worlds are often too far apart to enable a meaningful conversation.

what's wrong with cuban communism?

2008-02-26T13:10:00.000-08:00

As you take the air-conditioned coach from Varedero to Havana, you could be forgiven for thinking that a world without McDonalds and Starbucks might not have been such a bad alternative.

The palm trees sway gently, weighed down by an abundance of coconuts on the white sands of the Caribbean beaches. The people seem proud of their history and culture and prepared to withstand the tide of global economics, which is flowing in the opposite direction.

Make no mistake; Castro's legacy is that Cuba is communist but what of it? Can it be that the only communist country West of Korea could actually be serving its people effectively?

If you are a Cuban today, there are no waiting lists for hospital operations – the Cuban government has invested hugely to give every man, women and child the opportunity for comprehensive health care free of charge. Cuba also boasts some of the most advanced medical research into some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

Neither are there are there students concerned about how they are going to pay tuition fees and be able to afford to live – every Cuban has the opportunity to free tertiary education – and I mean free. Students at Havana University get their food, accommodation, books and even pencils paid for by the state.

And there is no New Deal scheme to get the unemployed back to work because 100% employment was one of the key aims of the Revolution in ’59.

In fact, on the face of it, the Communist system in Cuba seems to have ‘delivered’ exactly the sort of public service provision that so many voters seem to be demanding in this country.

The Revolution in 1959, led by the young Fidel Castro, seems to have achieved its goals of establishing an egalitarian society based on the humanist values of equality, liberation and fraternity. The armed revolution was achieved with the might of a handful of determined guerrilla revolutionaries – idolised in the face of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara who fought for Cuba’s autonomy despite being Argentinean. These men succeeded in getting the support of the illiterate farmers to fight with them to over-turn the US administered regime, overseen by the Cuban dictator, Batista. Years of domination by the imperialists of Britain, Spain and then the infamous US were over, with a revolution promising to make Cuba independent and close the gap between the rich and poor.

So why can't we be more generous to the ageing Castro as he bows out after 49 years at the helm?

Take a closer look. The crumbling wall-paintings of Che Guevara and the victorious Revolution are a clue as to why the communist ideals have not served their people as well as it might seem. The flag-ship social reforms hide the truth that the cost for the ordinary Cuban in terms individual freedom has been colossal. In the clamour for our trains to run on time and for our schools to be better resourced – we would do well to remember that protection of our right to be genuinely free citizens is the greatest public service any government can provide.

‘There are no rich people in Cuba’ we were told. ‘Everything is owned by the state. We are given on average $15 a month salary and that is basically the same whether you are a bar-man or a doctor.’ In fact, Cuba has a problem because many of her doctors and lawyers are leaving their profession to serve drinks to tourists in hotels. The money they make in tips puts them among the most plentiful in the country. The goal to eradicate extreme poverty has been pursued by making relative poverty the norm for all.

Although there is not the atmosphere of intimidation and fear that characterised the Soviet forms of communism, control is central to the sustaining of this system. Castro shruged off calls for greater democracy by pointing to the ‘democracies’ of countries such as Brazil where thousands of street children are left to fend for themselves. ‘Why isn’t the international community bringing sanctions on these countries?’ he asks. But this evasion misses the point. There is no greater oppression than to deny citizens a genuine stake in their own destiny.

The ironies couldn’t be more stark. The revolutionary heroes risked everything on the chance they might win liberation and independence. Yet in sustaining the communist system they have placed national identity ahead of individual freedom. They have placed equality as the highest goal and clipped the wings of a nation’s ambition.

The Cuban revolutionaries believed that human effort alone could rid the world of domination and exploitation. Towards that end, the revolutionaries set about re-educating citizens about the benefit of ‘voluntary participation’ (work without rewards) and the evil of competition.

The critiques of capitalist globalisation should be heeded. Reforms in the WTO and IMF need to happen in order for global trade justice to prevail. It cannot be right that the amoral market should be left to determine the value of commodities with no reference to the context within which those goods were produced. However, capitalism works because it works with the grain of human nature rather than against it.

Castro believes that communism has transformed ordinary Cubans from once dreaming of their own happiness to dreaming of the happiness of everyone.

The reality is much sadder: no one in Cuba dreams anymore.

A tribute to Jessica Smith

2008-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Jessica Smith died in her sleep on December 27th 2007 – aged 22

A tribute:
It is an honour to stand before you today to share some memories and reflections of a talented, beautiful and wonderfully energetic young woman who we were all privileged to know. We want to use today celebrate Jess’s life because she was certainly something special.

I first knew Jess as a fresh faced graduate – working in my first job at Jubilee Campaign. Ever since I’ve known her, two aspects of her personality stood out to me: her natural confidence and her determined courage.

Her confidence shone through when Danny (my boss at the time) thought it would be good for her to get some experience working in the office. She used to come for several weeks in the summer – starting out as an assistant in the office and finishing virtually running the office!

She didn’t let being the youngest or least experienced in the office hold her back. Jess threw herself into it – especially helping me in the campaign to free James Mawdsley from prison in Burma. She intuitively took the side of the under-dog and I know how proud she was of being part of the Jubilee’s narrative of fighting injustice.

She was also courageous. I remember being on a train with her one day and getting into some detailed discussion on ethics or religion. It upset the man sitting across from and suddenly interrupted – telling me I should keep my opinions to myself and not impose them on Jess. Before I could respond and much to my relief, Jess looked at him with a hint of distain and told him directly, ‘I can think for myself, you know’. That was Jess – like an arrow straight and true - never afraid to engage in the big issues and never afraid to speak her mind.

I also remember smiling wryly one day when danny told me that they’d realised that Jess had given shelter to a girl who had run away from home. Jess had fed and looked after her for three days without anyone knowing! That takes a certain courage.

But I also saw that courage when Jess was ill. I got a phone call from Jess at work a few months ago after I hadn’t heard from her for a long time. She was calling from hospital but she wasn’t afraid to reach out and let me know she needed a friend.

CS Lewis once wrote ‘the pain now is part of the joy then’. That’s why we’ll miss Jess so much because she brought so much life, so much energy and so much joy.

10th January 2008 St Paul’s Church, Addlestone

New York's Big Idea

2007-10-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

The Statue of Liberty is the only statue in the world to represent an idea and not a person, apparently.

So said our softly spoken guide (whose white wavy hair and furrowed brow reminded me of Brookes, the old librarian lag from Shawshank Redemption - minus the pet raven). The statue was given by the French on October 28th, 1886 to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independance and has come to personify what New York is all about. The famous torch made of 22 carot gold - a reflection of the undying pursuit of freedom, the robe, a symbol of liberty and integrity, the seven points of the crown symbolising the seven seas of the world, the book held in the statue's left hand represents bill of rights which underpins the US constitution and the Roman numerals on the book read 'July 4th 1776' - reminding us of the founding father's vision to build a new nation based on the ideal of democracy.

Today, New York means so many different things to people; Joe Demagio's legacy, $1 Hot Dogs, Madison Square Garden, the Imagine memorial, just about all Meg Ryan films, that day in September 2001...

For me, New York is a testimony to human endeavor and the value of thinking BIG. There is tremendous energy and optimism in the every corner of the city and it is mirrored in the people you meet.

It is one of the most technically advanced and fast moving cities you can visit. And yet not even 250 years ago, Manhatten island (which is the only one of New York's five borough's to have kept its indigenous Indian name) was just a tree-lined and rocky peninsula. Our guide told us that Manhatten has the greatest geological variety of rocks in the world - another dubious factual claim but one which he explained was the reason why it has been possible to build so many buildings in such a concentrated space.

It is undeniable that incredible innovation and creativity have been let loose in New York. When immigrants started pouring into Ellis island after the second world war at the rate of 50,000 per day, it was hard to envisage that these disperate communities could create one of the most vibrant urban environments - ok, i'm going to do it - in the world.

New Yorker's 'can do' approach shames the British 'could do but probably won't do' attitude. In New York i am reminded that it is okay to have wild ambitions and certainly not to fear failure. It is possible to create something that is far beyond our initial imaginings. It takes the commitment of lots of individuals and the shared belief that the today's reality doesn't have to be the same tomorrow.

New York isn't perfect, far from it. But you have to be heart hearted not to appreciate what has been achieved. New York represents more than an idea: it is living evidence of the audacity of the human species to realise their dreams.

Fighting the good fight – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2007-07-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

The pressure was evidently taking its toll. Revd Ayano Chule had reached breaking point. For an Ethiopian man to weep openly in front of near strangers is very rare. But meeting a man like Revd Ayano is a rare occurrence. He is one of the very first religious leaders in Ethiopia to be openly living with HIV. Not only that - he is pioneering a movement to challenge religious leaders to overcome the stigma, denial and discrimination on HIV in their communities.

But he is paying a high price. In the last 9 months, Revd Ayano has been thrown out of his home on four separate occasions. When landlords have discovered his status, they have packed his bags and simply left them on the doorstep. He told us that he could deal with the abuse, harassment, rejection and even physical assaults but he could not successfully continue his work without a safe place to live.

It was clear we were in the presence of a leader. But you have to protect leaders. Thankfully, the philanthropist with whom I was travelling recognised this immediately and agreed to pay for accommodation that would be secure from arbitrary eviction.

‘It is not HIV that kills’, Revd Ayano reminded us. ‘‘It is ignorance, fear and prejudice which kills. If people don’t know their status, they are a danger to themselves and to society. Accurate information is our greatest weapon. No amount of money will solve the problem without education.’’ Although 1 in 11 people in Ethiopia are HIV+, false information is still rife. Up to 80% believe that HIV is caused by sin or judgement while others believe it can be ‘healed’ through repentance and the administering of holy water.

With 99% of people in Ethiopia affiliated to a religious grouping, Revd Ayano knows that religious leaders hold the keys to changing attitudes towards HIV. His wants to see priests and immans be empowered to be ‘heralds of hope’ in calling their communities to be sanctuaries of compassion.

The need for this work was illustrated to me while visiting the home of Abeba Naiza. Abeba is a grandmother who lives in one of the slums in Addis Ababa. She looks after her children’s children because 3 of her 7 daughters have died from HIV related diseases.

One of the children in the home is Herione (which means fruit of the vine). Aged 5, she was just 14 days old when her mother died. Although she will not remember her mother, she did contract HIV from her and lives each day secretly taking the ante retroviral treatment that she needs. Her grandmother asked me to keep my voice down when discussing Heriones’ health for fear the neighbours would find out about her status.

The work Christian Aid is funding in Ethiopia is aiming to create a society where girls like Herione can live free from shame. Revd Ayano reluctantly conceded that most people suspect some moral malpractice is the cause of his status. In fact, he contracted HIV through his wife – who was his only sexual partner. Agonisingly, he endured watching her and their young son die from the virus before deciding to continue the battle against HIV on the front-line.

When asked how he finds the strength to continue, he answered, ‘God has given me a vision. I have the opportunity to save lives because I am HIV+. That is why I carry on.’

ENDS

Leffe village, Ethiopia, July 12th 2007

2007-07-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

It is a scene reminiscent of England. Rolling hills, green fields, muddy tracks.

But this isn't England. A line of us are walking single file approaching the Muslim village of Leffe in the Siltie region of central Ethiopia. It is the rainy season and on the surface at least, all seems lush and fertile.

But the green vegetation flatters to deceive. The water table remains dangerously low and access to clean water is the single greatest challenge facing the villagers we are about to meet.

As I climb up a bank, what confronts me needs to be seen to be believed. Half a dozen women are wading knee deep in turgid, brown coloured water. They are helping each other fill brightly coloured jerry cans as part of a daily routine to collect the 20 litres of water they need. Buzzing mosquitoes surround them – this is their natural breeding ground and malaria is a real and ever present threat.

I speak with one of the women, Fatima Ahmed, who is carrying her three year old daughter on her back as she collects water. She tells me that she sometimes she sees worms swimming in her water but she has limited choice. The only alternative is a one and half hour walk to the nearest stream.

In a neighbouring village, I saw women digging sand wells in the riverbed. The women dig up to three metres deep and wait for water to infiltrate through the sand. They spend seven hours every day digging, waiting, collecting and walking. Day in, day out - collecting water has become their life.

This situation is typical in rural communities where access to drinking water is as low as 3%. Despite claims by the Ethiopian Government to provide water for all through a universal access program, communities across Ethiopia, aren’t holding their breath. The only way Leffe village will gain access to water in the forseeable future is a planned Christian Aid project which aims to provide 53,000 people with accessible water within 1km of their homes. Leffe is one of the 18 target villages and understandably Fatima said that this project would transform her life. It would give her the time to earn a living, to look after her children and to plan for the future.

That prospect is only threatened by £440,000 needed to leverage a further £1.2million from the European Commission to fund this project . It seems a small price to pay for the social return it will generate.

There is an Ethiopian saying that water and mothers are the same – both are considered good. But the sight of women collecting dirty water reminds me that not all water is good. It certainly isn't reminiscent of England.

Growing a way out of poverty

2007-05-14T02:20:00.000-07:00

Click here to watch Christiain Aid's TV ad. Come on, give what you can. We'll make it multiply.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzMzjjVwi8k

Christian Aid week address

2007-05-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday 13th March 2007 - St Mary's Holmbury

Thank you for your warm welcome.

I am delighted to be here – especially at the beginning of Christian Aid Week. My wife Nicky and five month son Cohen are here today. This is the first time Cohen has heard his father public speaking – I’ve asked him to pay close attention in the hope that next time he it will be him up here instead of me!

I am passionate about Christian Aid week for two reasons: it has the power to inspire us and it has the power change lives. I want to take this opportunity to talk about both these aspects .

Before I do, perhaps I’ll give you a little of my background: I was raised in Rwanda by missionary parents. As a result, I saw from a young age what it meant for communities to struggle under the weight of poverty and I think it it planted a desire in me to want to work for a equitable world. Since graduating I have had the privilege of visiting countries such as Kenya, Sudan, Brazil and Rwanda - working with poor communities to strengthen the ability to meet the challenges they face. Last year my wife and I went work on the Thai/Burma burma border to get our hands dirty in the process of grass root community action.

Sometimes we feel like the boy in Robert Louis Stevenson novel, who said the world is so big and I am so small, I do not like it at all, at all. The statistics are frightening. When 30,000 children are dying every day of preventable diseases and as I heard this week that 27million people are still trapped in slavery – it is easy to despair.

CAW is about reviving our faint hearts. It is about re-committing ourselves to the battle for justice and affirming our faith that we can do something to change the world.

Does anyone know how many ordinary people leave the comfort of their own home to collect money during CAW? Incredibly, the figure is 300,000.

Does anyone know how much is raised in Christian Aid Week? £15million is raised - the biggest community fundraiser in the country.

That is an incredible achievement and should be a source of great encouragement to us. Although it is 50 years old, it is more important today than ever. A recent poll by the Sunday Times indicated that 8 out of 10 people under the age of 35 have no links with their community whatsoever. It labelled my generation as the ‘can’t be bothered’ generation. Arguably, CAW has never been more counter-cultural and therefore essential to challenging cynicism and promoting active compassion.

So CAW is inspires us but it also changes lives.

I realised this when working in Burma. Christian Aid does a lot of work in Burma – providing emergency supplies to ethnic groups in Burma who have been forced from their homes by the Burma Army. It the world’s longest running civil war and over 500,000 have been forced from their homes and are living in temporary shelters or just under cover of the jungle. It is a desperate situation. The communities I visited were clinging to hope. After brutal attacks from the Burma Army, many had lost everything: from those whose legs had been blown off by a landmine to those who had lost family members or their homes. And yet they had not lost the courage to keep going.

Last week one of the relief workers who worked with the Free Burma Rangers that I worked with was executed by the Burma Army. It was a reminder of the sacrifice and courage that people are taking to provide hope, help and love to people in trouble.

I want to finish with a story of one of the bravest woman I have met. I learnt from Bertrude Mutandigo that good can come from even the worse situations.

A few years ago I returned to Rwanda with my father on a work trip. We met many survivors of the Rwandan genocide – we heard many horrific stories Bertrude’s story stood out.

During the genocide that killed 800,000 in 100 days, Bertrude was raped many times by several soldiers. As a result she contracted HIV and had a child who also had HIV. When we met bertrude, she needed a home away from her town because some of the soldiers were continuing to threaten her.

As I watched this elegant woman tell me her story, I was struck by her resilience and total lack of self pity. It would cost only £2500 to build a new home. I returned to the UK and together with a youth group, we put on a special fundraising night. We raised enough to build her a home and some milk so that she could sell the milk. Bertrude sent us this pot to say thank you. On the side of the pot she had woven the words ‘Dieu est Amor’ – God is Love.

Christian Aid week is about demonstrating that God is Love.

A voice from the wilderness

2007-03-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

This latest entry was written by one of the bravest men I have met.

He cannot be named because the work he does takes him illegally into Burma to stand with the oppressed (and largely forgotten) ethnic minority groups. Despite being listed as an enemy of the state by the ruling junta, he continues to lead a subversive movement bringing hope and help deep into Burma's jungle.

The force of his personality and power of his example has left an indelible mark on my life.

Here he sets out why Burma is deserving of our attention. Try finding any argument with it.

10 reasons to fight for freedom in Burma

1. For human dignity.
The power of the oppressor is unrestrained: Girls being raped, children chased from their homes, parents murdered, restricted education, and people living in fear are wrong. Arbitrary arrests, and forced relocation are other tools of the regime. Human value crosses all political, religious, economic, and social lines and for this we need to stand with the people of Burma.
2. For the restoration of democracy.
There was a democratically elected government that was forcefully displaced by a brutal dictatorship.
3. For the release of political prisoners.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest, is one of thousands of political prisoners.
4. For ethnic rights, honor and future peace.
Ethnic minorities comprise over 40% of the population of Burma and thus should be equitable partners now and in Burma's future. Without them there is no just or durable solution for a peaceful and democratic Burma. Burma's brutal campaign against the ethnics has resulted in more than 1 million IDPs, over 1 million refugees, and gross human rights violations such as Burma's large scale use of landmines to target civilian populations. Many of the ethnic peoples of Burma were allies for freedom in World War II. It is a matter of honor not to forget them.
5. For public health.
There is a growing AIDS epidemic in Burma, and in overall health, Burma ranks as one of the worst in the world. Approximately one out of every 10 children in Burma die before their 5th birthday. The ratio is twice as high among the thousands of families forced to flee their homes by the military's ongoing campaigns.
6. For an end to religious persecution.
There is widespread religious persecution in Burma and this is a violation of a foundational and sacred human right.
7. For an end to forced labor and use of humans as minesweepers.
The regime forces thousands of people each year to work on State projects and during military campaigns uses people to carry supplies and as human minesweepers.
8. For the protection of the environment.
Unchecked and large scale clear cutting of some of the worlds last remaining natural teak and other tropical hardwood reserves, toxic mining practices, and the poorly planed building and proliferation of dams are among the many destructive practices that are damaging the country now and for future generations. The wanton and unchecked destruction of the environment in Burma is not only harmful to Burma, but to all of the surrounding countries.
9. For the control of narcotics.
Burma is one of the main producers of amphetamines in the world, and is #1 in Southeast Asia. Burma, behind Afghanistan, is the #2 producer of Opium/Heroin in the world.
10. For regional security.
Burma is building up its military with assistance from other area dictatorships and this along with its interest in a nuclear program makes it a regional security threat. Its immoral leadership and lack of accountability also make it a potential global threat.We the global community have the opportunity to work with the people of Burma for change. Our goodwill can encompass more than just narrowly perceived national interest. Freedom everywhere is good for all people and we of every nation must be able to stand with others even if there is no perceived or immediate benefit for us. Each of us can live our lives for the highest things, to use the best of our heritage, values and prosperity to be part of positive change in the world. This takes courage, selflessness and finally a belief that all people count.
May God give us all wisdom, love and humility as we move forward with the people of Burma.

A relief team leader

30 years on: remembering Janani Luwum

2007-02-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

On February 16th, 1977 – days before I was born – one of my great heroes was killed by one the 20th century’s most notorious despots.

Archbishop Janani Luwum led the Anglican church in Uganda in the mid 1970s at the height of Idi Amin’s brutal reign. During Amin’s seven year rule from 1971, Amin killed thousands and forced millions more (mostly ethnic Indians) to flee Uganda.

Luwum was one of the few not to be quieted by Amin’s intimidation. He found the courage to preach a message love while Amin practised his politics of hate. In spite of the grave risks, Luwum openly exhorted people to follow Christ in defying tyranny, standing up against evil and speaking the truth.

Eventually, he was accused of treason and was arrested and put on military trial.

Before the trial could take place, Luwum disappeared. It was later verified that Luwum was forced into a confession of guilt, was beaten, abused and eventually shot – his bullet riven body was thrown from a speeding car.

While Amin pretended the death was accidental, the people never believed him. For Amin, it was a massive mis-calculation. When 25,000 people came to Luwum’s funeral, Amin must have known that his time was running out. His once immutable power only last lasted for another year – although he was never convicted for his crime.

Free from Idi Amin's grip on power, Uganda is now seen as one of the success stories of Africa. Much of its bi-lateral debt has been paid off which has enabled 2.2 million people to gain access to water in Uganda and millions more children have the opportunity for an education.

If you go to Westminster Abbey, you will see eight statues of individuals – all of whom have been martyred because of the threat their faith posed to those in power. Luwum’s statue is one.

To me, Luwum’s statue is a reminder that his sacrifice 30 year’s ago is still changing lives today.

My mission statement

2007-02-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

If you ever find yourself in the eastern jungles of Burma, you will see hundreds of humanitarian teams seeking to bring help, hope and love to internally displaced ethnic groups. You will also notice that many of the teams risking their lives to venture illegally inside Burma are wearing a green T-shirt. Af first glance, it may look just like a standard army apparel. It is not. It is a Free Burma Ranger shirt. The people wearing those shirts are living the meaning of this poem:

Love each other
Unite for freedom, justice and peace
Forgive and don’t hate each other
Pray with faith, act with courage
Never surrender

As mission statements go, this one isn't bad.

searching for something I used to call God

2007-02-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

I went to church today. I sneaked into the back so as not to be noticed. It was cold. I knew no-one. I hadn't been for months but I wanted to be there.

Nothing spectacular happened. No visions of Christ, no revelation. Yet I did find something.

I found that I am closer to the person I want to be when I am bowed in reverence and prayer. I cannot shake this desire to commune with God.

Although I have become more sophisticated (so i think), still the green shoots of spiritual longing appear from between the concrete cracks of my soul.

I have to nurture those shoots to be fully alive. If I don’t, one day they will disappear. For me, spiritual growth is the willingness to reflect on my life and have the courage to change. We cannot change ourselves or the world without this.

Fundamentalist religion is the opposite of spirituality. Dogma replaces the vulnerability of opening yourself to the light and love of God.

Yet we all get stuck. Decision by decision. Compromise after compromise, suddenly we find that we are no longer as sharp. We legitimise the very things we vowed we would never accept. We have become what we said we would fight against.

Bono was asked in his interview Mitchka Assayas for Bono on Bono what he would say if he could meet the person he was at 21. Bono’s response surprised me. He said that he would tell that young man that he was so right. Right to hold such high ideals, right to abandon himself to God and his faith – right to constantly fight the encroachment of the world.

IF we are to transform this world and the injustice that pervades it, surely we all need to be on this journey. It is not something that happens by accident. We have to pursue it.

But it is worth it. It turns living into a full colour, digitally enhanced experience.

10 realisations of a tired father

2007-01-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

Cohen Mark Rowland arrived on December 10th 2007 (the 58th anniversary of establishment of the UN convention of human rights). He is a diamond, a dude, an absolute star!

1. Entering parenthood is more fun than I imagined.
2. Even young babies are talented – Cohen can pee in his own ear!
3. Patience is a virtue I wished I had practised more frequently.
4. That having a child is like following Brighton FC – its a life-long obsession.
5. Humour can be found in every moment – if you have the eyes to see it
6. Sleep is for the weak…. and I am weak.
7. The ability to invade another’s personal space, at will, is a great joy!
8. Routine is a good friend – it gives you in some semblance of control.
9. Nothing prepares you for the moment you first set eyes on your very own.
10. That mothers are saints. It is a skilled role and I am fortunate to be married to one of the very best…

10 hopes of an expectant father…

2006-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Today, our first baby is due to arrive on the world stage. My life is about to change. It is a plunge, like no other, into the unknown. But this is what I hope for:

1. Please God, that the little one doesn’t inherit my knobbly knees
2. That she'll never be afraid to speak the truth and defend nobility
3. That she will want to hug and be hugged in return
4. That she'll pursue life with energy and a sense of adventure
5. That she'll be no doubt that she is a miracle of inestimable worth
6. That laughter is central in our journey
7. That she grows up thinking freely
8. That I’m not one of those pushy dads – living their dreams through their kids
9. That one day our child will say 'I was there when Brighton won the Premiership'
10. That she'll grow up inspired to live bravely

ENDS

Excuse me, Mr Clinton….

2006-12-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Last week, Mr Clinton was on a tour of Indonesia, Thailand and India. He was there in his capacity as UN special envoy for tsunami aid.

He made some comments which are potentially very damaging. Mr Clinton said that only about a third of those affected by the disaster were back in permanent housing. The insinuation being that the relief effort had somehow run aground. He said more action was needed.
More action needed. That is easy to say when you parachute into a situation and then jet off again.

This week, I sat in a session with Christian Aid’s staff from India and Sri Lanka. They were in London to report back on the lessons learnt from the relief effort and remind people exactly what has been achieved. They had read the Sunday Times stories about tsunami victims being left high and dry. They wanted to put the other side of the story.

Their record of achievement is extraordinary. Christian Aid’s partners have build 45,000 homes since the tsunami. The policy has been ‘build back better’ so the concrete structures are much bigger, stronger and safer than those washed away on Boxing Day 2004.

Last year alone in Sri Lanka, the numbers of homes built was 20 times that of a normal year. Put another way, that is 20 years’ worth of construction completed in one year. When you consider the skills base available for that sort of work in Sri Lanka, that is remarkable.
It is true as Clinton suggests that not everyone is in permanent housing. To achieve that in 2 years was always going to be very ambitious. However, according the Christian Aid’s staff on the ground, very few people are still in emergency shelter. Nearly all have been moved to temporary housing (which is still a better standard than the homes that were washed away) while the building of the permanent homes are completed. Thousands of families have been provided with bikes, fishing nets, micro-loans, sewing machines and IT training to secure their livelihoods in future.

It is so important that people here this message. The money wasn’t squandered by bureaucracy and corruption; it did reach tens of thousands of victims. Your generosity did make a difference.

Not everything went smoothly of course. When 200,000 people are killed virtually over night and millions left homeless, no relief effort will be perfect. The scandalous discrimination against groups like the Dalits (who were excluded from getting emergency aid because they are considered untouchable in Indian culture) went unnoticed by NGOs at first. Christian Aid is still the only International NGO focusing its efforts on providing sustainable livelihoods for the Dalit community.

I like Mr Clinton. He is someone trying to make his influence count. However, his comments played into the hands of the cynics. He should have applauded what has been done and then encouraged all concerned to finish what has been started.

10 reasons why I admire Ignatius of Loyola (1491 -1556)

2006-11-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

1. Ignatius taught that we can find God in all things.

2. Ignatius was courageous – his leg was famously broken by a canon ball when French soldiers attacked the town of Pamplona, in 1521. When it did not set, Ignatius demanded it be re-broken (without anaesthetics) so that it could heal properly.

3. Ignatius gave up his ‘old plans of romance and worldly conquests’ to pursue without reservation what was more important (which for him meant taking vows of chastity and poverty and becoming a priest).

4. Ignatius’ ideas stood the test of time - he founded the Jesuit order which today has over 20,000 people serving communities in 112 nations

5. Ignatius said that the central ingredient for spiritual growth was gratitude

6. Ignatius combined intellectual integrity with a clarion call to serve the interests of the poor.

7. Ignatius believed that personal fulfillment was dependent upon reflection. He developed the Examen of consciousness – a call to discern God’s spirit by reflecting on our emotions, decisions and attitudes.

8. Ignatius harnessed the power of language. He used poetry as a medium for prayer.

9. Ignatius was a radical man whose convictions were strengthened not diminished with age. At the foundation of his spirituality was a continuous search for how best to love as an authentic human being before a loving God.

10. Ignatius was a natural born communicator - despite being twice jailed during the Inquisition, Ignatius kept teaching, discussing and sharing the ideas he valued.

Where have all the brave people gone?

2006-11-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

The goal of eradicating extreme poverty is within the means of this generation. Never before has it been more important that we make courageous decisions, driven by compassion and love.

What depresses me is how desperately conservative, cautious and risk-averse so many of our choices are.

I may still be in culture shock. Earlier this year, we were living and working on Thai/Burma border. We travelled inside Burma to visit internally displaced Karen and Shan communities. These people have been forced from their homes by the Burma Army. These are surviving in the jungle – refusing to leave their homeland or come under the control of their enemies.

In Burma, I learnt the meaning of courage and of resilience.

I will never forget a man I met in Shan State in Burma, called Waling. He had and epic story of survival. He told me that a few years before the military junta had attacked his village in Northern Shan State. Of the 70 families in his village, only 4 made it to safety; he didn’t know what happened to the rest.

What was shocking was that when I asked him if he’d lost any members of his family in the attack, he said that his elderly parents had been too slow and that they had been burnt alive in their home.

The Burma Army had taken everything from him bar his dignity and yet he could look me in the eye, without a trace of self pity. That is courage.

The Burma Army has destroyed 1800 villages like Walings’ – displacing a million people. There is plenty for the people to complain about – plenty of excuses to give up. Yet they fight on. The men and women I was with never complained. Furthermore, they maintained their sense of humour. That is resilience.

So, I am frustrated returning to the UK. There is no correlation between our security, wealth and opportunities and the levels of fear and worry that seem so evident. We are so often protective, so insular, so suspicious. This is scandalous given all that we have. Why? Because in our forensic interest in our own lives, we forget that places like Burma exist and we can legitimise our indifference to the suffering of men like Waling.

In five weeks time, I will become a father. If I don’t bequeath anything else to my child, I hope to inspire him or her to live bravely.

The New Philanthropist

2006-10-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Charles Handy, listed as one of the world’s top ten gurus, has a new book out.

The New Philanthrapists documents the lives of 23 individuals and their contribution to, you guessed it, philanthropy.

Certainly, philanthropy is experiencing something of a renaissance. It may be to do with the unprecedented wealth that has been generated over the last ten years. In the UK alone, there are approximately 450,000 millionaires. These are people with cash assets of more than a million and don’t include the countless more sitting on millions in their properties.

Handy has built his career on spotting the signs of the times. He has discerned that these new millionaires are becoming increasingly engaged in making a social return. After they have achieved great wealth, they want to use it. In the words of one leading industrialist ‘I don’t want to be the richest man in the graveyard!’

These individuals are different from the traditional donor. Scarily, they want to be involved. This is sending shivers through the voluntary sector. I mean, who do these people think they are - telling us professional charity types how to do our job?

These individuals talk not of donations, but of investments. They want to see deliverable outcomes, measurable results, a tangible difference. Again, this is new for the sector. Again, many charities would prefer to run for the hills.

Charities have been used to taking people’s money, spending it and then sending a report a few months later. That won’t do. The New Philanthropists don’t just have big wallets but sharp minds. They want to see what value for money really looks life. Most importantly, they want to know that their hard earned cash will not be squandered in office refurbishments or water coolers or whatever.

Before we scoff and dismiss these individuals as conscience appeasing capitalists, seeking atonement for their years of exploitation, we would do well to thing again.

Individuals such as Gordon Roddick, Ram Gidamool and Tony Adams are not just seriously rich. They are serious about seeing social transformation. They are increasingly seeking partnership with those in the voluntary sector.

The sector must rise to this challenge. Most importantly, we must inspire this group of individuals with a vision of what can be accomplished through them and with them.

The new philanthropists are good news for our sector. Their financial and human capital must be harnessed to add ever greater effectiveness to our work.

Faith in Progress

2006-10-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Robert Louis Stevenson summed up how many of us feel when he wrote; ‘The world is so big and I am so small, I do not like it at all, at all.’

The world faces a giddying array of problems. At times they seem to dwarf hope, intimidate courage and undermine action.

I work in International Development. One of the great challenges we face is convincing partners, supporters and stakeholders that progress and real accomplishment is possible. We need not be on the losing side.

The Make Poverty History coalition was a testament to that. Hundreds of organisations, hundreds of thousands of individuals energised and enthused with a freshly articulated vision.

Inspiring confidence that we can make a serious dent to poverty is critical. Every generation has to re-discover this idealism. Every generation has to decide how highly it values changing the world.

However sympathetic people are to cause, if they are not convinced that progress can and will be made, their support will not be forthcoming. And without that belief, the chances doing something extraordinary vanish.

A pre-cursor to change is a credible and intelligent vision that harnesses the latent hope inside every human heart. Development agencies have a special role to play in that. Their mission is to be David, fighting against a mighty Goliath, undeterred and confident of success despite the odds.

I was recently involved in a competitive application for a seven figure sum of money with 20 other charities. The private donor wanted to fund 3 or 4 charities. They wanted to be presented with clear value propositions which under-girded the proposals that each charity submitted. 8 charities were invited to make a presentation following the proposal phase.

In the end, only two charities got the funds. Only two had been able to inspire, to articulate with conviction the case for support. I was delighted that our presentation was one of the two successful bids.

It reminded me though that people are willing to be convinced. There is a no law that dictates that injustice and poverty need always be with us. Perhaps more than other, development agencies need to promote a faith in progress in order to change the world.

ENDS

Climate change: a lot of hot air?

2006-10-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

Here is where I’m at. Clearly the scientists have a point. The world’s climate is rising.

I don’t think that statement will set the blogging world alight. It is self evident. We know that.

From a development perspective, NGOs are increasingly engaging on this issue. This is the premise: climate change has been caused by industrialised nations of the world producing increased carbon emissions. These emissions have formed a layer of invisible cloud (stop me if I becoming too technical!) within the ozone layer that is trapping the CO2 and causing temperatures to rise.

The consequences of climate change are being visited on those who did least to contribute to it. Drought, tsunamis, hurricanes and floods are hitting the most vulnerable communities, destabilising economies and devastating the possibility of progress.

The complication starts to come when we look at the causes of climate change. Distinguished scientists on both sides of the Atlantic are divided on this point. There isn’t unanimity here.

Climate has fluctuated throughout the epochs of time. In each era, it has caused life in its various forms to adapt. Some species haven’t adapted and left room for new forms of life to emerge.

Regardless of the science, we should be making greener more sustainable choices. It is sensible on many levels to be aware of the impact of our own carbon footprint. However, the reach and capacity of development agencies is limited. I’m concerned that climate change is a reach too far. We have to be honest; we could be wrong about the causes of climate change and our power to reverse it.

I want to fire a shot across the bow of the development ship. We must focus our energies on activities with the best chances of delivering real change for the world’s poor. We cannot afford to divert resources away from issues we know are keeping people disempowered.

Equitable trading agreements, conflict resolution, universal primary education, ending the HIV epidemic and economic justice should remain our key goals.

Climate change - its cause and our power to affect it – is still contested territory. Let’s not get blown off track.

To buy or not to buy

2006-10-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

We are all embroiled in retail. And I mean all of us. No one can opt out. From the moment we existed, we became a consumer.

But something has changed. Like never before, we are all connected. What our generation eats, buys, wears and even cheers on a Saturday afternoon hails from a foreign land.

A global work force is deployed in the search to manufacture products at a price that will meet our insatiable desire to consume. This unfettered desire is a threat to our future but may also hold the key to a brighter tomorrow.

Bono’s new Product (Red) is a case in point. It aims to harness consumer power not undermine it. A percentage of the profits generated by its branded items (now including trade-mark Bono wrap arounds, mobile phones, shoes, clothes and credit cards) go to fight AIDS in Africa www.joinred.com. The products aim to rival any on the market. They aim to win you as a consumer (and as a compassionate, enlightened human being.)

Bono makes one emphatic point: as consumers, we have a powerful choice. We have an opportunity. What we collectively choose to buy or not to buy can change the course of history. International development organisations are increasingly waking up to this. Their message has changed. They are not just interested in your one off donation; they are interested in challenging your lifestyle.

I’m not just talking about boycotting blacklisted apparel companies or confectionary conglomerates. I’m thinking about more penetrative, positive choices.

Increasingly consumers can choose an ethical alternative: from your ISPs to your holidays abroad, from the wine you drink to the food you eat, from where you invest your savings to the clothes you wear.

When we go out today, there are choices we can make which can make this world stronger, safer, fairer.

We have to decide though: will we use our power?

ENDS

indifference is unacceptable

2006-08-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

in a world of spiralling injustice and poverty, why are so many of us unconcerned, unnaffected and disconnected?

despite globalisation, it seems our worlds are becoming smaller, our perspectives narrower.

my experience working on the thai/burma border augmented in me a conviction that we mustn't let a gulf between those who are suffering greatly and the rest of us remain unchallenged.

how can we find a way of inspiring this generation to be more engaged, more active, more alert and more compassionate? how much further can each of us grow in our capacity to be kind, couragageous, and loving? I believe it is possible to build an army of young people who are inspired to stand up for the marginalised, who will defend the rights of the innocent, who will take responsibility for the future of our planet.

returning from abroad, it becomes apparent that deep set indifference is common. that is not a judgement, it just the truth. yet the onus of us to live with compassion and reject apathy has never been more vital. like apartheid, indifference is justified and defended and seen as legitimate. Just like apartheid, we must fight against it until it too is viewed as an immoral world view from a different age.

we must acknowledge that we have become too self-absorbed. we have allowed great evil to prevail without lifting a finger of protest. we simply haven't cared even though we say we do.

a values revolution is necessary. it has to be modelled by example. it has to start with you and me.