Global Perspectives

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

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 be...