National Refugee Day
21 Jun 2006
Let me tell you an actual story.
Last week in Sydney there was a charity function held where the guest speaker was a woman who had spent some time in a refugee camp (not sure where, will check and get back to you). She stood on the podium dressed in a suit wearing makeup and looking just like you or me. But she wasn't just like you or me, because she had endured unbelievable hardship. After she had sought refuge in Australia and been lucky enough to be allowed to stay here, she went back to the refugee camps to help her countrymen as an aid worker.
Roughly paraphrased, here's what she said.
So Angelina Jolie was on the tv yesterday supporting National Refugee Day. Her donation, apparently, is that she doesn't charge a fee for her appearance. And she's one of the more active celebrities doing this sort of thing.
Bill Gates is scaling down his hands on work at Microsoft to channel more of his time to his children with aids charity. Apparently this organisation is the largest non-government aid organisation in the world. It is possible that Bill Gates could be instrumental in making a difference to this awful problem, he certainly seems to have the money and the will to do it.
I don't think international aid programs need celebrities. I think they need more stories said personally to you and me like the one said at the function last week. Three cups of grain. One week of food.
I wonder why the world is like this too, while I lament about all those things I don't need. I threw a full container of flour away today because I thought it had been in the cupboard too long.
Let's donate something to someone hungry today.
Last week in Sydney there was a charity function held where the guest speaker was a woman who had spent some time in a refugee camp (not sure where, will check and get back to you). She stood on the podium dressed in a suit wearing makeup and looking just like you or me. But she wasn't just like you or me, because she had endured unbelievable hardship. After she had sought refuge in Australia and been lucky enough to be allowed to stay here, she went back to the refugee camps to help her countrymen as an aid worker.
Roughly paraphrased, here's what she said.
When I was in the refugee camp, we were given three cups of grain which was all they had for us to last one week. I looked at those three cups and I cried in advance of the hunger I knew I was going to endure.
When I went back to those camps as an aid worker ten years later, the weekly grain ration was no longer three cups. It was one cup.
I asked myself then, as I do still now.
Why is the world like this?
When I went back to those camps as an aid worker ten years later, the weekly grain ration was no longer three cups. It was one cup.
I asked myself then, as I do still now.
Why is the world like this?
So Angelina Jolie was on the tv yesterday supporting National Refugee Day. Her donation, apparently, is that she doesn't charge a fee for her appearance. And she's one of the more active celebrities doing this sort of thing.
Bill Gates is scaling down his hands on work at Microsoft to channel more of his time to his children with aids charity. Apparently this organisation is the largest non-government aid organisation in the world. It is possible that Bill Gates could be instrumental in making a difference to this awful problem, he certainly seems to have the money and the will to do it.
I don't think international aid programs need celebrities. I think they need more stories said personally to you and me like the one said at the function last week. Three cups of grain. One week of food.
I wonder why the world is like this too, while I lament about all those things I don't need. I threw a full container of flour away today because I thought it had been in the cupboard too long.
Let's donate something to someone hungry today.
posted by knitabulous at Wednesday, June 21, 2006 |
