25 January 2005
WELCOME TO 2005 - CAN GOOD COME OUT OF EVIL?
Welcome to this first Edmund Rice justice Bulletin for 2005.
The Christmas-New Year period in our region was marked by the tragedy of the tsunami that killed over 200,000 people and destroyed the homes and livelihoods of many more. The awesome display of the power of nature was a reminder of the fragility of our human existence but the extraordinarily generous response of governments and people around the world and the striking display of international co-operation and unity in the aftermath of the tragedy also provided a glimpse of a possible future for our planet.
The event and the response it generated raise many questions.
Why were we moved to respond so generously on this occasion yet we remain unmoved by the deaths of millions around the globe from malnutrition and preventable disease?
As many people around the world die each month from malaria as perished in the tsunami and yet we have the knowledge and means to eradicate malaria from the face of the earth. Why don’t we?
Moreover an estimated 500 million people could be enabled to escape abject poverty, 250 million would no longer go to bed hungry and 30 million children would be saved if rich nations double development aid over the next decade to $US195 billion ($256 billion), according to a UN-sponsored report released earlier this month.
Why can the Australian government pledge $1 billion in aid for reconstruction when over the past decade it has consistently reduced its annual aid budget and thereby cutting back its commitment to the Millenium Development Goals ?
Can the tsunami tragedy awaken the conscience of the developed world to a lasting committment to build a more just and peaceful future?
The Christmas-New Year period in our region was marked by the tragedy of the tsunami that killed over 200,000 people and destroyed the homes and livelihoods of many more. The awesome display of the power of nature was a reminder of the fragility of our human existence but the extraordinarily generous response of governments and people around the world and the striking display of international co-operation and unity in the aftermath of the tragedy also provided a glimpse of a possible future for our planet.
The event and the response it generated raise many questions.
Why were we moved to respond so generously on this occasion yet we remain unmoved by the deaths of millions around the globe from malnutrition and preventable disease?
As many people around the world die each month from malaria as perished in the tsunami and yet we have the knowledge and means to eradicate malaria from the face of the earth. Why don’t we?
Moreover an estimated 500 million people could be enabled to escape abject poverty, 250 million would no longer go to bed hungry and 30 million children would be saved if rich nations double development aid over the next decade to $US195 billion ($256 billion), according to a UN-sponsored report released earlier this month.
Why can the Australian government pledge $1 billion in aid for reconstruction when over the past decade it has consistently reduced its annual aid budget and thereby cutting back its commitment to the Millenium Development Goals ?
Can the tsunami tragedy awaken the conscience of the developed world to a lasting committment to build a more just and peaceful future?
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