GLC '05

Instead of attending a double-maths day at school, I spent my day in Penrith (a.k.a. middle of nowhere) at the World Vision Global Leadership Convention (with Mai, Andrew, Grace, Sarah, Mel, Jack and Anderson). I started learning before I had even left home. Never thought the stars would still be up at five thirty in the morning nor did I ever think sunrise could look so beautiful against an urban skyline.

That aside, the day was as insightful as I hoped it might be and some of the statistics were really quite disturbing. For example - 2.6 billion people in the world live on under $2 a day (that's roughly 40% of the world's population). I've always known that poverty was quite a large problem but never imagined that it was to such a large extent.

My coffee will never taste the same again either. Most labourers on coffee plantations earn less than sixty cents per hour and are only employed for six months a year. During the working season they have barely enough to keep themselves alive. For the six months when there is no work for them, their families starve. Meanwhile, of the three dollars it costs us for a cup of coffee, only three cents goes back to the farmers. This is the root of the problem. But not all plantations treat their employees in this way. there are places called 'Fair Trade' plantations where the workers are garunteed work for at least two years and paid US$1.26 per hour (that's over double the otehr workers). In order to support fair trade goods (which include coffee, chocolate, tea etc.) we have to insist, as consumers, that large chains supply these goods. Sure, there will be a minor increase in prices (a few cents at most) but think about how this tiny contribution ensures that an entire family, not just an one person, is kept fed for an entire year.

By far the highlight of the day was Alex. Alex is a man from Mozambique who flew all the way to Australia to talk about the poverty which is plaguing his country. He talked about his experiences during his brief time in Australia (he's been here for two weeks) and how different life here is to life in Mozambique. His stories were told in such an animated manner and his sense of humour was amazing for someone who had been through so much. Even if I forget everything else that happened today, I will surely remember this remarkable man's smile.

Anyway, the Sefton crew who were there decided that our school could organise a 40 Hour Famine and raise two to three thousand dollars as a contribution to the crusade against poverty. Two thousand dollars is enough to feed three hundred third world kids for a month. We'd like as many participants as possible. If you don't think you can survive forty hours without food you can always give up something else (e.g. talking, internet, tv, homework...). And if your entire life is so dependent on a routine that, if disrupted, will cause the sky to fall, all donations would be greatly appreciated. As for myself, I'll probably give up cynicism and vulgarities for forty hours and donate another dollar everytime I cuss or make a cynical remark (I'll either be dead or broke after this). If you have any questions feel free to approach myself or any of my cohorts (I don't care if they want to help or not, I'm volunteering them anyway).

P.S. Never bring a backpack when going anywhere with girls unless you want to carry their stuff.

P.P.S. go the Blues!