Getting away with it

I know that we have probably all let our memories of this year’s World Cup go, not that everyone was even paying attention of course. I get the feeling that for a lot of us, the whole tournament will be remembered for the incredible amount of cheating and trying to get away with it that went on. This, from some of the most well paid role models in the world!
What a culture we’re nurturing! When did become so untrendy to toe the line? When did being a rebel rule breaker become cool? Why do acceptable mantras now include ‘success at all costs’ and ‘trample on anyone to get to the top’. And why are we surprised that our society’s conscience is diluted?

Christian Aid is one of the agents calling for dishonesty and underhanded tactics to be uncovered. Because while footballers who cheat get disciplined or develop a bad reputation, when multinational companies do it – people are trapped in poverty.
Poor countries have the riches to help work their own way out of poverty, including natural resources and products that we rely on, but it’s multinational companies that are reaping the rewards. A worldwide culture of financial secrecy allows tax-dodging firms to rob poor countries of more than 160billion dollars a year. Tax avoidance drains poor countries of more money every year than they receive in aid.

So I want to do myself out of a job. If developing countries were treated with the same respect we demand, they wouldn’t need aid anymore. I am talking about putting pressure on the powerful and causing a fuss and asking for a change in our consumer culture but you know what? I want to find my national pride again.

Goldfish

So much of life seems to be hit and run, fads and trends, fashion and shock driven. Our attention spans are ever shorter as we are fed a diet of sound bites and fast living. The danger with that is that we short change ourselves and those around us.

This year has seen some of the most heartbreaking disasters of a generation. In January in excess of 220 thousand people died as a result of the earthquake in Haiti. This summer a food shortage hit West Africa, leaving ten million people facing the prospect of severe food shortages across the region. The death toll following severe floods in Pakistan will continue to rise as food prices increase, disease spreads and people are left without shelter.

People across the world have wasted no time in giving generously to the appeals and to the desperate need of the families hit by these disasters. It’s been incredible and if you have given to any appeal then thank you. Yet it’s now, as the immediate shock has subsided, and the media has left and our attention turns to something else, that the need is greatest.

Agencies like Christian Aid are in it for the long haul whether it be a disaster situation, or long term development projects in communities completely ignored by the world’s press. Rebuilding countries, and lives, is a lengthy and delicate business but one to which we are committed.

1.5 million people are still living in makeshift shelters in Haiti, nearly half a million children are still facing malnutrition in Niger, and tens of thousands of people in Pakistan have seen their whole lives washed away. Please don’t forget them.

The Constructive Use of Discontent

I’m a bit of a ranter. I’m fairly laid back in general, I don’t get angry with people at all, in fact I hate confrontation! Yet, get me on something that hits a nerve and I provide an impressive rant. There are a few topics which spark this kind of reaction; anything to do with poverty, inequality and development, the future of the church, and the lack of dairy free cheese that melts on toast.

In general I get pretty wound up when I see what’s really going on in the world, the majority of human beings who live with so little, women who don’t stand a chance, children with no options. Add my ability to rant at will on such topics, with an unsettled urgency to change the world – and I find myself with a tangible feeling of discontent.
I was asking my friends recently whether this was something I was afflicted with forever, or whether I’d grow out of it and chill out. Our discussion could be summed up like this: ‘look at the world, and look at what God wanted for us. I don’t think we can be anything but discontent.’

The constructive use of discontent is an ongoing challenge for me; between rants I aim to ensure my actions reflect my words and trying to balance dissatisfaction with hope is sometimes a struggle. Oscar Romero used a phrase that I cherish; ‘my soul aches’. He was talking of his people in El Salvador, persecuted, poor and oppressed. I think my soul aches, and honestly it’s a bit tiring. But I think it’s supposed to. Seeking the Kingdom of God doesn’t come cushioned.

Improvement eclipsed by numbers

I read something this week talking about the surprise a particular writer finds each time she observes a community acting like they ‘still believe in each other and their possibilities’. That phrase hit home with me. I get accused every so often of being an idealist, even a bit naïve. Actually I take it as a compliment and a challenge! It is sad that optimism and belief in people comes as such a surprise, and I have to confess that even with my naïve idealism I have been guilty of writing people off or sometimes possessing an unhealthy amount of cynicism.

In the same magazine I read another article about the history of economic progress and came across the idea that ‘improvement has been eclipsed by numbers’. For example, what society once strived for was a better standard of life for people, and some would argue that this has become an exercise in reaching higher targets, accumulating more wealth and shrinking human experience and need into statistics.

These two phrases – believing in each other and human possibilities, alongside the idea that improvement has been eclipsed by numbers led me to think about the church. (I need to get out more.)

The Christian church teaches that people are full of potential and that as community we can open up endless opportunities, we can do big things and be loving world changing people. Yet in our heartfelt need to keep our traditions alive we’ve been occasionally guilty of striving for numbers rather than putting our focus on improving the way we engage with the Kingdom of God and the people made in His image.

God doesn’t need us to package Him inoffensively, give him a gloss and market him strategically. I truly believe becoming Kingdom focussed involves equipping each other to serve and stand up for those who are left out in the cold. I don’t think we need to worry too much about that putting people off!

I have seen how churches who have chosen to be outward looking first have found that with such a prophetic calling their congregations have been set alight to realise countless possibilities. And it’s hard to ignore that people with a purpose attract people. I wonder if it’s time we just get on with loving each other...

Just as I was putting myself back together...

... I'm going to Palestine and Israel. In November I'm off on a study tour to hear some real stories and learn as much as I can about the issues facing that region. I'm going off my own back (no beach holidays for me, oh no siree) and as part of the deal those travelling are asked to consider whether they want to raise extra funds to donate directly to the projects we will visit.

I ummed and ahhed for quite a while, as I'm generally an advocate for trusting NGOs to distribute funds as they see fit as they work with partner organisations who know exactly what's needed for long term, sustainable change. However, I read through the organisations we're visiting, and I believe that they tick my boxes - far from throwing money at issues, they appear to be tackling root causes of oppression and are established in what they do and how they are run.

Therefore, I'm going to unashamedly ask that if you would like to give money to any of the projects detailed below then please do! There's no JustGiving page alas, instead you can donate to Thursdays in Black and I'll get the funds (you're going to have to trust me) to the right place. The paypal button is on the right of this page, email or facebook me telling me where you want the money to go. Alternatively you can send me a cheque or an IOU. Email me at laura.e.mcadam@gmail.com. Or slip me some cash when you next see me, just include a note for what it's for or I'll assume you think I need some new shoes.

So here are some of the organisations I'll be visiting:

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
ICAHD is a non violent, direct action group originally established in 1997 to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the Occupied Territories. It has expanded into actively resisting land expropriation, settlement expansion, Israeli-only road construction, policies of 'closure' and 'separation', and the uprooting of fruit and olive trees. Activities include resisting the demolition of Palestinian houses, rebuilding Palestinian homes as an act of political resistance, disseminating information and networking, running an alternative tour programme that explains the 'Matrix of Control' over the Palestinian people, providing strategic and practical support to Palestinian people and families. http://www.icahd.org/

Donations go towards core funding to keep ICAHD operating, providing analysis about the requirements for a just peace for all people groups based on international law and universal human rights.

Women in Black (i'm very very excited about this - they are one of the root movements that inspired Thursdays in Black)
Women in Black began in 1988 in Jerusalem and has grown into a world-wide network of women committed to peace with justice and actively opposed to injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. Weekly actions often take the form of women wearing black, standing in a public place in silent, non-violent vigils at regular times and intervals, carrying placards and handing out leaflets. Wearing black in some cultures signifies mourning, and feminist actions dressed in black convert women’s traditional passive mourning for the dead in war into a powerful refusal of the logic of war. http://www.coalitionofwomen.org/

Holy Land Trust
The Trust is a non-profit organization that was established in Bethlehem in 1998. It seeks to empower the community with spiritual, pragmatic and strategic approaches to resist all forms of oppression and engage the same community in making the Holy Land a global model and pillar of understanding, respect, justice, equality and peaceful coexistence. http://www.holylandtrust.org/

Donations go towards their Palestinian leadership development programme.

Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) Hebron
CPT offers an organized, non violent alternative to war and other forms of lethal inter-group conflict. Since 1995, the team in Hebron has provided a violence reduction presence with street patrol, responding to trouble and staying with people in tense times and places. It also supports Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers in their work. http://www.cpt.org/

Donations go towards the expenses of keeping a team based in Hebron.

Combatants for Peace
This movement was started jointly by Israelis and Palestinians who have taken an active part in the cycle of violence. They believe only by joining forces will they be able to end bloodshed bringing an end to the occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people. They organize meetings between both Israeli and Palestinian veterans in which both sides talk about their participation in violent actions and how they came to the turning point which led them to understand the limits of violence. Amongst many joint projects which they have set up, they seek to educate others towards non-violence. http://www.combatantsforpeace.org/

Donations go towards their project in the South Hebron Hills. Combatants for Peace visit Palestinian farmers on a weekly basis and offer assistance against the activities of settlers who threaten their livelihoods.

Dheisheh Refugee Camp
UNRWA's Dheisheh Refugee Camp was founded in 1949 within the municipal boundaries of Bethlehem. The camp's original 3,400 refugees came from 45 villages in the western Jerusalem and western Hebron areas. During the 2nd Intifada the inhabitants were badly affected with incursions by the IDF which continue until today. There are over 13,000 people now living at the camp under difficult conditions with lack of sufficient schooling and medical facilities, water scarcity, and with narrow alleyways winding between a hodgepodge of cement buildings.

Bethlehem University
The University was founded in 1973 by the Catholic De La Salle brothers and offers a broad education in the arts and sciences for over 3000 students. It is a vibrant, academic community and promotes inter-religious and cultural understanding, international cooperation, justice and peace. The Separation Wall built around Bethlehem together with numerous checkpoints and 'The Terminal' at the city's entrance makes attendance at the University very difficult. http://www.bethlehem.edu/

Donations go towards the university fees of a specific student identified by the university.

Something new to strive for

I am one of those people that always needs to be doing something. I can’t watch TV without my laptop going, or walk without listening to music, or drive without preparing a talk in my head! I am learning, mostly the hard way, that sometime soon I should really try and implement some kind of strategy for stillness.

I talk a lot of the urgency of what we do for others, the drive to give all we can to change things, to be outward looking as a matter of importance. And I stand by all that! But the danger of not stopping once in a while is that you miss the whispers. You miss the glimpses of beauty all around. You miss the chance to know peace.

You’d think that in the poorest communities of the world they’d spend most of their time listing the needs they have, but in my experience it’s quite the opposite. In India recently a friend of mine spent the beginning of every one of our conversations listing the blessings of the day, including that he was about to talk with me! On one occasion he paused mid sentence and said ‘Laura – stop! Let’s just be still...’ We had a lot to do that day including discussing the problems faced by their community project, but in that moment of quiet I felt the pressure of the task replaced by calm perspective.

I’m trying to learn that resting does not let anyone down, instead it equips and prepares for what’s to come. I’m going to learn to listen for the quiet whispers and develop the art of stillness.

Just a snippet...

Is the floor in your home just dirt? Because if your floor is anything other than dirt, you’re in the top half of the world’s population.

I wonder if your home has a roof, a door, windows and more than one room? If it does, you fall into the top 20% of the world’s population. If you have a fridge – you’re in the top 5%.

And if you have a car, a microwave, DVD player, computer and your toilet has a door… you’re in the top 1% in the world.

For 99% of the world’s people life has no luxury, and a third of our world live in desperate poverty.

But poverty is not a statistic, it’s a person.