Monday, May 22, 2006"We have to keep our marching boots on and hold our leaders to account for the promises they have made to Africa -- and get them to promise more. The incredible movement we saw gathering around last year's G8 is what will, in the end, win the day. But for too many people, that day will be too late." Bono, in a special edition of The IndependentWe've bemoaned that Americans only pay attention when "Matt and Katie" or the like are newsing about a tragedy, and that news outlets don't pay attention to the tragedy of a child dying every three seconds due to extreme poverty, or 8000 people dying of AIDS every single day, and so Americans are left ignorant.
But that is about to change, May 23rd. Or it can, if we and our friends get on board...
On Tuesday, May 23rd, the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will broadcast a portion of Bono's much-anticipated trip to Africa, live from Ghana. This broadcast is an incredible opportunity for all Americans to see what is really happening in the world's poorest countries. We will also get the chance to talk about what we can do in our own community to make a difference. Men, women and children from all over Africa are living better lives because of our efforts. Be a part of it with me.
Go to
www.one.org/watchparty/ to find out more and sign up for Tuesday's historic event, to host your own party, or perhaps to RSVP for the party held at the St. George's Rectory in York Harbor, Tuesday night, starting at 6 p.m.
The party will be a finger-food pot-luck. But don't worry--if you can't bring anything, come anyway. There is always enough when we share what we have... And isn't that the big idea?
Hope to see you there! And feel free to bring a friend!
Please consider this possibility, and share it with others.
Peace,
Paige+
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NEIDEEP at 3:15 PM
Wednesday, May 17, 2006"Whatever the problem we have in our life, someone has faced it and overcome it." David DeNotarisOver the weekend, we had torrential downpours and most of us wondered if we would need an ark – it was the worst flood to hit New Hampshire, Southern Maine and eastern Massachusetts since 1936. Several people were interviewed and made statements such as “this is just like Katrina” or “this is like Louisiana.” One woman was a little more realistic and stated, “now I have a better understanding about what people went thru in New Orleans.” These comments have been broadcast all over the world and now that the deluge has stopped, cancellations for summer vacations are pouring in to York County (Maine)from all over the country. I suspect this could be more damaging to our region in the long run and is a direct result of the exaggerations.
Although conditions are horrible in many areas and the damage to roads, bridges, dams, businesses and homes are still being accessed, New England will recover. We learned a lot from Katrina. People are working together to solve the problems in their towns and neighborhoods. The majority of people needing to be evacuated were immediately taken to shelters where they were provided with food and water. Assistance is already available, with a neighborhood clean up in York Beach, Maine today.
Having personally experienced two 500 year floods (from tropical storms) with in a few years of each other while living in the Caribbean, our current problems must be kept in proportion. Our region may now have a better understanding of the devastation in the Gulf last summer, but even in our worst areas, we have been very lucky compared to the continued hardships people are enduring from last year’s hurricane season.
Bonnie
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NEIDEEP at 9:50 AM
Wednesday, May 3, 2006"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society." Vince LombardiThis Sunday, May 7th, is the Aids Response Seacoast Walk. We hope you will come out for this important event. Paige will be involved in the walk - I will be at a table spreading awareness of Extreme Poverty in the world and collecting signatures for the UN Millennium & ONE Campaigns. If you are unable to walk or attend, please consider making a donation. You can sponser Paige at the link in the right hand column under "Up Coming Events." Although the goal is to raise a lot of money, if funds are tight for you, please feel free to contribute $5 or $10 - every bit helps.
Paige and I discussed our posting for this week and agreed that we should "republish" a commentary that I wrote for The Sanford News on December 1, 2005, which was World AIDS Day.
Education the Cure on World AIDS Day by Bonnie N. Davis
The Sanford News December first is World AIDS Day. Many thoughts fill my mind – especially about the children both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. On November 21st, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) released the latest findings in their annual report -
AIDS Epidemic Update 2005. Although BBC America reported this as a major news story, network and cable news shows also broadcasted the results.
In 2005, the number of people living with HIV increased to 40.3 million. More than 3 million people died from AIDS this year - of those, more than 500,000 were innocent children. Statistics in Kenya, Zimbabwe, several areas of the Caribbean, among the youth in Uganda and intravenous drug users in Spain and Brazil appear to indicate a slight decline. However, there has been an increase in Eastern Europe as well as Central and East Asia. Although HIV/AIDS exists in nearly every region of the globe, those living in extreme poverty were most affected. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 3.2 million more people were infected with HIV - 2.4 million died from AIDS related causes this year. Globally, 64% of all those with HIV/AIDS live in this region. Children are caring for dying parents and are often raising other children when one or both parents die. The report indicates that while the increase in access to medications has helped in other areas, as of a few months ago, only one out of every ten Africans (and seven out of every Asian) with HIV/AIDS had access to anti-retroviral drugs. I wonder if I am the only one who finds these numbers shocking and unacceptable – especially the number of dead children.
Education has helped in many regions – including our own country. However, HIV/AIDS from heterosexual intercourse has increased. I feel that we must look beyond social and religious judgments and promote intensive education. Teaching third world citizens about this disease (including how it is spread, prevented and treated) is mandatory.
This past year, Oprah exposed one horrifying way that the lack of education effects children in South Africa. Her show revealed that men, told by community leaders that having sex with a virgin would cure AIDS, were raping children. I cried throughout the entire show. One 5-month old baby was gang raped by several desperate men. Since she was too small to ‘service’ them, they cut her with jagged glass. Somehow, she survived this horror. She was found, barely alive, and rushed to a hospital. The doctors cried while performing surgery, doubtful they could save her life. Again, she survived. A Black American woman, living in South Africa, adopted her after a long hospital recovery. For months, this infant would scream in terror when touched. Finally, the love of her new mother reached her and started to heal her soul. She now laughs and plays. What happened to her happens to some extent every day. I cannot tolerate such injustice, especially when education and medication would make a difference.
Since the G8 Summit in July, the world’s wealthiest nations, including ours, have promised to donate and support AIDS initiatives. However, only half of the money needed is available. Anton Kerr, of Christian Aid, said, “Millions of people are relying on the promises made by the most powerful and richest countries in the world. However, the scandal of their failure to fully fund the Global Fund shows that they are not acting quickly enough to save the lives they have committed to saving. Empty promises mean death sentences.”
On World AIDS Day, please remember that we have the power and resources to help others. Senators Collins and Snowe both voted in favor of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in July. I phoned both of their offices prior to the vote. These days, I often feel overwhelmed with the horrors in the world. I find comfort knowing that we can stay informed and encourage our elected officials to make the right decisions. I know that saving the children of the world is not a realistic personal goal, but perhaps together we can make a difference.
Thank you and we hope to see you in Portsmouth on Sunday!
Bonnie
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NEIDEEP at 10:20 AM
