Just finished reading a review of philosopher Peter Singer’s new book “The Life You Can Save” subtitled “Acting Now To End World Poverty”. I was extremely interested to read more as it is a subject that I too have wrestled with and actively did what I could do about it for many years.
While you are reading this short piece, about 300 children will die, many from easily treatable, poverty-related causes?
(Based on UNICEF estimates that 27,000 children die every day)
These figures are hard to comprehend but nevertheless true.
In the past I have watched a short documentary, which was made about child mortality. To highlight the enormity of the figures, they showed that every few minutes this was the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every few minutes. I have never forgotten the parallel and am confronted when journalists highlight the tragic loss of a single life in our society and I ask “Why, when we can relate to one death can’t we relate to thousands every day?” I came to the conclusion that we just fell totally disempowered in the face of such enormous tragedy.
Singer in his book deals with this confrontation to find out why many of us do nothing to address this gross world imbalance. He is not seeking in this book to make us feel guilty or bad but essentially putting forward an argument to empower us as individuals to end poverty. This he suggests is unavoidable if we want to live an ethical life.
Singer argues that if you are reading his book and drinking bottled water or maybe a soft drink, then you have money to spend on things you don’t really need. He rightfully claims that around the world a billion people struggle to live each day on less than you paid for that drink.
So what to do to make a difference? Hugo and I chose to contribute to the Grameen Bank which in turn provides loans for the poorest of the poor to have access to credit and in turn end their own poverty. We came to understand as we lobbied our Federal Parliamentarians that our Australian Government aid programme is not designed to do this.
Singer suggests that we can all in fact make a difference and end extreme poverty by allocating small regular amounts to reputable non government agencies (such as Grameen, or Oxfam)
Singer continues to question the eating of meat and the biofuel industry which robs grain which could instead feed the world. He examines the enormous wealth squandered on lifestyle and philanthropic trusts set up to buy valuable art objects. Is it morally responsible to spend millions on 1 painting when the money spent could have saved thousands of lives?
I find the whole discussion provocative, empowering and timely and will buy the book to read more in depth.
The Age Sat 31st Jan 2009 Features p. 12 - 13
