city sickness

In the 21st century, societies are so urbanized that people become more and more distant from the vastness of the world we inhibit. Places that we used to call home are now mysterious and foreign areas that only the most extreme occasional visit. It is because of this mentality that many lessons and opportunities for growth that can be experienced by being outside are lost. Lost to deadlines, cell phones, meetings, and television. Perhaps the reason for this epidemic is that people are intimidated by the unknown, are fighting against complacency, or working towards that next promotion that has become number one on the priority ladder. Maybe though it is simply because they have not experienced the fruitfulness of being still and surrounded by unimaginable beauty. Have not smelled the rich pine or the oncoming storm. Have not felt the crunch of a heavy snow under their feet or the mountain breeze glide over their face. These are things that cannot be experienced in a cubical or by watching Survivor. The benefits of seeking a true wilderness experience are unfathomable. Being forced to look inward because of what is outward. Exercising the mind and the body. Achieving something substantial that previously looked impossible. Perhaps most of all though is the opportunity to enter into a new spiritual endeavor with our Creator. We say, "that film was awesome" or "that piece of music was awesome." No, no. Only He is awesome, and it is when as mortal beings we slow down and put ourselves in a position to humbly admire what is outside of the office building that we can truly say, "that is awesome." As the explorer and spiritual writer Sir Francis Younghusband so eloquently spoke, "It is because they have so much to give and give it so lavishly...that men love the mountains and go back to them again and again." So go. Explore. Be challenged. And meet the Creator where He is most easily seen.

defeating poverty

World leaders gathered today at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and global poverty. While many battles are being fought and won in regards to the MDGs like malaria and AIDS, the number of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa has actually risen between 1990 and 2005. The driving force behind achieving the MDGs is international aid and according to General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann member states are not following through on their pledges of 0.7% of their gross domestic product. This severely hurts the work that the United Nations is attempting to do through the MDGs. 0.7% is a tremendously low figure and it is disturbing that the wealthiest nations in the world cannot follow through on commitments to assist those that lack basic necessities. A humbling statistic reveals that for every dollar developed countries spend on international assistance, they invest $10 in military budgets. Living in a world that has so much, it is sometimes difficult to understand why poverty is even an issue. But the fact is that it is an issue and people are dying from incredibly treatable illnesses. Though it may not be the only solution to eradicating poverty, international assistance can play a vital role in achieving this. My hope is that states would recognize the importance of addressing this issue, give generously, and work multilaterally to provide all humans with the basic necessities that they deserve. Unfortunately, history shows us that we cannot merely stand by and expect that states will fight for human rights. Therefore it remains the duty of all humans from all walks of life to do what we can in our sphere of influence to battle injustice. Let us be a generation that fervently strives to see every human on the planet experience life, life to the full.

source: un news centre

slavery still exists

27 million people are enslaved today..

During his lifetime, the politician and abolitionist William Wilberforce fought tirelessly to end the slave trade throughout his homeland of Britain. It was a beautiful day in human rights history when his dream became a reality. Mr. Wilberforce achieved this through legislation. Currently, slavery is virtually unlawful in every state throughout the globe. However this does not negate the fact that it does indeed still exist. The question arising among present day abolitionists is how to tackle such an incredibly seemingly overwhelming task. Mr. Wilberforce and his contemporaries had a clear objective that they aimed at accomplishing that would directly influence whether the slave trade continued to be an affluent, lawful industry or not. Now it appears the laws against human trafficking are in place, so where to begin? Through a recent discussion with several individuals in the field of human trafficking I learned that the answer to this question involves a combination of many things. Among these include lobbying, raising funds for non profit organizations, placing pressure on domestic and foreign governments to implement further legislation, and increasing awareness among the public. Perhaps the most significant of these is increasing awareness. The word awareness may not sit right with certain people because of its overuse, however there is value to this approach. Making sure the public is aware of the atrocities of human trafficking can be a prerequisite to battling this injustice. Therefore, please join me in vocalizing concern over this issue to friends, family members, and anyone else who will listen.
This begins though with our own education on human trafficking..

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