Adults
With the UK hosting the annual G8 summit (a meeting for the government leaders of eight of the world’s most powerful economies) this year, 2013 represents a historic opportunity in the fight to end world hunger. That’s why Christian Aid is joining together with other agencies to call for a fairer food
system that works for all. Visit christianaid.org.uk/campaigns to say you’ve had enough of people going hungry and call on our leaders to act.
Children
There’s enough food in the world for everybody to eat, but right now, millions of people still go hungry. This year, lots of organisations like Christian Aid are joining together to ask politicians to stop so many people being hungry. This weekend, write a letter to your Member of Parliament (MP) telling them that you think it’s really important that everybody in the world has enough to eat. Ask an adult to help you find the address for your MP, and make sure you include your own address so that they can write back to you!
This week I have received a fair few emails asking me to petition my MP about issues relating to poverty, both at home and overseas. In a delightful and slightly unusual coalition, The Joint Public Issues Team of BUGB, URC, and Methodist Church along with the Church of Scotland have an e-petition we can sign. More info here It is also Fairtrade Fortnight, and you can create a 'mini marcher' here
This morning the radio news reported a government minister essentially saying we should cut benefits to pay for bombs (or in more PC language, that the short fall in the defence budgets could be redressed by reducing the benefits budgets). I'm not naive enough to think balancing a nation's books is easy, or that we can just have whatever we want and hang the cost (though as I said yesterday I'd happily pay more tax if it meant more/better/sustained services, but it did make me pause for thought.
My pledge
Today - sign one e-petition related to issues of poverty (today I chose the JPIT/C of S one)
Total - £20.25, three prayers, a rant on voting and an e-petition to my MP (kind of liking that having voted I can also make my MP do some work!)