Condemned to starve to death
Sunday December 20 2009
Sir -- No words could truly capture the agonies of a person condemned to starve to death.
I use the word "condemned" because that is what our world is doing by failing to take the plight of the one billion people now starving on our planet seriously.
Token efforts are made, but we have an obligation to do so much more.
The way in which world leaders locked their heads together to address the banking crisis shows what can be achieved when hearts and minds engage.
Without in any way wishing to play down the importance of financial institutions is it insolent to ask, are human lives not more important?
Recently, UN Food Director Jacques Diouf wondered aloud why billions of dollars could be mobilised within hours to rescue banks that have visited so much of their troubles on themselves, while tens of thousands of children die needlessly every day in the developing world, and there is no sense of urgency about rushing to their defence?
In vain, the UN appealed to 192 nations to pledge €30bn annually in a commitment to eradicate hunger by 2025. If the season of goodwill could begin with a single wish this year I would advocate that we put the same value on the preservation of human life as we do on bank deposits.
After all, when it comes to replacing money, governments across the globe have shown themselves adept at printing more currency when the need arises. Nothing can ever replace a human life.
John O'Shea,
GOAL, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
Originally published in
