http://jeremyduncan.ca/make-affluence-history?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-affluence-history Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://jeremyduncan.ca/make-affluence-history/comment-page-1#comment-16657 jeremyduncan.ca » Blog Archive » Second Thoughts Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:38:12 +0000 http://jeremyduncan.ca/make-affluence-history#comment-16657 [...] good friend, Dan Johns, addeds some thoughts from Africa to my last post [read them] and it got me thinking along these lines some [...] [...] good friend, Dan Johns, addeds some thoughts from Africa to my last post [read them] and it got me thinking along these lines some [...]

]]> http://jeremyduncan.ca/make-affluence-history/comment-page-1#comment-16655 Dan Johns Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:36:40 +0000 http://jeremyduncan.ca/make-affluence-history#comment-16655 I hear you point and agree; for the most part. It wasn't until I lived in the community four months ago before I understood. Before I lived in a one room brick house with a seventeen year old boy who looks after his two younger brothers, I couldn't share those feeling or know the burdens that are experienced. I needed to experience the pain to help end it. However, I disagree somewhat with what you said. I cannot be responsible for helping everyone in need. It has taken a lot of depressing moments and burnout to realize that, however I have come to the realization that If I am responsible for for one of those children or a dozen, then that's all I can do. I cannot worry about what the world is not doing. Yes Hands has committed to 100,000 by 2010 and I applaud them for that. At least they are doing something. Why do we knock them for only putting a drop in the bucket. At least they have put that drop there while the rest of West sits on their hands and talks about what needs to be done rather then doing it. I can encourage and share to help get people on board, but that can only go so far before it takes away from what I can do for that dozen. I agree that a mind shift needs to take place to recognize that the end of affluence is important. However, it needs to go hand in hand with the end of poverty. If I decide to live in a smaller house, sell my car and take the bus, and not buy a new ipod every year, it really won't do anything for that 15 year old girl who is raising her three younger siblings by herself. The end of affluence really means THE END OF AFFLUENCE. Like you said Jer, It needs to be a full on sacrifice. Being willing to stand with that 15 year old girl and conversing with her and her peers and ASKING what they need and how we can come to a solution with them. That will end poverty. But again, that's all I am responsible for. From a cynics perspective I do no see much hope for the world. I just read on the hearld web page a proposed $1 billion dollar private club/hotel to be built in Calgary. I can only do so much. Where is my time better spent? encouraging a bunch of corporate dicks to sacrifice, or being with those dozen kids who will effect so much more change then those corporate dicks ever could as they grown up and lead Africa. The west won't change, but Africa can and will change it self. I hear you point and agree; for the most part. It wasn’t until I lived in the community four months ago before I understood. Before I lived in a one room brick house with a seventeen year old boy who looks after his two younger brothers, I couldn’t share those feeling or know the burdens that are experienced. I needed to experience the pain to help end it. However, I disagree somewhat with what you said. I cannot be responsible for helping everyone in need. It has taken a lot of depressing moments and burnout to realize that, however I have come to the realization that If I am responsible for for one of those children or a dozen, then that’s all I can do. I cannot worry about what the world is not doing. Yes Hands has committed to 100,000 by 2010 and I applaud them for that. At least they are doing something. Why do we knock them for only putting a drop in the bucket. At least they have put that drop there while the rest of West sits on their hands and talks about what needs to be done rather then doing it. I can encourage and share to help get people on board, but that can only go so far before it takes away from what I can do for that dozen.
I agree that a mind shift needs to take place to recognize that the end of affluence is important. However, it needs to go hand in hand with the end of poverty. If I decide to live in a smaller house, sell my car and take the bus, and not buy a new ipod every year, it really won’t do anything for that 15 year old girl who is raising her three younger siblings by herself. The end of affluence really means THE END OF AFFLUENCE. Like you said Jer, It needs to be a full on sacrifice. Being willing to stand with that 15 year old girl and conversing with her and her peers and ASKING what they need and how we can come to a solution with them. That will end poverty. But again, that’s all I am responsible for. From a cynics perspective I do no see much hope for the world. I just read on the hearld web page a proposed $1 billion dollar private club/hotel to be built in Calgary. I can only do so much. Where is my time better spent? encouraging a bunch of corporate dicks to sacrifice, or being with those dozen kids who will effect so much more change then those corporate dicks ever could as they grown up and lead Africa. The west won’t change, but Africa can and will change it self.

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