Wednesday

Social Consciousness 101


live 8
Originally uploaded by Beatrice Petty.

I am fully aware that 99.99999% of Beatrice Petty is selfishly devoted to the happenings and random musings of yours truly. I don't see that changing anytime really soon, but occasionally, there will come a time when I feel the need to plug a cause that speaks to me.

One of the things that I love best about Canada is that we are very much aware of the goings on outside our own borders. We care or, at least we like to think we do.

It has been 35 years since Canadian Lester B. Pearson proposed that foreign aid from developed countries should double to 0.7% of their GNP. Has Canada ever reached this target? No. In fact, the money we give to developing countries has been steadily declining in recent years.

Cut to present day. Our current PM, the ever photogenic Paul Martin, pledged in his election campaign last year that he would significantly increase the monies going to foreign aid, hence why he and Bono became fast friends. Once again, our government has seemingly renegged on it's promise to increase aid.

But can you blame them? I wish you could see my eyes rolling... Sponsorship scandals and political intrigues take a much greater precedence in this country than helping out some poor people halfway across the world right??? And let's not forget that the opposition parties in this country are doing their darnedest to topple the minority government and block the budget, all in the belief that those involved in same-sex relationships do not deserve the same fundamental rights as us heterosexuals when it comes to marriage. At any rate, unhealthy political climate or not, there is no excuse for our country not not be follow through with our promises in these matters. Even Bono is pissed for crying out loud. I think I can speak for all Canadians when I say that we don't want Bono to be mad at us. Hell, we don't like it when ANYONE is mad at us, hence why we try to be everybody's bestest friend.

"But you can't be angry with us... we're... we're, Canada..."

With governments worldwide being so reluctant to take any initiative, it now seems to have fallen on the shoulders of private individuals to help out those in need. Enter Sir Bob with Live 8.

The announcement was made yesterday in Toronto that Canada's Live 8 concert is to be held July 2nd at Park Place (wherever the heck that is) in Barrie (just north of Toronto). Tickets go on "sale" tomorrow and are available free through Ticketmaster by answering the following trivia question:

What can the G8 countries do to make poverty history?
a) Increase foreign aid
b) Cancel the debt of poor countries
c) Make trade rules fair for the poor
d) All of the above


Yesterday, Sir Bob sent a message to our PM. Stay Home. Do not show up to the G8 Summit in Scotland if you have no intention of following through with the promises you have already made to increase aid. I hope he goes, and makes our country proud by choosing A through C of the above Multiple choice answers. Come on, it's multiple choice... the easiest kind of test. Only a monkey couldn't pass.

Here are some useful links should you be desirous of further intel on this matter:
Make Poverty History, Live 8, Live 8 Tix in Canada

Thank you for your patience and I hope to see y'all in Barrie on July 2nd!


Ta,
Bea

1 comment:

john boy said...

Well done Bea. That was so charitable of you. I will no longer blame you for all of the world's (or at least Dee's) ills. Cheers ;)