The Recession is a Golden Opportunity

(OK, nothing posted for a month. Let's fix that.)

I found this piece by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor -- the Archbishop of Westminster, published in the Telegraph. It resonates powerfully with me. His focus is on how Christianity requires that as we move through our lives -- in this particular case, as we respond to the current global recession, we strive to make the world better for the disadvantaged. First, I agree with him that this should be the paramount concern of Christians. It was the message of Jesus. But more, this message isn't just for Christians.

This recession is an opportunity. A friend of mine in New York was recently laid off and has taken to volunteering for some nonprofits. As Muphy-O'Connor notes, we can rebuild the economy, but rebuild it a little differently. Maybe this time we can help close the wealth gap between the top and bottom strata of our society. Here's a chance that we can make the world a better place.

The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

I found a recommendation for a book called "The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It" in an article from the Economist, which had this to say:

THIS slip of a book is set to become a classic of the “how to help the world's poorest” genre. Its author, Paul Collier, an Oxford economics professor, has spent 30-odd years puzzling mainly over sub-Saharan Africa and trying to work out why so many of its 48 countries have become basket cases. Crammed with statistical nuggets and common sense, his book should be compulsory reading for anyone embroiled in the hitherto thankless business of trying to pull people out of the pit of poverty where the “bottom billion” of the world's population of 6.6 billion seem irredeemably stuck.

The book seems to be well-respected at Amazon.com, where it's been given 4.5 stars out of 5.



There's also a Kindle Edition for those who prefer that format.

How to help end world hunger and poverty

Here's an article from eHow that outlines several different things that you can do to help make things better (shop at places that donate proceeds to charity, donate to Goodwill and Salvation Army, hold fundraisers, volunteer at soup kitchens, etc). I like this article because it focuses on relatively simple things that anyone can do to help.

Ascend Alliance

http://ascendalliance.org

This is an organization dedicated to helping children in poverty. Consider getting involved.

WIRED: Use the Web to End Poverty

Lots of people are concerned with poverty, right? I just ran across a new article at the WIRED magazine how-to wiki (a web site that anyone can edit — for the betterment of the article) on using the web to end poverty. There's not much there as I type this (hey, it's brand new) but there are a few great ideas and there will be more. Maybe you have some ideas that belong there too.