A Chance to Help

Since my arrival in Cambodia, many of you have written to me. Some have expressed support for my work, others have offered sympathy for the complexities of trying to alleviate poverty in any environment. Some have told me that they wish there was something simple that they could do to help, others just wanted to say thank you for a good read. I’ve enjoyed every letter. They’ve kept me connected to my life at home and reminded me of why I’m here.

So, three months after my arrival, what conclusions have I come to? I’ve learned that development is complex but that even complexity can be overcome by an acceptance of one’s limitations, a willingness to learn, and genuine commitment. I’ve also learned that though my work here is important, much of the power in international development rests not in developing countries but in developed ones. That’s us.

In the words of a friend working in Zambia, “There are two very important campaigns on right now that I believe have the potential to help far more people than I could ever dream of over here … Mr Martin recently announced that Canada cannot afford to meet our own Lester B. Pearson’s target of contributing 0.7% of our GDP to foreign aid. We’ve committed to it every year for the past 3 decades, not having come close to meeting it. If our government, with a huge multibillion dollar surplus cannot afford this now, when will we ever be able to? …Its time we as Canadians used our voices as one to let our government know that we are willing to sacrifice a few dollars a year to make a difference in the lives of millions.” It’s not an unrealistic goal. “Five countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – have met the target. Six more, including Britain, France and Germany, have committed to do so by 2015. As a wealthy nation, we can do no less.”

From where I sit now in Cambodia, Canada’s name is everywhere. It’s on the benches built to seat visitors at the Angkorian ruins of Phnom Daa. It’s on the sign in front of the University of Toronto health outreach program in Kep. It’s even on the budget funding the Ceramic Water Purifier program on which I work. In a country where nearly half the population can’t trust the water they drink, EWB and IDE together have already brought clean water to thousands and are hoping to do so for the whole nation.

None of this would continue to happen though without a Canadian government foreign policy that accepts our limitations, is willing to learn, and remains genuinely committed to alleviating poverty. So this is me, getting on my soapbox, asking you all to help. You don’t have to come to Cambodia. You don’t have to give up so much as an hour of your day. Click on the two links below. If you agree with what either site has to say, sign its petition. If you don’t, you’ll have seen another perspective and taken part in the debate. That alone makes it worth the effort.

http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/
http://www.acpd.ca/acpd.cfm/en/section/campaign/email/1

Something Lighter

A friend of mine, also working in Phnom Penh, is posting one photo from her life here for each day of the week. Check out http://www.scenefrommylife.com/. It's a really interesting site. Previous photographers have been in places ranging from Ottawa to Antarctica and from Lebanon to Japan. There is even a series of photos taken for each of an anonymous American soldier’s final days on a tour of duty in Iraq.