Wednesday, March 17, 2010



March 2010 Newsletter

Last month we introduced the book The Bottom Billion, which describes the plight of some one billion people in about 50 countries who are not only poor but getting poorer. The reasons for this are complex but the result is people, especially children, suffer and die needlessly. It is so easy to ignore this reality, closeted away in our North American cocoon, where our leaders try to lull us into voting for them with idiotic ideas that we can go on endlessly consuming without thought for the future. In the final chapter entitled, "An Agenda for Action," the author, Paul Collier addresses the thought that the issues are too big to tackle:

I have a little boy who is six. I do not want him to grow up in a world with a vast running sore - a billion people stuck in desperate conditions alongside unprecedented prosperity ...

Certainly there are brave people within these societies who are struggling to achieve change. It is important to us that these people win their struggle, but the odds are stacked  against them ...

You are a citizen and citizenship carries responsibilities. In the 1930s the world sleepwalked into the avoidable catastrophe of World War II because electorates in the United States and Europe were too lazy to think beyond the populist recipes of isolationism and pacifism. These mistakes led to the slaughter of children. It is the responsibility of all citizens to prevent us from sleepwalking into another catastrophe that our children would have to face.
We must prod our national government, we must change the way we live, we must spend part of our prosperity to help those who cannot help themselves. We must do it now and it must be more than a passing response to a natural disaster. We must stop the running sore.

School Presentations 


In recent weeks, the GlobalLight Projects team had the privilege of making presentations in two London schools. We have developed interactive, fun tools that help us get the point across about what we are doing and why. We are hoping that eventually a school here will take up the challenge of helping to provide electricity for a school that needs it. 

Video, quiz questions, carrying 20 litres of water (as children do in many parts of the world), and a working solar energy display help us get the points across to young and old alike. Thanks to London District Christian Secondary School and John Paul II High School for inviting us.



Above
Peter, Thomas & teacher at LDCSS




Left
Peter, Thomas with JPII chaplain


Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
- Samuel Johnson
Contact Us!

Don't hesitate to contact the GlobalLight Projects Team with your questions, comments, suggestions or to help arrange a demonstration of solar power and to talk about our vision and concept. Also, feel free to pass this newsletter on to someone who might be interested.

Your GlobalLight Projects Team
Marilyn, Wayde, Peter, Thomas & Doug






Let There Be Light!
My photo
exists to help the people in the developing world by applications of simple technology

Followers