Target 1: Address the special needs of least developed countries, landlocked countries and small island developing states
Target 2: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system
Target 3: Deal comprehensively with developing countries’ debt
Target 4: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries
Target 5: In cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications.

How will this happen? It could be argued that there are simply speaking four major players in any society. The first is governments, while many have legitimacy, few have any real global influence, and they are generally only around for the term they are elected for.

Secondly we have businesses and corporations. You could argue that many do have global impact, they tend to plan for short term , often only quarters of a year, and they are only accountable to their shareholders, not local people, so can lack legitimacy.

Thirdly we have civil society. This includes the non government organisations, associations, clubs etc that make up any given community. There can be civil society organisations that have global connections, and some have a long term vision. But again they struggle to achieve broad based legitimacy.

Lastly there are movements. These are different to the above groupings and they exist not for much other than their purpose. An example is the anti landmine movement. They can have global impact, they are enduring and their legitimacy is based on the moral foundations they are built on.

I am arguing that the faith groups around the world who call themselves Christian are such a movement. It is one that has throughout the ages sought to fulfil Christ’s call in Luke 4 to 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” Doesn’t this sound like those targets for the 8th MDG Goal? There are many verses in the Bible that call for fairness and justice, warn the rich and the powerful and encourage the forgiveness of debt. The prophets in particular speak out against oppression and injustice such as this extract from Isaiah 10: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.”

Prayer: Father God when you chose to reveal yourself through a baby, born to a young couple on the fringe of a hostile society, you started an enduring movement. As we approach Christmas, speak to us as Christians as to ways we can fulfil Christ’s call to proclaim good news, heal the sick, set the oppressed free and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. Amen

There will always be winners and losers when changes happen, one’s perspective will depend on their situation. A worker, a business owner a pensioner will have very different world views.

What does this mean for us and local government to Act Justly?
• Given that we all benefit from local amenities like parks, pools and town centres, how much are we prepared to pay for such things with our rates?
• How much of our rates should be charged according to our property values, or by fixed charges?
• How much should council invest in things like social housing and support for community groups?

What does this mean for us as citizens in our communities to Love mercy?
• Does it mean that local government should help the poor and vulnerable?
• Could it mean we accept that elected representatives and council officers make mistakes and would value a little grace and encouragement to have another go?

How do we Walk humbly with our Lord?
• Could this mean endeavouring to hear other’s positions before proposing our own?
• How much are we prepared to concede to make our community, city function better?
• How much time could we take out time to pray for those we voted into governance roles?
• What can we learn from the way Jesus dealt with people and authorities?

Prayer: Father God, we have elected individuals into roles that will impact our communities. We seek your guidance as we help them to help us. Inspire us in ways that we can make our communities places that enable all to do the things they have reason to value. Help us to follow your son Jesus’ call to see that the needy and vulnerable are cared for. Amen.

Richard Barter

For local government to help the lower socio economic communities help themselves, it must understand the issues the poor face in running a business. Like wise these communities must be aware of the importance of effective engagement (including the benefits of compliance) with local government in order to have their voice heard. This may require training on both sides.

One of the key issues here is trust, on both sides. Many of the business people in Mt Roskill come from countries where government officials are corrupt, local government provides little or no services so there is no engagement. The challenge here for local government is to reach out to these people with something of value on offer, to not only listen to their needs, but to be honest about what it can commit to then stick to its promises.

Local Government must be transparent in the way they manage rates. A good system is one where the priorities of the local community will be sought, discussed in public forum then used to allocate funding.

What are some practical ways local government can help lower socio groups to get businesses going:

• Make it easy to get a licence to do business; i.e. food handling licences, a place in a council owned market.
• Be predictable and clear in the way they will incur costs on local businesses so that the businesses can plan ahead. Keep rates low!
• Invest in infrastructure that will help local businesses transport goods (uncongested roads), expand local market facilities.
• Be a buyer of locally produced goods and services to stimulate the local economy.

Note: I have referred to a paper in preparing this post: The role of local government in stimulating pro-poor economic development; what and how? Frits van der Wal & Thea Hilhorst. September 2007

Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), was a Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship.

By the 1970s, she was internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity continued to expand, and at the time of her death it was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children’s and family counselling programs, orphanages, and schools.
Teresa wrote in her diary that her first year was fraught with difficulties. She had no income and had to resort to begging for food and supplies. Teresa experienced doubt, loneliness and the temptation to return to the comfort of convent life during these early months. She wrote in her diary:

“Our Lord wants me to be a free nun covered with the poverty of the cross. Today I learned a good lesson. The poverty of the poor must be so hard for them. While looking for a home I walked and walked till my arms and legs ached. I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health. Then the comfort of Loreto [her former order] came to tempt me. ‘You have only to say the word and all that will be yours again,’ the Tempter kept on saying … Of free choice, my God, and out of love for you, I desire to remain and do whatever be your Holy will in my regard. I did not let a single tear come.”

Prayer: Father God we are not all called to live a life of Mother Teresa, but we do know that her heart for the poor must resonate with yours. Her commitment to a simple life is an inspiration to 1,000′s who now carry on her work. Let us dwell on her story, that it might even in a small way become in part of our lives. Amen

Richard Barter

Reponses: Which one would you choose?
• Ignore it: It doesn’t really affect us so we will remember those impacted in prayer and get on with life.
• Capitalise on it: This is a great opportunity to blame someone and build a case for our cause.
• Worry: What is the world coming to? When will we be next? What if something bad happens to my loved ones?
• Extol it: It is a sign on the return of Jesus, so bring it on!
• Activate: Pray unceasingly and take some time to find out who is doing something that will result in a sustainable future for those impacted.

Guess which one I like!

Regards
Richard Barter

TEAR Fund’s response in Pakistan:
• Estimated 20 million affected
• About 1600 dead
• More than 40% of the country under water
• More people affected than Asian Tsunami, Haiti and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake combined

We are supporting two emergency responses of two local partners:
First Partner: Our local partner on the ground is SSEWA-Pak (Society for Safe Environment and Welfare of Agrarians in Pakistan) and we are supporting them through Tearfund UK (Integral Alliance member). SSEWA-Pak responded to the SWAT valley refugee crises in the North of Pakistan last year, so have experience and connections in the flooded region (TFNZ helped fund this). SSEWA-Pak is currently providing emergency assistance to 3500 vulnerable families (24,500 beneficiaries) affected by extreme flooding in Naushera District (considered the worst affected and most vulnerable) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province, in north-west Pakistan.

The assistance consists of:
1. Food Rations for one month for 3,500 families – consisting of rice, flour, lentils, cooking oil, tea, sugar, milk
2. 3500 Health and Hygiene kits – consisting of soap, antiseptics, toothpaste, tooth brushes, towel, oil, nail cutters, mirror, comb
3. 3,500 plastic sheets for temporary shelter roofs
4. 3,500 Non-Food Item Kits – consisting of plates, glasses, steel pots, tea pots, trays, mugs, kerosene stove.

We have received NZ$100,000 from MFAT for this partner and we will be giving NZ$10,000 of our own money. The total budget for this response is NZ$440,000.

Second Partner: Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (Integral Alliance Member). CRWRC are working in partnership with a local partner called the ‘Interfaith League Against Poverty (I-LAP)’. They are responding in the Nowshera and Charsadda Districts of Khyber Paktunkwa Province:
1. Non Food Items for 3000 – 4000 families (includes tents and mosquito nets)
2. Emergency Food Aid – for 3,000 to 4,000 families. Includes lentils, oil, rice, sugar, salt, chilli powder, flour.
3. Ongoing Food Aid – Possibly 2,000+ families per month for 4 more months, depending on need and funding.
These responses could be scaled up as the situation worsens.
We have sent NZ$15,000 of our own funds to CRWRC.

I had to remind myself that this project is the culmination of a calling that came 26 years ago shortly after I was saved. One of the barriers to me seeking Jesus as my personal saviour was the inkling that when I did, he would say “You are now going to deepest darkest Africa”. This of course was exactly what happened and the scripture that made sense out that adventure was Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves; a cord of three strands is not easily broken”. I believe that it is God’s plan that we operate as the body of Christ, that God understands our personal frailty and failings, but that he puts us in families, communities and nations to build his Kingdom and overcome injustice and poverty. It was God that got me into this, I am confident that he will see me through the process.

The issue for those who live in rural communities all over the developing world are similar, if they are lucky enough to own land, rarely do they own enough to support more than their immediate family but not their grand children. Secondly the available land for agriculture is shrinking for a variety of reasons, climate change – that controversial topic – property development, roading, pollution, civil and international conflict. Lastly the lack of investment in small third world farms mean their productivity is low, so they cannot compete even with high wage nations like New Zealand. A good dairy cow under the best conditions in Sri Lanka may give 10-15 ltrs of milk a day, where as in NZ cows can give 40-50 ltrs or more. The same goes for crops, the mechanisation, irrigation and use of fertilisers by wealthy farmers increase their output and reduce their costs. The net result is that small third world farmers are going out of business. My thesis is that they can overcome these problems through cooperating with one another.

I am currently studying the ways in which different types of traditional and contemporary communities around the world cooperate. I hope that the learnings gained due the access we have in New Zealand to books and papers through libraries the internet which are largely written in English will spark conversation and new ideas as I meet with rural communities in West Bali in the New Year. Of interest in the communities I will be looking at there is that one of the villages is Christian, the only Christian village in Bali. It is also the place where TEAR Fund’s Christian Microenterprise development was started in the 1970’s by a well known kiwi David Bussau who noted that aid tended to benefit the less poor, and that loans and saving services are often more important than handouts.
Central to this topic is the servant hearted approach to living in community modelled to us by Jesus. What enables us to overcome natural self interest that works against the servant heart? I believe the answer is the Holy Spirit. I still draw on that scripture from Ecclesiastes 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves; a cord of three strands is not easily broken”. Discovering the God story woven into those poor West Bali communities will be the challenge and trusting God to reveal to all involved the answers to youth unemployment will require more faith than I have needed over the past 26 years of my walk with Jesus. I covet your prayers.

Prayer: Father in a world whose economy relies on putting individual needs and wants first, refresh our desire to live and operate as your body. As we struggle with headlines of war and oppression, enable us to live by the servant hearted example of your son Jesus. As we seek to communicate in a multicultural nation, grant us your grace and love to see Jesus in the face of all we encounter. Amen.
Richard Barter

Suwerto is a tiny woman and has five children; her husband abandoned her some years ago. The oldest child who didn’t finish primary school now lives in the city of Denpasar scratching out a living as a nanny. The second eldest boy also left primary school without qualifying and finds work where he can on surrounding properties.
It is the third daughter, a shy girl of 11 that we came to see. She is exceptionally bright and finished primary school with straight A’s. The family lives about an hour’s walk up slippery paths through the forest and along a narrow road from the main highway. Git Git has three primary schools, but the older children have to commute to the junior highschool in Singaraja a 45 minute drive from the village. Even if Suwerti could have come up with the school fees, the cost of transport was too high.

Over dinner the night before our host had shared with us this family’s situation. We came up with a plan that would involve us paying for her school fees, and the girl would come into Denpasar and stay with our host’s family and go to a local school. Even paying for the better quality education she could get from a private school was not out of the question as she was the only hope that the family had to break out of the poverty trap they were in.
Their simple wooden board house was almost empty of possessions, two beds and a small bench. The mother cooked on an open wood fire. She collected, cut and carried wood up to the side road at the top of the track to sell to vendors from the village, hard work for little return. Her reaction when the suggestion was made that her daughter move into the city was one of pain and tears. But she could see that this was a wonderful opportunity and put the proposition to her daughter. The little girl’s face crumpled at the thought of leaving her mother, she would not agree to go. So as the sun dropped behind the ridge we clambered back up the track with heavy hearts praying that God would give her the courage to leave the forest for the city.

What is wrong with this picture? How could her father turn his back on his family? Their situation was so precarious. With our kiwi can do culture we want to fix things, sort it out, and now. But some problems cannot be nailed easily.
As a rule people do not fall into poverty overnight, it also takes time to get out of such circumstances. Suwerti had been given a cow, but she was too busy looking after her children and cutting firewood to manage the extra work of cutting and carrying fodder. It was suggested that she be given a wood stove so that the smoke from her cooking fire would go up the flue, and not into the house. The problem was that if she got behind in her rent, the landlord would come and take the stove. Currently another plot of land is being considered for purchase by the organisation we partner with WKP so that Suwerti and her family could live free of the fear of eviction if she got behind with her rent.
WKP has worked with many families like Suwerti’s and know just how hard it is to break the chains of poverty. One day Suwerti will join one of the self help groups WKP run in the area where the members look after one another. Earlier that day we saw a setup where group members are given a pregnant cow to look after, they keep the calf and the cow goes to the next family. We saw community gardens where mixed intensive cropping along with organic fertiliser production using worm farms were producing high value, high yielding crops. We saw a trial biogas converter that extracted methane out of cow manure which will be used to cook pig food. In one community there was great excitement as a new TV aerial was hoisted aloft on a long bamboo pole so that the villagers could watch the World Cup soccer matches. All good stuff, but the lesson we learned was that sustainable progress is slow; change comes only with hard work and patience.

Prayer: Father God sometimes it is hard for us to enjoy the blessed life we have when we know there are so many out there whose daily struggle to survive is too great to comprehend. Help us to be smart so that mothers like Suwerti can be supported in a way that will work, and will provide a hope and a future for her children.

Richard Barter

According to the film Robin Hood’s Dad was executed for challenging the power of the King of the time (Henry the 2nd) by suggesting a charter that would give ordinary people some basic rights. This story is one that has been repeated through out the centuries. It is one I am focusing on in some post graduate study inspired by Tony Campolo who suggested I read a book called Peasant Politics by Kenneth Sharpe.

Some years ago Sharpe spent 18 months living in Jaida Arriba a poor Dominican coffee growing district whose inhabitants managed to break the economic hold exercised for years by middlemen by establishing a cooperative general store and a way to market their coffee. In seeking to understand why the peasants had failed to understand their predicament earlier and act, he investigates two theories he called the “Interest Theory” and the “Strain Theory”.

He explains how Interest Theory is based on the idea that ones worldview revolves around ones position in society. If that is a place of power, it is in their interest to maintain that power by masking or justifying their privilege as a ‘right’. This is what King John did in Robin Hood at the sad ending of the film when he said his power was a divine right. Those who are being ruled have an interest in change in order to improve their position. The peasants of England would be hung for hunting and eating deer which were the property of the King. The powerful first use ‘rule’ to ‘mask’ and maintain their interests, the peasants use ‘rule’ as a ‘weapon’ to ‘unmask’ privilege to bring about change. Jumping back to the Dominican republic, the poor coffee farmers could not make a profit due to being denied access to knowledge controlled by the middlemen.

Strain Theory like the Interest Theory also makes a connection to ones place in society, the difference being that instead of self interest being the driver, the motivation is simply to be set free from angst and constant worry. Does this sound familiar to you Alan? Sharpe continues to demonstrate how the various roles and responsibilities that shape society will never perfectly meet society’s needs and expectations. So I am sorry to say that even though we now know what our politicians spend our taxes money on, we will still not get everything we want from them.

These two theories describe what happened in Jaida Arriba when interestingly with the help of a Catholic priest the farmers began to understand the power structures they were part of and do something. Sharpe explains that people are usually aware when their situation is ‘bad’, even though they may not appreciate it is ‘wrong’, they know if they are hungry, but they might not be aware that their hunger is in part due to the corrupt practices of a controlling elite. The isolation caused by poverty (which demands self interest for the sake of survival) can prevent the sharing of information that might enable the poor to collectively understand their plight, and then collectively do something about it.

In seeking to explain the trigger for action Sharpe found that two things were necessary. The first was the awareness that a ‘problem’ existed, and the second was the need for a way of thinking that might serve as a guide to action. He argues that a process of education and training in community development was necessary for change to occur but he played down the role of the Priest who was motivated by Christ’s love for the poor, and who abhors injustice.

In closing isn’t it interesting that one can justify anything by picking out the bits that suit from the Bible… the story of Robin Hood begins with his return from the Crusades one of the most appalling examples of this. I lean on the teachings of Jesus when it comes to working out right from wrong. His words and actions serve as a guiding light to my path, we must pray that those we vote in to rule over us will also know the wisdom and love God exercised went he sent Jesus to us to model his Kingdom.

Prayer: Father God we thank you that we live in a land where corruption is open to scrutiny and is unacceptable to most. Grant those who make the decisions that affect our lives the wisdom and righteousness that comes from you as they balance competing interests of their constituents with the pressure to be re-elected. Give us the courage to speak out for those who can not speak for themselves, who are oppressed and downtrodden. Amen.

Richard Barter

A marriage is one of the few times outside of work or church that we are “we” and not “I” or “you and me”. In non western countries our individualist worldview is hard to fathom. This is evident in the formal way people address one another. When speaking to an elder or younger person, you would probably greet them as “father”, or “little sister” instead of using their Christian name. In some countries like Indonesia, you are known by your birth order Wayan 1st, Made 2nd, Nyoman 3rd Ketut 4th and so on.

There is much I believe we in the west can learn from such traditions. Being the eldest my father calls me the “son and heir to his mortgage”, there are few fringe benefits in our family. In the Philippines the first born carry the significant responsibility of looking after their younger siblings, paying for their schooling and board and keep if necessary. This is often because their parents will have put all their resources into their first offspring’s education, so then it is up to that child to support them, and the rest of the family once qualified.

There were more than just family at the wedding, our daughter and her husband had a significant number of friends and colleagues present to witness their vows. As the celebrant I asked everyone to make a verbal pledge to support and encourage them with love and practical help. In essence a contract was made that night between a two families and the guests to provide material, emotional and spiritual support to the newlyweds. This sort of contract is commonplace in the rich cultural latticeworks of many “developing” countries enabling individuals and families to survive and prosper in trying circumstances.

The Bible is clear on our obligations to look after the widow and the orphan, the least, the oppressed and sick. You might argue that we pay our taxes to fulfil that duty. Jesus was quite clear that taxes had to be paid (Bill English will be wrapped). But I believe he is saying to help the needy as well as paying your taxes. Furthermore supporting the poor is an issue that sorts the sheep from the goats, those that enter heaven, and those that don’t.

So what does the Bible say to us about our rights and responsibilities in 21st century NZ? Are we obliged to help those in need beyond our shores? I believe as Christian we are because the poorest do not live in NZ which has comprehensive welfare. And I do not accept that the “least” means those who have not heard the good news. The deal is both the gospel and the practical helps the way I understand it.

Yesterday we were present as the newlyweds opened the gifts that were given as a tangible expression of love and support from their friends and family. How can we express our faith in a tangible way that genuinely reflects the love God has for his creation? I do not have all the answers, but I can say that in 6 days I will have been married for 30 years and I value more than anything the love I have received from my wife, my family, colleagues and friends. God’s plans are all good news, they make sense, and they are our only hope.

Prayer: Father God thank you that you set down a way of relating in your Word that is doable. We are born into families which are part of the communities and nations that inhabit the planet. We know that you have a special concern for the least, the orphan the widow and the oppressed. Let our hearts be broken by the things that break your heart. Let the fruits from our labours bless your creation in the places where need is greatest. Amen.

Richard Barter

Regular listeners to this slot will have heard me say “we in NZ take for granted….” this or that almost every week. The ability for NZ to produce a food surplus is really a blessing that many all over the planet do not enjoy. It is for most of us inconceivable that we might face uncertainty as to whether there will be enough food around to feed our children tomorrow. When was the last time that you felt really hungry? And I don’t mean right now 3 or 4 hours after lunch with dinner still some time away.

I have met mothers who have overcome the acute embarrassment of admitting they cannot provide for their families telling me about the shame and anxiety of seeing their children hungry and not knowing what to do about it. The reasons such mothers are in this dilemma are many and varied. Lack of water for irrigation, fertiliser, animals to pull ploughs, unstable political environments to name a few.
The challenge when talking about hunger is that it is almost always the result of poverty. It is hard to talk about poverty without the colliding with issues of wealth and injustice like icebergs in the dark. Isaiah could not have put God’s position more succinctly:

Isaiah 58:6-7 (The Message)
6-9″This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

According to an excellent bible study I have been looking at called “The fast that I choose” that can be downloaded from www.endhunger.org/study current world production of food means there is around 1kg available for every person on the planet per day, that is more than enough. So if there is enough, why to people go hungry? The writers suggest “because we allow this situation to occur”. I guess I am not too concerned whether one takes a justice approach (advocating to governments or the powerful for structural changes that combat hunger) or a mercy approach (feeding the hungry), my suggestion is that we must do something.

TEAR Fund is supporting the work of the African Cooperative Action Trust in Sth Africa to establish sustainable home gardens that create food security. To achieve this they provide microenterprise loans and training to communities in budgeting and life skills. Finally they are passionate to see that member’s are discipled and own a bible. I can recommend this project to you. On the local scene, starting your own vege garden is not hard. It can be done even in buckets. Our small garden at home has provided me with a fresh salad in my lunch every day and herbs and greens for dinners for the past two years. I am coming across more and more people who are giving away veges from their home gardens or starting community gardens.

Prayer: Father God if we accept there is enough food to feed everyone, how can we accept that nearly 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night? Inspire in ways to do something about this. Amen.