Hotshots: Global Poverty and Broken Promises

more by Jason Gardner | Youth

TITLE: Global Poverty and Broken Promises.

Preparation:

You will need biggest cardboard box you can find, put a blank postcard on it addressed to your local MP. (find them at www.locata.co.uk/commons)  Completely seal it and begin the talk by walking on and setting it down.

Give them a chance to stare at it.

Talk:

Now I know what you’re all thinking. Where did I get this great outfit from? No, probably not. What you’re thinking is what is in that box. Is it treats for everyone, is it a circus acrobat, is it a treasure trove of the latest gadgets, is it just thin air?

I’ll tell you what. Here’s what I’ll do. If you listen carefully to what I’ve got to say, at the end of my talk I promise that I’ll choose a volunteer to open it.

Promises are important. Promises are something we shouldn’t take lightly but we often do. How often have you said ‘I promise’ to somebody but then haven’t done it. You may promise to tidy your room, promise to do your homework, promise you’ll try harder. But then you just don’t.

Perhaps people have made promises to you and have broken them.

What are the consequences of that? Do you trust them less? The next time that person makes a promise do you believe them?

Trust is a vital part of building a relationship. For instance if a friend says they ‘promise’ to look after something for you but then break or lose it, the next time they ask you for something do you lend it to them?

2005 was the year of Make Poverty History. And during that year the G8, the eight most powerful countries in the world, made some pretty big promises to poor countries.

They promised to give more aid to Africa. They promised to cancel the debt of some of those countries and they promised an international trade deal that would help Africans sell more of their products abroad.

However while most G8 countries are on track with their commitments to giving more aid to those countries and have cancelled the debt of countries like Zambia, they’ve not made enough moves forward to help African farmers sell their produce abroad. And that’s one of the main changes that would help many Africans survive in the long term.

As campaigner Bob Geldof said:

‘A parent makes a promise to a child and if that promise is broken cynicism and a lack of trust set in. The promise from the economically powerful to the economically weak is more important because if we break that promise we kill them.’

Now I’m not going to break my promise can we have a volunteer?

Get them to open the box and give you the postcard.

This is a postcard with our MP’s address on it. Now I’m going to make another promise. I promise you that I’m going to write to my local MP to ask them how they’re pressuring the government and the G8 to keep their promise.

Keeping a promise is important. Even if we made the promise to Make Poverty History back in 2005 we still need to keep to that promise.

You are part of one of the economically powerful countries Bob Geldof was talking about. What promise can you make that will help poorer countries? Buying fair-trade food and clothes? Supporting a third world relief charity? Writing to your MP?

Whatever promise you make, make sure that you keep it.

Further Illustrations

Christian Perspective: Deut ch 15 v 4 – God set up Israelite society so that, if they followed God’s commands, nobody would be poor.

Action: help them find their local MP by having www.locata.co.uk/commons on a big bit of paper or powerpoint at end of talk.

Depending on size of group have a big stack of blank postcards to hand out as they leave the hall.

Websites: for more illustrations/facts/ stories/ action pointers

Tearfund’s youth site                 http://youth.tearfund.org/

Christian Aid – various resources http://www.christianaid.org.uk/worship/resources/index.htm