We can complain all we want about our economic situation in this country and that of the developed world yet nothing we are going through compares to famine that is wreaking havoc in Somalia. Perhaps one of the most destitute countries in the world, Somalia has been without an effective government since the early 1990's and has yet to establish one that can survive the seemingly entrenched fighting that permeates every corner of the country. Warlords battle constantly for supremacy while the rest of the population suffers. Children die every day from malnutrition, disease, and lack of adequate medical attention. If you look at pictures from the country, it looks like you were transported to the future in the movie, The Terminator, where everything is destroyed and no hope seems to be left. The worst hit area is the southern region of the country which is largely controlled by the Shabab Islamists, a group of insurgents that does not allow people to leave their region and controls almost every aspect of life. In some instances, they herd those that are suffering and starving into "camps", not allowing them to receive any medical attention and essentially signing their death certificate. What's even worse is that these insurgents control access to water, often diverting to use by farmers and not allowing people to use the water to drink. I posted a link yesterday on FB to the article in the NYtimes, but I will post it here again and I urge everyone to at least click through and look at the pictures. Famine in Somalia.
One of the biggest issues with getting aid to the starving there is that there are few aid groups willing to venture into the country. Warlords and militants have killed a number of aid workers and most of the time, take much of the food for themselves leaving very little to be spread around. Currently it is estimated that there are 500,000 Somalis on the brink of starvation if they are not there already. How can we possibly help them with so much danger imminent upon our arrival? There is no easy solution. We tried to go in and help them in the 90's, yet due to the intense violence, we were eventually pushed out and I don't blame anyone for not wanting to go there now. Yet there has to be a solution. If something is not done soon, hundreds of thousands of people will die over there and the news I am sure will go largely unreported. In the western world we like to focus on the plight of our own economy, which as bad as it is, does not compare to Somalia's. There in lies the issue. With our own country stagnating and more European countries on the brink of defaulting, how are we suppossed to find extra money and aid to help the starving. It makes one feel utterly helpless when you consider how bad those in other countries have it. And people can argue here, "well what about the hungry and homeless in our country?" I am not denying that we have a growing number of hungry and homeless people in this country, especially since the recession hit, yet we can't just focus on ourselves. We must do everything to ensure that people in our own country are fed, yet we must go beyond and look for ways to help those in more dire need elsewhere. We can not rely solely on our governments to provide for us. They have shown time and time again that they can't figure out basic problems and if they do it takes excessively long with an enormous price tag.
What we need to do is step up to the plate ourselves. The bulk of the wealth in this country is held by less than one percent of the population. There are a few in that realm who are philanthropists and seek to help others with their money, yet the number seems to be dwindling every year. For whatever reason, they feel that they shouldn't contribute to society or to causes that might help the starving in other countries. What they forget is that without the rest of the population in this country, many of them would not have the money that they have. The consumers and the employees of the corporations they run make them their money. Granted, if everyone stopped buying a certain product or if every employee in one of these corporations suddenly quit, they would probably still have enough money to live out their lives, but that shouldn't make a difference. Everyone needs to give back to their community, rich and poor, within their means. I still maintain my stance against socialism and a controlled economy by the government because I still feel that it eliminates incentive to succeed and prosper. If socialism has any place within society, it is at a personal level. While we can not force others to give of themselves, there is nothing preventing us from doing so. The world's problems can not be solved by force or by governments, they must be solved by the average person seeking to make a difference in the lives of others.
While we may not be able to do much in Somalia right now, if we improve the plight of those within our own country, we can then start to focus our efforts elsewhere. I believe that if enough people rally behind a cause, a difference can be made and change can be affected. Too many of us these days are complacent and ineffectual except to our own benefit. This mentality needs to change or more people will suffer, starve, and eventually pass on. A grim post today? Yes, but every now and then we need to be awakened to what is actually going on in the world. As much as we focus on ourselves and improving our own quality of life, we need to take into consideration those that do not have the means that we do to improve their quality of life. While I have said before that the power is within all of us to change ourselves, there are some who need a helping hand and a friend upon whom to lean their head. We must do more than focus on ourselves, we must move past ourselves at some point and focus on our community. Life is complicated, but if we take it one day at a time, work on ourselves and others, then we can improve the lives of many people. Idealistic? Yes, and also optimistic, for what is the use of being pessimistic? It does nothing except perpetuate depressing ideals. I choose to look at the bright side of life and the positive impact we as humans can have on this world. Let us all make a pledge to improve the world around us and by doing so extend that mentality across our borders to those that need more help than anyone we have ever personally known.
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