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Ghana rallies to help Sweden

People in Africa are reaching out to help the less fortunate citizens of faraway Sweden, writes David Bartal.

Published: 24 September 2008 17:23 CEST
Ghana rallies to help Sweden

The Ghana branch of HelpSweden recently held a charity event to raise money for needy people in cold and barren Sweden. Money was collected in tip cups on behalf of poor Swedes, and Swedish foodstuffs like blueberry soup and crisp bread were sold to raise money for the starving—especially the children–in this part of cold and barren Scandinavia.

These are just some of the unusual news events described on a fictitious web page launched via Facebook and YouTube on Wednesday, in an ironic campaign intended to put development aid for Africa high on the agenda when Sweden takes over the presidency of the EU next year, in 2009.

“The campaign was made to encourage a new perspective on aid, and to highlight the fact that more money flows out of Africa than comes into those countries, as well as the relationship between the global North and the global South,“ says Klas Waldenström, a project manager for the campaign launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Sweden.

The idea of promoting social issues with humour and satire is brilliant. A laugh can help one recognize the absurdity of widespread poverty. After all, the fact that we happen to live in a country where people have more than enough to eat is mainly an accident of geography and history, not our God-given privilege.

The website www.helpsweden.org includes an amusing video of the purported rally in Ghana, and a link to a letter that can be forwarded to Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

“By the year 2015 poverty and hunger is supposed to be cut in half—all countries have made that commitment in the Millenium Declaration. But we in the wealthy world still receive more than we give, and every sixth person will go to bed hungry this evening. That is not OK,” according to the letter.

The letter also calls on European leaders to give more and better assistance to the poor people of the world, to improve the terms of foreign trade, write off debts for developing countries, and help poor countries to “cope with changes in the climate for which we are mainly responsible.”

Among those signing the missive to the prime minister are Aftonbladet editor Jan Helin, singer Neneh Cherry, Jakob Simonsen, director of UNDP in Denmark and renowned photographer Jens Assur.

Help Sweden

ITALY

Pope to address environment in speech to crowd of 800,000

Pope Francis began a visit Saturday to Madagascar, one of the world's most impoverished nations with a unique and threatened environment.

Published: 7 September 2019 10:50 CEST
Pope to address environment in speech to crowd of 800,000

Arriving from Mozambique, where he pleaded for understanding and the renunciation of violence in a country riven by 16 years of civil war and now jihadist attacks, the Argentine pontiff warned of the dangers of deforestation and the impact of environmental degradation. 

Francis told his hosts that they should “create jobs and money making activities which respect the environment and help people escape poverty.” Madagascar is home to 25 million people, the vast majority of whom live in poverty with income of less than two dollars a day.

The pope said there “were many causes driving excessive deforestation which benefits just a few people… and compromises the future of the country.”

The authorities must ensure social justice, he added, echoing concerns about the global environment highlighted by massive fires across the Amazon forest.

After the welcoming ceremonies, the pope's first engagement Saturday is a mass and prayer vigil with at least 12,000 young scouts.

Tafika Fanomenza, 39, who is helping to coordinate the scores of volunteers involved in the preparations, as well as in the pontiff's security, hoped Francis' visit would help bring about change in Madagascar.

More than half of the young people on the world's fifth-largest island are out of work, even if many boast good qualifications.

Political instability has done nothing to help the development of an economy largely dependent on agriculture, and the export of vanilla and cocoa in particular.

Liberal-leaning president Andry Rajoelina was elected to a second term last year mainly on promises of jobs and housing.

Crowds of 800,000

Sunday will mark the high point of Francis' visit with a huge mass in the capital expected to be attended by some 800,000 pilgrims.

Many had already started setting up tents on the outskirts of the city on Friday, armed with posters of the Argentine pontiff.

Prospere Ralitason, a 70-year-old farm worker, arrived with some 5,000 fellow pilgrims from the central eastern town of Ambatondrazaka, 200 kilometres (125 miles) away.

“We are tired, but it's worth making all these sacrifices to see the pope with our own eyes and receive his blessing,” he told AFP, impatient to set out on the final two-hour hike on Sunday to attend the mass.

“We spent 65,000 ariary ($18/16 euros) and brought three kilos of rice to make the trip to Antananarivo,” said another pilgrim and farm worker, Jean-Claude Rabemanatrika, 40.

“There are five of us at home and we don't have enough money so we had to choose just one family member to make the trip.”

“We've provided toilet, showers, a sick bay and somewhere to cook for our 5,000 guests,” beamed Marino Andriamasy, 35, who is in charge of the makeshift site where the pilgrims are staying.

John Paul II 

The last pope to visit was John Paul II 30 years ago.

“I was a lieutenant when I helped with the security of John Paul II in 1989. Today I am a divisional general and overseeing security for Francis' visit to Madagascar,” said Samuel Rakotomalala.

Some 700 police officers will be deployed at the site, which is also equipped with 200 surveillance cameras and the 12,000 young scouts will also help out.

In June, 16 people were killed and dozens hurt in a stampede outside a sports stadium in the capital during a free concert.

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