speak out: Making poverty history
Tommy Chiu, President, Engineers Without Borders SFU Chapter
I would like to respond to some of the concerns raised in last week's article "Engineers Without Borders want to make poverty history" [July 4, 2005]. Firstly, the main reason why the Student Development and Programming Centre declined to include white Make Poverty History wristbands in their orientation packages was because the university needs to be politically neutral - a position which I respect and understand.
In response to Karma Lacoff's comment that wristbands would be better received if they were bought and not given out for free, I have thought about how the Simon Fraser Student Society approaches its own campaigns.
The Make Poverty History campaign is endorsed by the SFSS, and the SFSS' mandate is to serve students. Giving out campaign materials and other goodies free of charge to benefit students is something the SFSS has done in the past, and I hope to do the same. I would love to have enough wristbands to give to every student on campus, but funds are limited, so while wristbands will be given out during orientation, we will be selling the wristbands to students and the public afterwards.
There is, however, a more important reason for the free wristbands. One must look at what the objective of the campaign is: "We want your voice, not your money." This campaign is not about charity.
It is not about feeling good for a good cause. It is not about being pitiful towards those poor people on the other side of the world. This campaign is about social justice. It is about working hand in hand with Africans and those who work to alleviate poverty in Canada and abroad. And it is about telling the leaders of the developed world that it's time to stop the years of negligence and wrongdoing, and take a step in the right direction to solve Africa's problems.
Through the Make Poverty History campaign, we are reaching out to those who have not yet thought about issues of poverty and hunger in Africa. If we were to just sell them, those who buy them would most likely be those who were already aware of such issues. In other words, we would be reaching out to those who don't need reaching out to. By giving out wristbands free of charge to orientation students that sign on to the campaign, we are giving them a first step.
Wristbands alone will not end poverty. Simply being concerned about poverty issues will not end poverty. It is our voice and our actions that make a difference, and by making students aware of those issues, and the fact that their voice can influence our government and the livelihoods of people overseas, we are bringing them one step closer to action. What issues will be on the minds of the new first years when they vote in the next federal election? The white wristbands will serve as a reminder of what issues they care about, and to spread the word that their actions do matter.
The Canadian Federation of Students, Oxfam Canada, World University Service Canada, and Engineers Without Borders Canada are all on the national steering committee of the Make Poverty History campaign. Incidentally, all four of these organisations have a presence on-campus. This is why it is so crucial for the SFU community to show its support for the campaign and what it calls for. As Nelson Mandela put it, "It is not kings and generals who make history, but the masses of the people."
Find out more about the Make Poverty History Campaign at www.makepovertyhistory.ca.