If Everyone Cared

Recently I've been encountering various groups of people who take the trouble to eliminate systematic poverty. Poverty takes different forms beyond just a lack of money - lack of human rights, lack of opportunities to realise one's full potential.

For a brief intro, here's an MTV by Nickelback (a Canadian band) singing "If Everyone Cared". It shows how one man or woman can right the wrongs of the world.

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive(I'm alive)

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died

I also encountered CompassionArt, a charity that "raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice." It was started by Delirious' lead singer, Martin Smith.

In producing their 1st CD, songs were specially written by some of the top Christian songwriters. Everything done for the CD was for free, so that all proceeds go to the charities selected.


I also just completed reading this book:

Fauziya fled from her home to escape female genital mutilation, requested to seek political asylum in the US, was denied, and badly abused in prison. The true story tells of how her cousin in US, a legal team and various other humanitarian rights advocates helped free her against all odds. They did simple things that anyone could do, but which I'd hesitate to do: spend a Sunday talking to her, work frantically on her case during the college break, call her everyday to keep her spirits up...If all that still seems so painful, how about her friends in prison, who shared her sorrows, lifted up her spirits, rejoiced with her? - in short, they were true friends to her.

Many ways to help the poor (remember, poor doesn't just mean those with little money). Many ways to help the poor, if everyone cared. If I cared.