As many of you know I am a passionate ONE.org member. I went to the monthly meeting this morning and I left inspired as I always do. After leaving a ONE meeting or function I always ask myself, out of all the wonderful organizations out there why have I chosen ONE? What keeps drawing me back in? I don't have the full answer yet but I do have a good understanding.
The foundation is that I lived the first 6 years of my life on the continent and I have been back a couple of times. I was very young so I do not have the capability of recalling and comparing in a way that would be understandable. It's simply embedded in who I am. I am an empathetic and compassionate person so of course I would seek an organization that helps the less fortunate. I am a mom and it pains me to think other mom's have to watch their children die unnecessarily. These are extremely simplistic reasons that tug on my heart strings. There are many issues in this world that tug at my heart strings and I realize that is not enough to make me a passionate advocate. So what is it about ONE that has drawn me in so completely? I will try to answer that question.
First and foremost, ONE.org does not ask for money. Hell, I ain't rich and my baby needs shoes. All they ask is for your voice to keep the less than 1% of our foreign aid budget intact. I can do that! And the beauty of it, is it doesn’t take any time at all!
When I came home from the monthly ONE meeting my mind was filled with so many thoughts. I saw a TED video posted by Mark Olsen about Africa and how journalists, researchers and NGO's misrepresent the continent.
This inspired me to write this note. I realized again that ONE takes me back to my Communication Studies degree. I started thinking about my favorite theory, The Narrative Paradigm Theory by Walter Fisher. I won't bore you with all the scholarly details. Please google it if you'd like to learn more. The gist of the theory is that we are all storytellers, we make judgments with "good reason" and form our opinions by the stories we are told. The theory also relies on the coherence and fidelity of the story. This is only a fraction of the theory. It reminds me how powerful a story can be, whether it's in print, oral form, photography or a painting. Think about the message it is sending and how true to reality that message is. Is it only showing you one side or is it showing you the bigger picture? Is it twisting reality for its own purpose or for greater knowledge and understanding? (Why I can't stand Fox news, yes I said it).
Here are my thoughts today of why I am a ONE member. What are the images we see of Africa? Please let me know what terms immediately spring to your mind when you hear the word Africa. I will admit mine are: poverty, sickness, AIDS, starvation, death. And I have lived there and seen it be so different! There is vibrancy, life and color to the continent that words in our English language cannot even begin to describe. Yes, there is illness, yes people are poor, hungry and dying but that is not all that it is. Leslie Dodson was quick to point out that Africa is not a country it is a continent. Africa is not in impoverished ruin. There are countries such as Botswana whose economy is thriving and extremely competitive to South Africa's. Even in the poorer countries such as Kenya, there are farmers that are thriving. The continent is full of entrepreneurs and their stories inspire me. Did you know that a woman made a washing machine out of a vuvuzela or that a bicycle is not just transportation, it can also be used to charge a cell phone when the power goes out? I cannot get enough of these stories!
So back to the main question; why does ONE inspire me? The less than l% of the foreign aid budget serves a bigger purpose than just helping the impoverished that tug on our heart strings. It helps with national security. Did you know Al Qaeda is in the horn of Africa “helping” by giving out water and rice? In my opinion, a person who is hungry and they are watching their children die because of starvation will get the help they need and be influenced by anyone. That scared the bejeezers out of me! I paraphrase a quote from World Aids Day in Washington D.C., “how can we do trade with people who are sick and dying?” Our budget helps the global economy which in turn helps ours. As a ONE member I want to send the message that Africa is not just an impoverished 3rd world nation. There are many areas that are thriving because of our foreign aid. With our help we can help them help themselves in the areas that need it most right now. We share the same planet and are no different. U.S. citizens are just lucky enough to live in a different environment. Read Rachel Fox’s blog post titled “Peeling Potatoes with Grace”. I don’t see the budget as charity. I see it as a necessary means of teamwork, a collaborative effort on both nations part to help Africa with their current struggles. This is the message I want to send and why I am a ONE member.
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