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Thursday, 22 October 2009
Monday, 28 September 2009
Have your say at Copenhagen ...
The Christian Muslim Forum and MADE in Europe are holding the Christian-Muslim Youth Forum on Climate Change (CMYF) on Thursday 15 October 2009 at Lambeth Palace in London hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, our Founding Patron. The CMYF is your chance to tell those in power what they should be doing about climate change.
You can start right now on this website - so get blogging! The key issues being discussed at the Copenhagen summit are:
- Mitigation
- Adaptation
- Technology Transfer
- Funding
Tell us what you want to say about climate change and what you believe we should be doing to tackle it. Join the discussion on the four key issues and share your thoughts on the relationship between Christianity, Islam and climate change.
Having taken part in the online discussion, 40 young Christians and Muslims aged 18-25 will meet at Lambeth Palace on the 15 October 2009 for the Christian-Muslim Youth Forum on Climate Change. They will spend the day discussing climate change with Muslim and Christian scholars and scientists and produce a statement to deliver to the UK negotiators for the UN Summit in Copenhagen in December. The Forum will be hosted and chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams.
So if you are a British Christian or Muslim aged 18-25, register now to attend the CMYF by filling in this form and telling us why climate change matters to you. As well as attending the CMYF on the 15 October, the two people with the best answers will win the following:
- Tickets to Copenhagen for the weekend of the UN Climate Change Summit from 11 -14 December 2009 where you will join other campaigners from around the world in a mass march and other activities
- Tickets to the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC) Powershift Event on 9 -12 October 2009 for 4 days of speakers and workshops to learn more about climate change and what you can do about it
- Opportunity to run a workshop on Youth, Faith & Climate Change at Faith Regen Foundation's Faith & Climate Change Conference on 27 - 29 October 2009 as well as tickets to attend the whole conference. Special highlights of the conference include Rt. Hon Ed Milliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change as keynote speaker and the results of grassroots discussions on climate change from 10 countries around the world.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
8 years on and I want it back..
It has now been eight years since the World Trade Centre attacks completely reshaped the world that we are living in today. I remember it as if it was yesterday, and although I was thousands of miles away, I was very much at home with the people of New York watching the news screens with disbelief. Then a few years later, it was a lot closer to home when London was attacked on the very Tube lines I travel on every day. Sept 11th was a turning point for many, and for me. It wasn’t only the flights that were hijacked; my faith, my religion and everything I believed in was also hijacked. How is it that these monsters have taken a religion with such beautiful values and transformed it into this hub of evil?
I marked the eighth anniversary of the attacks by remembering the lives that have been lost and reaffirming why I became a Faiths Act Fellow. I work with people of other faiths because I have something to learn from them; we have mutual understanding and we take our shared values towards positive social justice. I do this because I’m taking Islam back from terrorism and back from extremism. This is my faith and it is a beautiful faith, and it has no room for these misguided ideologies.
Friday, 4 September 2009
Malaria coming to an End - Article on the fight from Tanzania
TANZANIA: Health officials confident of beating malaria
DAR ES SALAM, 3 September 2009 (IRIN) - Health officials in Tanzania are
confident they are on track to eradicate malaria deaths by 2015, even if
significant challenges stand in the way of the target.
The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) says malaria is a leading
killer in the East African country, infecting about 18 million people
annually.
The disease is responsible for between 60,000 and 80,000 deaths each year -
at least nine deaths every hour - mainly pregnant women and children under
five.
Official records also show that 30-40 percent of attendance at health
centres and hospitals are related to malaria cases, burdening overstretched
facilities.
Malaria, according to the National Planning Commission (NPC) costs the
country an estimated loss that is equivalent to 3.4 percent of gross
domestic product.
Alex Mwita, a senior NMCP official, said initiatives being implemented
under the Roll Back Malaria programme, such as insecticide-treated bed nets
and indoor residual spraying (IRS), had helped reduce malaria cases, along
with deaths of children under five and infants (younger than one).
"Under-five deaths have dropped to 91 per 1,000 live births in 2008, down
from 147 in 1999," Mwita said, presenting a paper in Dar es Salaam
recently.
He said that although the decline could not be attributed to the fall in
malaria cases alone, research showed a decline in prevalence of the disease
had a big impact on childhood and maternal mortality.
"Since intervention initiatives have proven to work, we are now scaling up
distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying and
behavioural change communication," Mwita said.
Bed nets
Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete told the World Health Organization
(WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, who visited Tanzania recently, that
his government was committed to attaining universal bed net coverage by
December 2010 and eliminating malaria by 2015.
Kikwete told Chan there were plans to distribute 14 million mosquito bed
nets within the next 16 months to cover all households. The move
complements the current programme where all children under five are due to
receive bed nets free of charge. NMCP said in its latest report that so far
30 percent of children under five had nets.
The UN Special Envoy for Malaria, Raymond Chambers, told a news conference
that the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis had approved a
grant of US$110 million to Tanzania to support the procurement of 14
million bed nets.
"We are impressed by Tanzania's initiatives and political commitment shown
by the country's leadership. It is our hope that malaria will be eliminated
within the next seven years as planned," he said.
Chambers, however, said the challenge was to make all 40 million Tanzanians
sleep under the insecticide-treated bed nets. "There must be an aggressive
campaign by politicians and the media on the need to use the bed nets for
the intended purpose instead of fishing," said Chambers, who accompanied
the WHO chief on her visit to Tanzania.
"I know there is a lack of adequate resources, health personnel and
infrastructure. I am, however, convinced that you don't have a shortage of
political will," Chan said.
Treatment costs
David Mwakyusa, Tanzania's Health Minister, said since 2006, the country
had used Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a first-line
treatment for uncomplicated malaria and the drug had shown great success.
The minister, however, expressed concern over the cost of the medicine in
pharmacies and private outlets, where a dose is up to 15,000 shillings
(about $11).
He said that in public facilities a drug called ALU is prescribed and
prices are affordable at between 300 shillings and 1,000 shillings (about
20 cents and 80 cents).
"We are working on a programme that will enable ACT to be available in all
public and private facilities at affordable prices," he said.
Drug resistance
Mwakyusa said his ministry was following up reports of malaria parasites'
resistance to ACT along the Cambodia-Thailand border
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=83648 earlier this year.
Chan blamed doctors and patients. She said there were cases where patients
did not use the whole dose and in others, doctors under-prescribed the
medicines.
"If patients use only half a dose, there is the likelihood for the
parasites to mutate and develop resistance to drugs administered," she
said. "We must be very careful in handling and administration of
medicines," she added.
Financial crisis
Despite the confidence expressed by government officials, the NMPC is
worried that the global financial crisis might undermine the country's
efforts to wipe out malaria by 2015.
"When you have financial problems in countries like the United States,
which contribute heavily to the Global Fund and other anti-malaria
programmes, you cannot rule out adverse effects on our initiatives," Mwita
said.
"Eradication of malaria by 2015 is possible, but I can assure you it is a
tall order," he added.
Zanzibar success
In semi-autonomous Zanzibar, authorities said they were on target to
eliminate malaria by 2015.
"We have been recording admirable success in combating malaria in the
islands through multiple interventions. We have managed to reduce the
prevalence from 41 percent in 2001 to 0.4 percent this year," Zanzibar
Malaria Control Programme (ZMCP) manager, Abdullah Suleiman, told Chan.
However, he said, sustaining these achievements remained the biggest
challenge for Zanzibar, and availability of funds was critical in
sustaining the anti-malaria programme.
DAR ES SALAM, 3 September 2009 (IRIN) - Health officials in Tanzania are
confident they are on track to eradicate malaria deaths by 2015, even if
significant challenges stand in the way of the target.
The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) says malaria is a leading
killer in the East African country, infecting about 18 million people
annually.
The disease is responsible for between 60,000 and 80,000 deaths each year -
at least nine deaths every hour - mainly pregnant women and children under
five.
Official records also show that 30-40 percent of attendance at health
centres and hospitals are related to malaria cases, burdening overstretched
facilities.
Malaria, according to the National Planning Commission (NPC) costs the
country an estimated loss that is equivalent to 3.4 percent of gross
domestic product.
Alex Mwita, a senior NMCP official, said initiatives being implemented
under the Roll Back Malaria programme, such as insecticide-treated bed nets
and indoor residual spraying (IRS), had helped reduce malaria cases, along
with deaths of children under five and infants (younger than one).
"Under-five deaths have dropped to 91 per 1,000 live births in 2008, down
from 147 in 1999," Mwita said, presenting a paper in Dar es Salaam
recently.
He said that although the decline could not be attributed to the fall in
malaria cases alone, research showed a decline in prevalence of the disease
had a big impact on childhood and maternal mortality.
"Since intervention initiatives have proven to work, we are now scaling up
distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor spraying and
behavioural change communication," Mwita said.
Bed nets
Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete told the World Health Organization
(WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, who visited Tanzania recently, that
his government was committed to attaining universal bed net coverage by
December 2010 and eliminating malaria by 2015.
Kikwete told Chan there were plans to distribute 14 million mosquito bed
nets within the next 16 months to cover all households. The move
complements the current programme where all children under five are due to
receive bed nets free of charge. NMCP said in its latest report that so far
30 percent of children under five had nets.
The UN Special Envoy for Malaria, Raymond Chambers, told a news conference
that the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis had approved a
grant of US$110 million to Tanzania to support the procurement of 14
million bed nets.
"We are impressed by Tanzania's initiatives and political commitment shown
by the country's leadership. It is our hope that malaria will be eliminated
within the next seven years as planned," he said.
Chambers, however, said the challenge was to make all 40 million Tanzanians
sleep under the insecticide-treated bed nets. "There must be an aggressive
campaign by politicians and the media on the need to use the bed nets for
the intended purpose instead of fishing," said Chambers, who accompanied
the WHO chief on her visit to Tanzania.
"I know there is a lack of adequate resources, health personnel and
infrastructure. I am, however, convinced that you don't have a shortage of
political will," Chan said.
Treatment costs
David Mwakyusa, Tanzania's Health Minister, said since 2006, the country
had used Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a first-line
treatment for uncomplicated malaria and the drug had shown great success.
The minister, however, expressed concern over the cost of the medicine in
pharmacies and private outlets, where a dose is up to 15,000 shillings
(about $11).
He said that in public facilities a drug called ALU is prescribed and
prices are affordable at between 300 shillings and 1,000 shillings (about
20 cents and 80 cents).
"We are working on a programme that will enable ACT to be available in all
public and private facilities at affordable prices," he said.
Drug resistance
Mwakyusa said his ministry was following up reports of malaria parasites'
resistance to ACT along the Cambodia-Thailand border
http://www.irinnews.org/
Chan blamed doctors and patients. She said there were cases where patients
did not use the whole dose and in others, doctors under-prescribed the
medicines.
"If patients use only half a dose, there is the likelihood for the
parasites to mutate and develop resistance to drugs administered," she
said. "We must be very careful in handling and administration of
medicines," she added.
Financial crisis
Despite the confidence expressed by government officials, the NMPC is
worried that the global financial crisis might undermine the country's
efforts to wipe out malaria by 2015.
"When you have financial problems in countries like the United States,
which contribute heavily to the Global Fund and other anti-malaria
programmes, you cannot rule out adverse effects on our initiatives," Mwita
said.
"Eradication of malaria by 2015 is possible, but I can assure you it is a
tall order," he added.
Zanzibar success
In semi-autonomous Zanzibar, authorities said they were on target to
eliminate malaria by 2015.
"We have been recording admirable success in combating malaria in the
islands through multiple interventions. We have managed to reduce the
prevalence from 41 percent in 2001 to 0.4 percent this year," Zanzibar
Malaria Control Programme (ZMCP) manager, Abdullah Suleiman, told Chan.
However, he said, sustaining these achievements remained the biggest
challenge for Zanzibar, and availability of funds was critical in
sustaining the anti-malaria programme.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
A Story
Imagine starting off feeling flushed. The fever gets worse; it doesn’t go away, you feel weak, you lose your appetite, so weak you can’t even move.
Then imagine falling unconscious, and then waking up in a hospital surrounded by other sick people and strangers and you don’t know what’s happened. You’re miles from home, and for the next two weeks you’ll not be able to see your friends or your family, you won’t be able to go to school, play on your video games or watch your favourite TV shows.
And then imagine your nearest hospital is 3 hours away from where you live and your only transport is a bicycle. Imagine this is all because of one mosquito which bit you while you were sleeping, something that could have been avoided but wasn’t because your family couldn’t afford a bed net.
This is the reality faced by millions of young people, the same age as you, across sub-Saharan Africa and many other parts of the world.
Let me tell you about a young person I met in a town called Ifakara in Tanzania. His name is Antony, a dedicated Chelsea football supporter who loves nothing more than to impersonate his hero Drogba on the pitch. Antony lives 2 hours away from the hospital and had what is diagnosed as severe malaria. One afternoon he was found unconscious having fallen ill from it. When I met him in the hospital we asked him if he has a bed net. To that he replied “no, where I live we don’t have mosquitoes.” When I heard this I was shocked and surprised, and asked him how does he think he got malaria if he lived in an area such as this. He said he didn’t know.
Then imagine falling unconscious, and then waking up in a hospital surrounded by other sick people and strangers and you don’t know what’s happened. You’re miles from home, and for the next two weeks you’ll not be able to see your friends or your family, you won’t be able to go to school, play on your video games or watch your favourite TV shows.
And then imagine your nearest hospital is 3 hours away from where you live and your only transport is a bicycle. Imagine this is all because of one mosquito which bit you while you were sleeping, something that could have been avoided but wasn’t because your family couldn’t afford a bed net.
This is the reality faced by millions of young people, the same age as you, across sub-Saharan Africa and many other parts of the world.
Let me tell you about a young person I met in a town called Ifakara in Tanzania. His name is Antony, a dedicated Chelsea football supporter who loves nothing more than to impersonate his hero Drogba on the pitch. Antony lives 2 hours away from the hospital and had what is diagnosed as severe malaria. One afternoon he was found unconscious having fallen ill from it. When I met him in the hospital we asked him if he has a bed net. To that he replied “no, where I live we don’t have mosquitoes.” When I heard this I was shocked and surprised, and asked him how does he think he got malaria if he lived in an area such as this. He said he didn’t know.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Women are the key.
This is an important extract I took from an article entitled The Women’s Crusade
WHY DO MICROFINANCE organizations usually focus their assistance on women? And why does everyone benefit when women enter the work force and bring home regular pay checks? One reason involves the dirty little secret of global poverty: some of the most wretched suffering is caused not just by low incomes but also by unwise spending by the poor — especially by men. Surprisingly frequently, we’ve come across a mother mourning a child who has just died of malaria for want of a $5 mosquito bed net; the mother says that the family couldn’t afford a bed net and she means it, but then we find the father at a nearby bar. He goes three evenings a week to the bar, spending $5 each week.
WHY DO MICROFINANCE organizations usually focus their assistance on women? And why does everyone benefit when women enter the work force and bring home regular pay checks? One reason involves the dirty little secret of global poverty: some of the most wretched suffering is caused not just by low incomes but also by unwise spending by the poor — especially by men. Surprisingly frequently, we’ve come across a mother mourning a child who has just died of malaria for want of a $5 mosquito bed net; the mother says that the family couldn’t afford a bed net and she means it, but then we find the father at a nearby bar. He goes three evenings a week to the bar, spending $5 each week.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
My Personal Struggle
Islam for me is a beautiful religion and way of life and one of the strongest values that I draw from Islam is compassion. This value is what inspires me the most and I take this value with me in all that I do.
I work to alleviate poverty and Islam is what inspires me to do this. Allah says in the Quran in Chapter 5 verse 32, ‘He who saves a single life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.’ This is a very important verse for me in that God is telling us in all His wisdom the value of saving a single life and that is not a Muslim life but A LIFE regardless of race, gender or religion. To save the life of a Christian, Jew, Hindu or Sikh is just as important as saving a Muslim life.
Being around my Faiths Act Fellow colleagues and friends we learn from each other’s common values and compassion is one value that is consistently and continually one that we share and arises in our discussions.
Every morning while in Tanzania the Fellows wake up before breakfast and have a brief morning reflection where we take turns leading the reflection and learn from each other and what in our faith inspires us to be on the road that we have chosen to travel along.
Pritpal my friend from Leeds in the UK is a Sikh girl and when it was her turn to lead the reflection she said one thing that really stuck out for me. She told us that “we are like birds, one wing is prayer and the other wing is service. It is only with both wings we can fly successfully”
When I discussed this with my good friend Amy we both agreed that often we as aid workers sometimes lean too much towards service and not enough towards prayer. I for one am extremely guilty for this and in many ways am writing this blog post as a reminder to myself to pray, take time out and remember why we do what we do and then to thank God for what we have and for what we have to give.
I work to alleviate poverty and Islam is what inspires me to do this. Allah says in the Quran in Chapter 5 verse 32, ‘He who saves a single life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind.’ This is a very important verse for me in that God is telling us in all His wisdom the value of saving a single life and that is not a Muslim life but A LIFE regardless of race, gender or religion. To save the life of a Christian, Jew, Hindu or Sikh is just as important as saving a Muslim life.
Being around my Faiths Act Fellow colleagues and friends we learn from each other’s common values and compassion is one value that is consistently and continually one that we share and arises in our discussions.
Every morning while in Tanzania the Fellows wake up before breakfast and have a brief morning reflection where we take turns leading the reflection and learn from each other and what in our faith inspires us to be on the road that we have chosen to travel along.
Pritpal my friend from Leeds in the UK is a Sikh girl and when it was her turn to lead the reflection she said one thing that really stuck out for me. She told us that “we are like birds, one wing is prayer and the other wing is service. It is only with both wings we can fly successfully”
When I discussed this with my good friend Amy we both agreed that often we as aid workers sometimes lean too much towards service and not enough towards prayer. I for one am extremely guilty for this and in many ways am writing this blog post as a reminder to myself to pray, take time out and remember why we do what we do and then to thank God for what we have and for what we have to give.
Friday, 21 August 2009
More Than Just Malaria...
We came to Africa with a goal and that goal was to speak to the communities out here, to hear their stories and to learn about the effects of Malaria. Being here for a week now we understand that the goal is much bigger then what we first anticipated and that malaria is just a smaller part of the bigger picture.
You see the Faiths Act Fellows program and what we are doing here is very unique and pioneering in many ways and if successful I whole heartedly believe that we truly change the world for the better.
Think about the impacts faith based NGOs have both on a grass root level in fundraising, capacity building and raising awareness and then in the field by understanding the cultures and religious observances of the community. From my experiences in working with Muslim faith based NGOs in disaster response situations in Muslim lands such as the Pakistan earthquake and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh it was these organizations that were the most effective. It is the faith of these organizations that really infuses the value of giving and compassion from people to the people.
Our dream of promoting interfaith relationships for positive social action using our common faith values is a new and very integral part on the global fight on poverty. Imagine a global movement of faiths using their best practises and cultures to benefit all of mankind; that is the dream of my role as a Faiths Act Fellow.
We are here in Tanzania to learn about Malaria and its impacts on its community and then to take back what we have learnt and the stories of the community to raise awareness and to lead a push towards a world where deaths due to malaria are eradicated. So how does this fit into the bigger picture?
Well the eradication of deaths due to malaria builds bridges in alleviating poverty. If we look at the Millennium Development Goals we can make a distinct relationship in how this can be achieved and although the connections might seem obvious it is only while spending time here did we really see the connection for ourselves.
If we eradicate malaria we can stop breadwinners of the family from getting sick or even dying, reducing the time that the breadwinners are in hospital and away from their jobs which provide the incomes for their families. Even missing one or two days at work could financially cripple a family to live in extreme hunger for a month.
Malaria is a major cause of child mortality, especially Africa, and if we can eradicate deaths due to malaria we can actually empower an entire community. If children stop dying they live long enough to go to school and then get an education and then a job. This can effectively break entire societies out of the vicious poverty cycle.
So you can see how by taking malaria out of the equation it has a ripple effect and it elevates communities out of poverty.
Our job as Faiths Act Fellows is an important one and a journey that a group of 30 cannot do alone. To find out more about more about the Faiths Act Fellows program and how you can help visit: http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/projects/faiths-act/fellows/
You see the Faiths Act Fellows program and what we are doing here is very unique and pioneering in many ways and if successful I whole heartedly believe that we truly change the world for the better.
Think about the impacts faith based NGOs have both on a grass root level in fundraising, capacity building and raising awareness and then in the field by understanding the cultures and religious observances of the community. From my experiences in working with Muslim faith based NGOs in disaster response situations in Muslim lands such as the Pakistan earthquake and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh it was these organizations that were the most effective. It is the faith of these organizations that really infuses the value of giving and compassion from people to the people.
Our dream of promoting interfaith relationships for positive social action using our common faith values is a new and very integral part on the global fight on poverty. Imagine a global movement of faiths using their best practises and cultures to benefit all of mankind; that is the dream of my role as a Faiths Act Fellow.
We are here in Tanzania to learn about Malaria and its impacts on its community and then to take back what we have learnt and the stories of the community to raise awareness and to lead a push towards a world where deaths due to malaria are eradicated. So how does this fit into the bigger picture?
Well the eradication of deaths due to malaria builds bridges in alleviating poverty. If we look at the Millennium Development Goals we can make a distinct relationship in how this can be achieved and although the connections might seem obvious it is only while spending time here did we really see the connection for ourselves.
If we eradicate malaria we can stop breadwinners of the family from getting sick or even dying, reducing the time that the breadwinners are in hospital and away from their jobs which provide the incomes for their families. Even missing one or two days at work could financially cripple a family to live in extreme hunger for a month.
Malaria is a major cause of child mortality, especially Africa, and if we can eradicate deaths due to malaria we can actually empower an entire community. If children stop dying they live long enough to go to school and then get an education and then a job. This can effectively break entire societies out of the vicious poverty cycle.
So you can see how by taking malaria out of the equation it has a ripple effect and it elevates communities out of poverty.
Our job as Faiths Act Fellows is an important one and a journey that a group of 30 cannot do alone. To find out more about more about the Faiths Act Fellows program and how you can help visit: http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/projects/faiths-act/fellows/
Monday, 17 August 2009
The Development Struggle
We know humanity has failed; has the humanitarian ‘industry’ also failed?
Today I attended Catholic Mass in Ifakara, south central Tanzania. The congregation was huge and the church was full with many at standing at the back of the hall for the entire 2 hour service. I noted how many young, enthusiastic and vibrant people attended the mass in contrast to the services I have attended at home in London. Young people made up a huge portion of the congregation; is this because of the level of community spirit that exists? The shear poverty that people are in that means church is the only hope? Or is it that most of the population don’t make it to be old enough to be considered old? Probably it is all three.
We attended mass today as a group of 10 from all different faiths - Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Theists; our message a simple yet complicated one. People of different faiths working together for positive social action. This could be anything from campaigning on climate change, promoting Fair Trade or doing something about the global fight on poverty. For us it is trying to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with special attention to the eradication of deaths caused due to Malaria.
I feel the locals here in Ifakara are not familiar with the idea of faiths working together and hope at some level we have at least inspired them to ponder on the concept.
After mass the Faiths Act Fellows were invited to take stage and talk to young people for what I think is the Sunday school. We introduced ourselves and took questions on our educational backgrounds and the type of schooling system we have in the UK. We also discussed how Tanzania is a great country because the people have spiritual and religious freedom and have the right to practise whichever faith they feel is their calling.
A 15 year old boy stood up and very confidently walked up to the microphone and asked us ‘Why are you in Tanzania? What are you doing here? We have a big problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa; what are you doing about it? The Father of the church took it upon himself to answer the question. I do not know what he said because he replied in Swahili.
This makes me think that we as Development Workers have failed in our jobs, our lives and in our dedication to the victory in the global fight on poverty. You see, that 15 year old boy demonstrated to us how dependent Africa feels on the West. Walking around Ifakara it is clear that we are not from around here and are foreign. We are 8 hours away from Dar es Salaam the capital and any form of tourism. Therefore the general feeling amongst locals here is we must be here to deliver aid and a solution to their problems.
I am a big believer in dignity not poverty and the world needs to wake up to the idea that food and aid distribution is not the answer. We need to understand that the solution to Africa’s problems is in Africa and will come from Africa. We need to push the idea of empowerment of individuals and communities so that they can be self sufficient.
The Ifakara health institute is pioneering in this in many respects. They use real African communities and African doctors to lead life changing research in Malaria, Aids and tropical diseases. They do this by empowering communities to protect themselves safely and effectively.
In many ways EMPOWERMENT is the world of the day for me. This is why the more of the developing world I see the more I feel that micro finance projects are the future in poverty reduction. To empower a woman to start and run a dry fish business in Cambodia so that she can sustain her family and then repay her micro loan so a loan can be given to another family so they can start their own venture is testament of community empowerment that elevates entire districts out of poverty’s vicious cycle and takes away the dependence on the western world. I truly hope that when I visit these very remarkable countries in the future, it will be because of cultural exchange, beauty and to learn not to be this foreigner who people look at as responsible for delivering aid.
To learn more about the Faiths Act Fellows Program please visit: http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/projects/faiths-act/fellows/
Today I attended Catholic Mass in Ifakara, south central Tanzania. The congregation was huge and the church was full with many at standing at the back of the hall for the entire 2 hour service. I noted how many young, enthusiastic and vibrant people attended the mass in contrast to the services I have attended at home in London. Young people made up a huge portion of the congregation; is this because of the level of community spirit that exists? The shear poverty that people are in that means church is the only hope? Or is it that most of the population don’t make it to be old enough to be considered old? Probably it is all three.
We attended mass today as a group of 10 from all different faiths - Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh and Theists; our message a simple yet complicated one. People of different faiths working together for positive social action. This could be anything from campaigning on climate change, promoting Fair Trade or doing something about the global fight on poverty. For us it is trying to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with special attention to the eradication of deaths caused due to Malaria.
I feel the locals here in Ifakara are not familiar with the idea of faiths working together and hope at some level we have at least inspired them to ponder on the concept.
After mass the Faiths Act Fellows were invited to take stage and talk to young people for what I think is the Sunday school. We introduced ourselves and took questions on our educational backgrounds and the type of schooling system we have in the UK. We also discussed how Tanzania is a great country because the people have spiritual and religious freedom and have the right to practise whichever faith they feel is their calling.
A 15 year old boy stood up and very confidently walked up to the microphone and asked us ‘Why are you in Tanzania? What are you doing here? We have a big problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa; what are you doing about it? The Father of the church took it upon himself to answer the question. I do not know what he said because he replied in Swahili.
This makes me think that we as Development Workers have failed in our jobs, our lives and in our dedication to the victory in the global fight on poverty. You see, that 15 year old boy demonstrated to us how dependent Africa feels on the West. Walking around Ifakara it is clear that we are not from around here and are foreign. We are 8 hours away from Dar es Salaam the capital and any form of tourism. Therefore the general feeling amongst locals here is we must be here to deliver aid and a solution to their problems.
I am a big believer in dignity not poverty and the world needs to wake up to the idea that food and aid distribution is not the answer. We need to understand that the solution to Africa’s problems is in Africa and will come from Africa. We need to push the idea of empowerment of individuals and communities so that they can be self sufficient.
The Ifakara health institute is pioneering in this in many respects. They use real African communities and African doctors to lead life changing research in Malaria, Aids and tropical diseases. They do this by empowering communities to protect themselves safely and effectively.
In many ways EMPOWERMENT is the world of the day for me. This is why the more of the developing world I see the more I feel that micro finance projects are the future in poverty reduction. To empower a woman to start and run a dry fish business in Cambodia so that she can sustain her family and then repay her micro loan so a loan can be given to another family so they can start their own venture is testament of community empowerment that elevates entire districts out of poverty’s vicious cycle and takes away the dependence on the western world. I truly hope that when I visit these very remarkable countries in the future, it will be because of cultural exchange, beauty and to learn not to be this foreigner who people look at as responsible for delivering aid.
To learn more about the Faiths Act Fellows Program please visit: http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/projects/faiths-act/fellows/
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
The Great British Ramadan
One of the greatest achievements that Islam has had is the ability to adapt to and co-exist in communities that traditionally are not Islamic. The early companions of the Prophet (saw) never imposed a new culture into a community but would bring in the beautiful aspects of Islam and live alongside the cultures they found. Now we are not talking about things that compromise the commandments of the Almighty but about becoming active members of the community we live in, showing that Islam is a way of life that is not difficult or a burden on people but beautiful and flourishing.
The same is true today - we are young British Muslims who have an identity of being British and yet hold dearly our beliefs - nothing can show this more so then the blessed month of Ramadan. As the moon is sighted to signify the beginning of Ramadan, our attitudes change and we make more of an effort to concentrate on our spirituality while continuing to get on with our normal British lives; we must go to work and yet we must try and get the most and best out of this month and we can do this like the companions who migrated to cities far from their original homes.
Working in an office, one of the first things we do is grab for that cup of tea, and is general courtesy to offer a round of tea making to our friends and colleagues but now for one month we as Muslims aren't drinking that morning cup of tea - so what to do? Maybe you just explain to your work friends that you are fasting and explain to them why you fast or maybe you still offer to make the teas; from experience the generosity of Islam truly shows when you are fasting and you still offer to get the tea rounds for your colleagues instead of not going for an entire month.
A lot of the times I am asked how do you manage to fast and I tell people it isn't as difficult as they think. A good idea would be to challenge them to fast with you for a day so they can understand the concept better and then you have a Iftar (ending of the fast) together to celebrate the achievement; what a great opportunity to invite non-Muslims to our homes to interact with Iftar and observe our prayers and family lives. Imagine the impact you can have on people who will better understand what it is like to observe Ramadan and how blessed this month is to us all.
Ramadan is a great chance for us to seek forgiveness from Allah and get the most from our time by being in prayer and reading from the book of Allah. Maybe our obligations like work mean that we cannot spend all our time in the masjid (mosque) as we would like to in Ramadan but we can still demonstrate the beauty of what it is to be a Muslim to our friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
Ramadan Mubarak to you all; I pray Allah gives you the best from this month and every month after for as long you live. Ameen.
The same is true today - we are young British Muslims who have an identity of being British and yet hold dearly our beliefs - nothing can show this more so then the blessed month of Ramadan. As the moon is sighted to signify the beginning of Ramadan, our attitudes change and we make more of an effort to concentrate on our spirituality while continuing to get on with our normal British lives; we must go to work and yet we must try and get the most and best out of this month and we can do this like the companions who migrated to cities far from their original homes.
Working in an office, one of the first things we do is grab for that cup of tea, and is general courtesy to offer a round of tea making to our friends and colleagues but now for one month we as Muslims aren't drinking that morning cup of tea - so what to do? Maybe you just explain to your work friends that you are fasting and explain to them why you fast or maybe you still offer to make the teas; from experience the generosity of Islam truly shows when you are fasting and you still offer to get the tea rounds for your colleagues instead of not going for an entire month.
A lot of the times I am asked how do you manage to fast and I tell people it isn't as difficult as they think. A good idea would be to challenge them to fast with you for a day so they can understand the concept better and then you have a Iftar (ending of the fast) together to celebrate the achievement; what a great opportunity to invite non-Muslims to our homes to interact with Iftar and observe our prayers and family lives. Imagine the impact you can have on people who will better understand what it is like to observe Ramadan and how blessed this month is to us all.
Ramadan is a great chance for us to seek forgiveness from Allah and get the most from our time by being in prayer and reading from the book of Allah. Maybe our obligations like work mean that we cannot spend all our time in the masjid (mosque) as we would like to in Ramadan but we can still demonstrate the beauty of what it is to be a Muslim to our friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
Ramadan Mubarak to you all; I pray Allah gives you the best from this month and every month after for as long you live. Ameen.
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Why I Love Being British - Part 1
It’s the new age question that is all over the media these days - are we British Muslims or Muslims living in Britain? For me the question is completely irrelevant.
Why should we separate the two? Isn't splitting the nation into Muslims and Non-Muslims more destructive to society? Who cares if I say I am a Muslim first and a Brit second? I wake up every day swearing that Allah is the one true God and Islam is my faith based on the final messenger Muhammad SAW and throughout my day I read about local and national issues, I support my local MP, I help lobby parliament on issues that are important to me. For example right now I'm writing to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to confirm his attendance as he is yet to do for the Copenhagen conference this December where world leaders will discuss the important issues of climate change and how it is affecting the world we live in. All of this in between my job, my prayers and whatever else I can fit in between.
Why should we separate the two? Isn't splitting the nation into Muslims and Non-Muslims more destructive to society? Who cares if I say I am a Muslim first and a Brit second? I wake up every day swearing that Allah is the one true God and Islam is my faith based on the final messenger Muhammad SAW and throughout my day I read about local and national issues, I support my local MP, I help lobby parliament on issues that are important to me. For example right now I'm writing to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to confirm his attendance as he is yet to do for the Copenhagen conference this December where world leaders will discuss the important issues of climate change and how it is affecting the world we live in. All of this in between my job, my prayers and whatever else I can fit in between.
You see part of being a Muslim is being an active citizen. Our beloved Messenger SAW taught us to care for our community, be good to our neighbours, contribute to the economy by halal means and to respect the law of the land. I question what could be more British than this?
Allah says in the Quran that “Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind” 3:110. We as Muslims should strive to be the best community which means we educate ourselves to the highest standards, we are the most law abiding and the most caring and respectful to our parents, all are which are Great British principles. Muslims should strive to be the top of their classes, be the best at helping the old and the needy and be the best at looking after the environment which is a precious gift from Allah.
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