I start the 40 hour famine tonight. I have a very busy weekend but I haven't done it for a number of years and there is always a reason not to do it. I hope I cope okay. THat sounds so yucky!! there are people in the world who don't know hwere their next meal is coming from and I am winging about not coping? Pathetic! But it does raise some important issues. I have grwon up expecting certain things in life such as being able to eat regularly. It does not enter my mind that that is not actually natural and not really normal for most of the population of planet Earth. I think I have to be careful not to make direct comparisions between my life in a wealthy and peaceful country and the lives of those less fortunate. I want to live with an eye open to those in need and not take my life for granted but I cannot make my life like their's. I think I want to be part of the solution of redistribution but that is such a fraught issue.

I had a really good discussion with a friend yesterday who has travelled through Africa. He has seen terrible development situations where organisations have completely disrupted the local economy and community through their programmes. I argued that that may be the case sometimes but not all organisations are like that. But we did agree that the "development industry" depends on poverty for its existence and much like the police force, their aim should be to make themselves redundant.

I am no expert on this and very aware of my ignorance but when two thirds of the world are poor I guess I want to try to grapple with how to deal with this in my daily life. Hopefully the money I raise, little as it is, will be used to help a community affected by war.