with a willing heart and a pen in hand

I think a large round of applause for the Scandinavians is in order. These Nordic countries were four of the 189 UN member countries that in 2000 unanimously agreed to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty", specifically hunger and the “major diseases that afflict humanity.” This monstrous mission has an estimated price tag of around 195 billion dollars a year. The UN estimated that if a large number of the world's wealthiest countries donated a significant amount of their national yearly income, this goal could be met- and poverty could be eradicated.

At the September 2002 Johannesburg Summit, 22 of the world's wealthiest countries affirmed their commitment to a "concrete effort" to begin to donate .7% of their national income as international aid to the world's poorest countries. Of these 22 countries, only 5 have achieved this goal: Norway (.95%), Sweden (.93%), Luxembourg (.90%), Denmark (.81%), and the Netherlands (.81%). Those blue-eyed, global-conscious Scandinavians dominated the international aid list; three of its four countries having already met and exceeded the .7% goal, and the fourth's (Finland) scheduled for completion by 2010.

Now, one would think that with all the blessings that the Lord has bestowed on the United States, that we would be among the world's most generous countries regarding international aid. Our nation, however, is LAST among these generous first-world countries! To those to whom much has been given, little has been reciprocated. The United States is currently only donating .16% of our national income to international aid-- compare this to less-prosperous Norway's .95%-- and has no schedule for reaching the .7% goal.

It is imperative to the effort that each one of these 22 countries meets the .7% goal outlined in their committment. There are still five countries that have no schedule for completion of this goal- Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States. These countries are all democracies. The only thing that stands between impoverished families and the end of hunger is a well-educated and empathetic first-world public, with a willing heart and a pen in hand.

Want to petition the United States government regarding its failure to stick with its commitment regarding international aid? Want to end hunger?

Click here: http://www.poverty.com/printletter.html ; and choose "United States".