Tag: Violence

Compassion for Refugees

Drowned refugee boy
Drowned refugee boy shocks the world

It’s all about compassion. As I write this, the news media is full of information about the “refugee crisis” or “migrant crisis”. Hot spots are Calais in France, Southern Italy and Libya, Budapest in Hungary, and the island of Cos in Greece and Turkey. Who cannot be moved by the photograph of a young boy’s body, washed up on the beach. Politicians can rationalise and talk about the underlying causes but I sense a change in ordinary people’s attitudes as they feel sympathy, empathy and compassion towards people they see as fellow human beings. Continue reading “Compassion for Refugees”

Broken justice systems: the legacy of Colonies

Uganda MenWhat can be done about the broken justice systems around the world, particularly those in developing countries? We need first to understand the history of those countries.

When I was a child, I was fascinated by maps. I had a world map in which vast areas were coloured in Red, which I was proudly told by my parents was the British Empire. An empire where ‘the sun never set’ and I felt special and privileged to belong to the ‘best country on earth’! In fact, most of the world, two hundred years ago, was controlled be european nations: Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia and even Belgium. Colonies spread though the South and Central America, most of Africa and great swathes of Asia. It was the colonial era. Continue reading “Broken justice systems: the legacy of Colonies”

How violence effects poverty elimination

poverty is the worst form of violence GandhiMy dream is to see a world in which extreme poverty is eliminated. But there is a largely hidden problem which frustrates attempts to deal with economic poverty. A recent study pointed out that the number one problem that poor people face in developing countries is not starvation or disease but a fear of violence. Violence keeps people poor and prevents them bettering themselves and their families.

Imagine …

  • Imagine living in a community where you are totally outside of the rule of law. Where the police force and courts only look after the well-off and the educated. Where law enforcement is under-funded and cannot cope with the multitude of crimes committed against the poor and the vulnerable. Where the police force and courts are corrupt and accept bribes from the guilty.