Small Things - A Sunday Read
I'm growing increasingly encouraged by the rise in initiatives of inter-faith groups, especially student movements, as they seek to impact their world for peace and development. Proof of that was on full display again last week as I was asked to speak at an event in cooperation with the Ottawa Alliance Against Malaria (OAAM) in Orleans. The alliance is made up of a remarkably diverse list of groups who have come together to fight one of Africa's great challenges - the hundreds of thousands of deaths suffered each year by children in that continent due to malaria. Just check out this list of participants at the event:
- Capital Hill Region Inter-faith Council
- Multi-Faith Housing Initiative
- Jewish Family Services
- Charge d'affaires of Sudan
- Embassy of Madagascar
- Tony Blair Foundation
- Spread the Net
- Muslim Student Association
- Student Christian Movement
- Hillel Ottawa (Jewish)
Muslims, Jews, Christians, diplomats, students, politicians, community action groups, dancers - an eclectic mix determined to fight a global problem. Spread the Net is a special initiative spearheaded by Belinda Stronach and Rick Mercer providing malaria bed nets in various regions of Africa. As a Spread the Net ambassador, I often speak on such occasions, but it was rare to see such a diversified team come together. When Tony Blair and I discussed his own foundation, it was fascinating to hear him speak about faith and how it reaches every region and enclave of the African continent, regardless of the brand of the faith itself. His movement to provide key quality of life services through churches, mosques, temples and synagogues wasn't really what people thought the former British Prime Minister would undertake after leaving office, but just in dialoguing with him, you can sense his keenness for the effort.
These are two great organizations, but the real credit for the evening has to go to the Ottawa Alliance Against Malaria and their youthful organizers. Their efforts are having significant effects. In 26 African countries, the use of these lifesaving nets has risen from just 2% in 2000 to 24% today. Many African countries have now received enough nets to cover more than half of the at-risk population. Only seven countries have received enough to reach some 80% coverage, but that number is growing, in part due to the committed efforts of individuals and groups like the OAAM. It couldn't come soon enough. Malaria accounts for 7% of global deaths in children, and it is the cause of 1 out of every 6 child deaths in Africa.That night, I based my talk on a short but powerful African proverb: "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito."As a tiny bug can wreak havoc in the lives of entire communities, so those individual acts of faith and compassion by such dedicated folks like the OAAM can reverse the course and heighten the quality of life in those same communities. At a time when there is so much criticism filling the media about large religious institutions, we must be careful to balance our perspective with just how much the world is changing as a result of simple acts of faith by people who are just trying to help others in the name of God. They are everywhere in Africa, in each small community, revolutionizing African life through acts of sacrifice and compassion. But last Wednesday night they were in Ottawa, moving in ways of quiet compassion that can save the lives of millions. The sheer scope of the challenge dwarfed what religious differences lay between them and, increasingly, they are changing the world and changing themselves in the process. Nothing so small about that.