PovertyChallenge

In many ways it was the worst possible week for me to attempt to do this challenge, as I was on the road a lot and often far into the evenings, so I had very little time to 'walk off' my water usage.  BUT if you live in rural Uganda and you have to walk 6km for every bucket of water, that's your priority and I guess that's the real point here.  We have the luxury of jobs that pay for decent lifestyles and resources like water literally on tap so we can just get on with the job and family/social life etc.  Our Ugandan friend is so busy using up her time to deal with the basics of keeping her family alive, not to mention the physical effort of carrying such a heavy weight all that way, each and every day, that things like a job and extra money are unimaginable luxuries.

So how did I do?  Poorly.  I used at least 400 litres of water, for which I should have walked 40km, and probably did about half of that in the week.  But I'm not feeling too bad about it because failing the Poverty Challenge actually makes the point more clearly - life in the developing world is hard and we would look pretty foolish trying to work as hard and cope with that level of responsibility.  I definitely have a new appreciation of just one aspect of this problem, and hope we can all help to make this world a fairer, more equitable place.

Well it's the end of the challenge & yes I've made it in one piece.  I've been asked quite a few times about my motivation for doing the challenge.  Firstly it was to draw attention to global poverty issues & keep them fresh in people's minds. Secondly, I picked fasting, in particular, for the challenge, because of its traditional role as an act of meditation.  Creating a space to gather one's thoughts. 

I haven't been on a fast for 20 years.  I guess I was influenced in my choice by John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who fasted in the Minster, to both draw attention to, and meditate upon, the situation in the Middle East.

It's interesting that fasting as a spiritual practice is prevalent in many cultures - yet in Western Christianity has largely slipped out of fashion, despite the many references in the Bible.

Looking at it at the most basic level - the going without food - my challenge was pretty comfortable compared with the impact poverty has on the food intake for millions of people.  With my challenge it was more of an exercise in eating a similar amount as usual but at different times.  It did make me think about the way I eat & it did make me appreciate my evening meal in a new way. 

I wont say that it has given me an insight into living in poverty.  Construed most rosily, you could say that it has been an act of solidarity.  However the best act of solidarity with the poor is to do something to change things.  So to those who campaign on poverty issues - keep up the good work.  To those thinking of doing so - make the leap today.

Hi everyone,

The end of the challenge is in sight now.  To my surprise I have actually lost a few pounds in weight.  I didn't think I would because I've been pigging out in the evening.  Last night I did an after dinner speech on Fairtrade for the Association of Speakers Clubs.  Their National President was in attendance, so it was very nerve wracking.  However a lot of people came up to thank me at the end - so I can't have been too bad - unless they are just very polite people.  Anyway the meal, at the Pike Hills Golf Club, was fantastic, particularly the pudding - a banana in toffee, a meringue, cream and icecream.  In fact the perfect pudding for anyone on an Oxfam fast.

So many of the achievements made in international development stand to be undermined by the increasing impact of climate change.  The other week in York we hosted an Oxfam speaker, called Dante, from the Philippines.  The country is prone to typhoons and tsunamis and these are increasing in regularity and intensity.  I was shocked by the devastation that Dante recounted in his talk.  Oxfam stress that climate change is't something that may have an impact in the future -  it's already a problem. Particularly for the world's poorest countires which, like the Philippines, are in the most vulnerable environments and are the least able to cope.  The Trade Justice Movement highlights that whilst the poor will suffer the most, they are the least to blame, with minimal carbon emissions compared to those of the developed nations.

Do Check out Oxfam's website

I've had an email this evening asking me to talk about climate change on this blog.  Climate change is already having a big negative impact on the poor and on the world food supply.  I'll make climate change the theme for tomorrow.  There is an impressive level of climate campaigning taking place in York.  I include this photo I took of a climate action candlelit vigil that took place in King's Square last year.

Just to give a shameless plug to the York Oxfam Campaigns Group.  If you live in the York area do come and join us.

Email me at [email protected]

I'm a big fan of the proposed Robin Hood Tax.  This is a tax on large scale financial transactions ( tiny in % terms but would raise large sums of money ) the proceeds going to fight poverty in the UK, and overseas, and helping poor countries adapt to climate change.  Most people I speak to are still angry that the top people working in the financial sector made a lot of errors, contributing to our economic woes.  Yet it is the poor who have to suffer, with those at the top, not only get away with it, but carry on hiking up their big "bonuses" ( a bonus for failing? ) and "pensions" ( which they seem to be able to claim whilst they're still in their 40's ).

The Robin Hood Tax wouldn't sort out this injustice but it would see the top of the financial sector contributing to help the very poorest people - and they are the ones that will suffer most in this global downturn.

Do read more about the Robin Hood Tax.

This was my most successful day yet on the fast, lasting until 8.30pm.  After I'd finished reading about Liberation Theology at the Uni, I went straight on to my Fair Trade meeting without having tea.  It was commented upon at the meeting that, all things considered, I was surprisingly perky.  I was however more than ready for my cheese ravioli and Dawtona red cabbage, and of course, unwinding in front of the Apprentice ( sorry to see Paloma go ).

Fittingly for the middle of the poverty challenge, November 3rd is the saints day for St. Martin of Porres, who devoted his life to working for the poor and oppressed.

OK, well I'm typing this in a McDonalds somewhere in North Yorkshire on my way to a meeting.  Not everyone's favorite place I know, but for the purposes of this challenge I was at least gratified to note that in the Gents they have waterless urinals!

Meanwhile, less good news on the water consumption research.  Seems like a gravity shower uses 35 litres and whilst I might dispute this in my case given that as a typical bloke I take a fairly quick one each day, I note that a power shower uses 80!  So I'll live with the 35 number, x7 = 245 litres.  Definitely no baths for me at 80 a pop.  Unfortunately no (waterless or otherwise) urinals at our place but they reckon 8 litres per toilet flush.  I'm an adherent of the nasty old adage ("if it's brown flush it down; if it's yellow let it mellow") at least for this week, but without getting any more graphic let's just say I should allow about 100 litres for the week.  Tea and coffee - at least 20 litres a week.

Can anyone suggest other water usage please?  I'll keep thinking too, but so far I'm already staring at 360 litres, ie 18 buckets of water, ie 36km to walk (imagining I'm in a developing country and having to go collect each bucket from 2km away).  That's pretty scary, especially as I only walked 6km so far and I have a busy week involving a lot of driving and not much time for walking.  But if I was in that distant community I'd have no debate - water would come first no matter what.

Managed to last out until dinner at 7pm.  I attended the Requiem Eucharist at York Minster for All Souls Day, so my mind was on higher things than what I would eat for tea.  The singing of Durufle's Requiem was astonishingly good.  Still, after tea, food was high on the agenda as I watched the final of Masterchef.  Claire was a worthy winner.  I don't understand the criticisms that appear in the Sunday Times of Greg Wallace.  I think he's an excellent presenter and passionate about his subject.  I loved his comment on a chocolate dessert; " That's the sort of thing I could dip my 'ead in. "

A campaigner in York has asked me to mention the World Development Movement's excellent campaign on the issue of Food Speculation.  The impact of this on the price of food, and hence on the lives of the World's poor, is quite eye opening.  You can find out more here

Many thanks for the comment asking what my fast will achieve for people who are going without food.  There are 2 purposes behind the fast.  The first is to draw attention to issues of extreme poverty.  These challenges are creating a space in a busy society where people can think about the lives of the poor.  The " doing something about it " will have to follow.  Campaigning with an organisation such as Oxfam, Christian Aid or the World Development Movement could be that next step.  Secondly, fasting can act for the benefit of the individual.  It's a symbolic act and, in my case, can help me to focus on what can I do to change things.  Of course the fast, in itself, gives no tangible benefit to those who are forced to go without food but it can be viewed as a springboard, from which, action can take place.

I hope to return to the issue of the benefits of fasting later in the week.  I would welcome comments from anyone who has fasted and what they see the benefits as being.

Day 2 of my fasting challenge.  I managed to last the day without food, although I did have dinner at 4.30pm.  As requested here is a picture of Stefan-Ian.  As you can see, like myself, he is of a " solid " frame.  He loves his food & wont be going on the fasting challenge.  Though he is supporting me, no doubt, with thoughts of solidarity.

OK, so I'm a day late with this first blog entry.  I'm going to cheat straight away because on Sunday - technically the day before the start of the challenge) I went for a decent walk in the country of about 6km.  However I'm going to count this because I knew my week would be very busy and tough to make much time for walking, plus that's pretty impressive for me as a generally unfit couch potato (check out the photo!).  I take a shower a day, so by tomorrow I'll work out how much water that represents and how much I'll need to walk during the week to offset that amount.  I drink a lot of coffee and tea, and of course use the toilet, so will need to factor that in along with any other water use. 

Of course this is a poor representation of the daily struggle of the most vulnerable people in the world to obtain water and use it for all their needs.  For instance I ate a pizza last night - I imagine in a rural village in Ethiopia or Colombia they would be making the evening meal and using quite a bit of water in the process.  Hmm... 

Friends have been asking me why I've decided to do this fast.  The main reason is to draw attention to the lives of those who are in desperate poverty.  It's not that people don't realise that there are other people out there across the globe who are going without food.  However it is easy to become preoccupied with our own day to day lives and forget the conditions that millions of others have to live in.

Lack of food, leading to hunger and starvatio,n is an extreme form of poverty, but one which affects millions of people on a daily basis.

The big question is - can anything be done about it?  I believe that things can improve.  There is more than enough food available on this planet.  It's how people gain access to food supplies that is the problem.  This can be very unequal depending on where people live and what their background is.  There is a great deal of inequality in what should be one of the most basic of entitlements.

More to follow throughout the week and I welcome your comments.

So how am I getting on - well yes I feel hungry.  It's now 3pm and I Haven't eaten since 8.30.  I wont have time for a proper evening meal, so will grab a snack at Uni but I'll probably stretch the definition of " evening. "

Coming up throughout the week:

Answer to email question about my tie

A photo of my cat

Thoughts on fasting

A little bit of politics.

Hi everyone,

Looking forward to getting started with my challenge but also a bit apprehensive.  Not so much about my fast but whether I can cope with the IT.

Best Wishes,

Mark

My challenge is that I will be fasting between breakfast and Dinner

I'm taking on this challenge because access to food varies all over the world due to climate change and global poverty even though there is enough food for all.

I live in York and will be asking my MP Hugh Bayley what he thinks about my challenge and what poverty means to him?

There are so many people that don't have enough to eat each day, so my challenge is food based. I am going to make sure that I don't overeat, or eat unless I am hungry. This isn't about dieting, but about trying to understand better how it feels to be hungry and to live without enough food in our unequal world.

My challenge is to walk 2 km for every (20 litre) bucket of water I use.

This is a very unbalanced world.  I hope this will make me really appreciate the scarcity of natural resources, especially for the vulnerable people who are being hit by climate change. Women in Africa and Asia on average have to walk 3 times this distance to get water!

I live in Selby and Ainsty constituency and will be asking my MP Nigel Adams what he thinks about my challenge - might he want to walk for water too?