HourChallenge

Another blog? Come on, do we really need one? That’s the question I’m asking myself right now on August 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 A.M. It’s a sticky idea that I’ve been hoping to shirk for a few weeks now. I guess I’ve already answered my question by writing this first post. It’s needed. Less for us and more for me.

I don’t expect I’ll have anything groundbreaking or terribly original to say really.  I’m not writing for that.  I’m writing for accountability. I’m writing for encouragement. I’m writing to know that I’m not alone in this. Now I’m getting ahead of myself. “This” is the fight to end extreme poverty. 8 million people will die this year because they are too poor to stay alive. Every three seconds a child will die from completely preventable causes. 38 million people are infected by HIV/AIDS and ½ the world lives on about $2.00 per day, an amount that ensures poor nutrition, poor education and poor health.

It’s all pretty depressing stuff that I would have ignored a couple of years ago. I’m still not exactly sure why I ignored it then. I think now that it must have been because I didn’t know things were so bad. But I wonder if it was more because I didn’t care. I am sure that I would have thought it couldn’t be fixed had I known or cared a few years ago. There will always be poor people, right? Maybe. But the type of poverty that kills can be ended. And, in fact, there is a plan to do so. Economists believe that we now have the technology, resources, information and cooperation to end extreme poverty (poverty that kills). What we lack to this point is the political will to do so. That’s what this website is about.

I admit, I am apathetic, complacent and even cynical much of the time. I get lazy and loose interest easily. I am comfortable and I like to be entertained. I don’t like to hear about bad things. But the more I learn about the injustices that cause global poverty, the more I am convinced that I must act. And so, this blog is a personal manifesto of sorts and part of my small effort to do something to help in this fight.

Mainly I’ll be tracking my progress on a commitment I made almost two months ago to spend at least 1 hour per day working to see the end of poverty. So far to my knowledge I’ve not broken my vow. Am I skeptical that my efforts will make a difference? Yes. Do I know I will feel like quitting in a few weeks, months, years? Yes. I hope this blog along with your support will help me to keep this commitment and to do my part for so many who need us right now.