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28 September 2006
Be a superhero: stand up against poverty
Be sure to look out for Super Speedy Pants this World Poverty Day, says Nick Martlew.
15 October is a big day. Oxfam and a whole bunch of others will be trying to set a world record; and what a worthy record it is. This is the record for the largest number of people standing up against poverty, leading up to World Poverty Day on 17 October.
There’ll be stand-up comedy nights (geddit?), football fans will stand united against poverty, and worshippers will get off their knees and pray for trade justice. And of course, there’ll be Super Speedy Pants helping out.
You won’t have seen Super Speedy Pants. This is because he’s Super Speedy®. If you’ve ever had a conversation down the pub about whether you can see something that’s moving really, really fast, just have a look at Super Speedy Pants - or not, because he’s too fast to see.
Super Speedy Pants has kindly agreed to put his Super Speed to excellent use. He’ll be whizzing round the country like an unseasonal but impressively trim Santa. Those of you who have been good this year, and are standing up against unjust and unacceptable poverty, will hardly notice Super Speedy Pants. You might be draped in white bands, wrapping yourself round Nelson’s Column and all the pigeons in Trafalgar square will take off at once. Remember, the accompanying breeze is Super Speedy Pants thanking you for doing your bit.
But those of you who are too lazy, dull or stubborn to make a stand against the unconscionable destitution of billions – yes, billions – of people will feel the full wrath of Super Speedy Pants. Just as they make to sit down Super Speedy Pants will pinch their apathetic buttocks. That’s the prick of their consciences. With a start, and possibly a little yelp, they’ll be upstanding, joining thousands of others who are standing up against poverty.
With his work for the day done, Super Speedy Pants will return to Indonesia. There he spends his days shipping food around and powering turbines, trying to help people out of poverty. There are still 80 million people living on less than $1 a day in Indonesia – that’s more than the population of the UK, and there are a billion more elsewhere in the world.
Super Speedy Pants can’t do it alone. But if we make a stand in solidarity with those in poverty around the world, demanding more and better action on aid, trade, and debt, together we can make poverty history. 15 October is a big day.
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Nick Martlew was born in Malaysia. This is his interesting fact. A graduate of Oxford and Sheffield, Nick then sold his soul to Oxfam for the price of lunch and travel. As a campaigns volunteer in Leeds he took part in the Change programme and he is now an intern, researching Oxfam's humanitarian protection work.
Ideally, Nick would like to be paid, perhaps even in a job he enjoys, like in advocacy or speech-writing.
Until then, he is editor of www.global-politics.co.uk. That was a plug, by the way.
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Write for Generation Why
Nicholas Martlew, 25, from Wakefield is a member of the Write for Generation Why team. We're always looking for talented, passionate writers and can offer great support and advice. |
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