nai's rhetoric

Just came back from an open lecture conducted by professor jeffrey sachs; a real celebrity in the world of academia. It was on global proverty or more specifically about achieving the millennium goals. That is to end the world's extreme proverty in the world. It was quite a good lecture. He spoke with much conviction and passion, something he has devoted his whole life to; that is putting an end to global extreme proverty by 2025.
You know some people just have this really noble heart. This guy has been to over a 100 different countries (thats half the world literally) witnessing first hand accounts of how improvished people still live on this planet. How is it possible that the same world that Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen plus Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffet(combined GDP of the 41 poorest nations and their 550 million people if my memory serves me well) can also be home to the poorest people who get by with less than US$1.50 a month. Something monumental must have fucked up with the distribution of wealth and all the economics theory we have studied in school. So he is kind of like making it his personal crusade to end proverty with the help of the G8, EU, UN among other nations.
Isn't that a brilliant notion? Being able to end global extreme proverty by 2025? In our generation? Maybe there is some purpose to our existence in this era afterall. Honestly, I can tell you, Im not that noble. People who help with humanitarian efforts, distributing food, procuring medical/food/water supplies, working the in sweltering oppressive heat of the african climate. These people are noble. People who campaign for human rights and make it their personal crusade, they are noble. Well, I help the old lady cross the road from time to time.
But whats reassuring is that we all have the capacity to help. ALL of us. One way to start is to stop being so IGNORANT about what is happening in the world around us. I think of the disadvantages of being born in a first world economy is that it makes us blind to the proverty at our doorsteps. I daresay that if you are reading this, you are probably one of my friends. I also daresay that you are quite oblivious to the fact that 5 million babies in africa are going to die from Malaria in 10 years. And thats just in africa alone. According to sachs, if everyone in the first world country gives just 3 bucks (1 plate of chicken rice plus kopi bing), we would have 3 billion dollars. Enough to bring the mortality rates of babies dying from malaria by a staggering 65-80%.
Now you're probably thinking: " hell nai, in all the time ive known you, you've never talked about this before. now stop putting on this act of having moral high ground and get down and fucking go ktv with us and fuck the world man" Well thats true. Until a few months ago. I borrowed this book from the library called Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus. That really started it all. Microcredit is now an area which highly interests me and something which I see myself getting involved in the future. The idea of using financial tools that helps the rich get rich, to help the poor! I think its fucking brilliant man. It started with a US$27 loan in 1976 to 9 women in bangalore. Today Grameen bank has annual transactions of US$2 billion.
"ahh.... so nai, its still about the money lah!" well yes and no. I still want to buy my M3, I still want to live in a penthouse, I still want to buy that country club. I still want a good life(this is not really excessive if you compare it to the likes of forbes500 category). But i think we have to cast away the old image of 'social workers' volunteering and earning meagre money. Theres going to be a new breed of humanitarians, and its going to be us. Microcredit bankers. If you wanna get rich, might as well do it the right way.
Everday you wake up you look yourself in the mirror. Be thankful, be thankful, be thankful. No matter how fucked up your job is, how shitty school work is, how deadlines are approaching, how many extras you take, how lousy the market is or whatever. Look on the bright side, at least you're not dying from malnutrition in the middle of nowhere right? Personally i dont do that enough. To Reflect. but whenever i feel down or lousy or feeling particularly unconstructive, i just think about how fucking fortunate i am to be born in Singapore and to be studying in london. We all have to try and try somehow to make it happen in ourselves.
At least when we die and God has to choose to send us up to heaven or down to hell, we have a 50-50 chance of appeal ;)
(and no william, you're definitely going to hell no matter how many lives you save. LOL)