I thought about boring you with a ‘woe is me’ post on my computer trials (short story- PC fixed but laptop back to manufacturers) but instead thought I’d post a link to this article that was forwarded to me today.

Will democracy make you happy?

The question, though, is which comes first: happiness or democracy? Despite our earlier thinking, there is now growing evidence that a happy population, one where people are satisfied with their lives as a whole, is a prerequisite for democracy…

What the evidence on happiness demonstrates is that happy people are much more likely to express satisfaction with their country’s political regime, regardless of what kind that might be, than unhappy people. That’s not to say that democracy doesn’t matter. It does. All things being equal, democracy does provide a happiness boost. But all things are rarely equal.

Puts a whole new spin on the war in Iraq doesn’t it…

My computer is sick. So using some of my scholarship funds I bought a new laptop (which I needed to get for study and travel anyway). Unfortunately that started doing odd things almost immediately and so has had to go back to the shop for a few days.

I am now realising just how attached I am to computers and the Internet. I surprised myself at just how upset I got when the technician told me on Wednesday that he hadn’t found the problem with the laptop and would have to keep working on it (although it didn’t help that he was dismissive and almost rude on the phone). I think I might be in withdrawl.

I have to confess. I totally understand this today….

I came across this video today while doing some online searching (my PhD is internet- related so it was study…. really), by Michael Wesch, an anthropology professor. It is very interesting, very watchable and very thought-provoking.

Photo: Robert Sorbo/REUTERS

H/T Jodie Tonita

I don’t know much about the context of this photo except that it was taken during a dialogue on youth and spiritual connection in Seattle, Washington, but I love it.  It gives me some hope for the world.

Following on from my post of food riots a couple of days ago, George Monbiot has posted an article about the crisis, focusing on the problem of meat consumption.

…But there is a bigger reason for global hunger (than using food crops for biofuels), which is attracting less attention only because it has been there for longer. While 100m tonnes of food will be diverted this year to feed cars, 760m tonnes will be snatched from the mouths of humans to feed animals(9). This could cover the global food deficit 14 times. If you care about hunger, eat less meat.

I’m pleased to say I have been more or less vegetarian for a week now. I say more or less because we spent the weekend at my parents home and I had decided not to tell them until I was a little more certain that this would last and wasn’t a 2-day wonder, so I did have a very small amount of lamb on Saturday night.  And we had fish on Friday night but it was caught by my Dad!  I think however, that I have reached a decision that I am happy about, and will be able to maintain.  Actually I have been very happy since making the decision, and I think it is because I have been feeling increasing uncomfortable about eating meat.

Along with the post about meat, Monbiot has also recently posted about growing your own veges.  I’ve had a garden before (with mixed success) and it is something I will do again- once we are out of student accomodation!  For now I’ll have to stick with local markets.

Six teenagers and a teacher were killed yesterday in a tragedy in the central north island.  They were canyoning and were caught in a flash flood.  My heart goes out their families, friends and the school.

The students were from a Christian School.  I caught part of a press conference with the principal on tv this morning, and have to say he did a great job.  Calm and compassionate.  It is events like this that make me realise the value of faith and community.

Did you know that around the world today a billion people are facing food shortages?  That average food prices have risen 40% across the world in less than a year, and as much as 300% in some places?  That a top UN official has warned that the crisis could cause worldwide turmoil and global political instability? That this is already happening- that in the last few weeks there have been riots over food in Haiti (4 people dead), Ivory Coast, Cameroon (40 people dead), Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal,  Uzbekistan, Yemen, Bolivia, Jordan and Indonesia?

I try and follow the news as much as a busy mum and student can, and as a Development Studies student have been aware of the issues for some time- and I still missed just how immanent this crisis is.  This may be because despite the fact that some have been warning for years of the potential for a humanitarian and environmental crisis (for example this article from George Monbiot in 2004), the mainline media has largely ignored to signs.  Until now.  When the world is at crisis point and it may be too late to prevent millions of deaths.

Benjamin posted on this issue on Justice and Compassion a few days ago, linking to an article by Paul Krugman in the NY Times.  He suggested that-

The most immediate need is more aid to people in distress: the U.N.’s World Food Program put out a desperate appeal for more funds.

We also need a pushback against biofuels, which turn out to have been a terrible mistake.

I don’t disagree, but I don’t think this is enough.  This is what I commented-

I’m actually not sure that Krugman’s suggestions as to what should be done are hugely helpful either. Food aid has been linked with all kinds of ongoing problems- including undermining local markets, creating desire for imported grains over local staples and generally creating dependency.

He is right about about biofuels. however. They are a mistake. But just pushing back won’t help- we don’t need to continue our love affair with oil. I think we in the west needs to seriously reduce our dependence on fuel.

The problem is most Westerners don’t know or don’t care. I guess they think science or politicians or somebody else is going to come up with an answer, and we can just keep consuming the way we have been. For the moment the food crisis is mostly impacting on the poor in developing countries, and as unjust as it is, I don’t think the West will make significant changes until it starts to impact on our lifestyles significantly. I just hope that isn’t too late.

Change starts at home though. I have been thinking about going vegetarian for a long time… this may just be the motivation I need.

This may be a contradiction in a sense (food aid and pushing back on biofuels is not enough but my personal change is?), and I know it’s a drop in the bucket but I’m serious about the vegetarian thing. I probably won’t be 100% vege (my husband is not keen on the idea, and I’ve no aversion to the occasional NZ grass-fed/ organic/ free range meat meal) but I can’t ignore the fact that it takes far more land and resources to produce meat than grains, that livestock farming is incredibly environmentally degrading, and that I just feel selfish when so many are hungry and I have an excess of food on my plate.

Now you know about the crisis- what are you going to do?

I have been wanting to watch the movie Black Gold for a while so was very happy to see it on sale at the cultural festival recently.  I finally watched it last week, and was glad I did.  It is the story of Ethiopian coffee, and in particular the journey of Tadesse Meskela, a man on a mission to get better prices for his coffee farmers cooperative.  The movie deliberately and effectively contrasts the poverty of the coffee producers with the luxury of coffee consumers, which makes for very throught provoking viewing.

This is an excellent movie with an important message. But I do have a couple of little complaints.  Firstly I think the film would have benefited from a little more explanation of how the coffee markets and price setting worked (although it probably was made with a larger target population in mind then Development Studies post-grads, who may not be quite so interested in the exact mechanisms of imperialistic trade!). It did however convey well the injustice of a system that allows muti million dollar corporations and farmers with starving families to coexist.

The other little niggle is related to the niggle I have about fair trade in general. As can be esily guessed from this blog, I am already a convert to fair trade, however I don’t think it is the panacea for world trade problems and poverty that it is often promoted as. The problems are large and structural, and deeply unjust.  They are also political.  Trade favours the rich, the consumers, and those with power.  And (as the movie does show in parts), those who benefit are not in any rush to change.

At the risk of displaying my socialist tendancies, here’s a good quote from A Very Public Sociologist:

As long as production is subordinate to the market, as long as workers are not paid the full value of their labour power, superexploitation and one-sided development/underdevelopment will remain the lot of Africa. And no amount of consumption with a conscience will change that.

Unfortunately I don’t have any answers. I do strongly believe that fair trade while it won’t save the world it is better than doing nothing.  At the very least it indicates some thought has gone into the purchase (mindless consumption is perhaps a topic for another day!), and one producing cooperative/ farmer/ community may be a little better off.

Despite all that I really liked the movie, and highly recommend it (and I’ll be inflicting it on my family and friends too!).  And what impacted me the most?  I had never realised how much of a hands-on process coffee production is.  Berries are hand-picked, and hand sorted so that every bean has been touched by the hands of African (or Latin American or Melanesian…) workers.  Literally black gold.  Since watching the movie I have been even more careful when grinding and making my coffee in the morning, handling the beans is a tangible link back up the supply chain to some very real people.

As I was getting ready to leave the house this morning I had a startling revelation.  It was Monday morning and I was happy.  I never recall in nursing actually looking forward to the work week and not being sad that the weekend/ days off were over.  I guess despite all the personal and family dramas, and general cynicism over the state of the world, I am in the right place and doing the right thing.  I am enjoying academia, getting my teeth into some really interesting reading and actually making concrete plans to get to Honduras later this year.

My advice to the world for today?  If it’s Monday morning and you are not looking forward to the week, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate.  Don’t wait for the world to get better for you. If you would rather be doing something else, try and work out how you can make the change happen.  It’s so worth it.

But enough blogging, I really should really actually be doing those readings right now!

Yesterday we spent a happy few hours at the Palmerston North Festival of Cultures, eating curries and fish balls and dutch pancakes, watching dancers and musicians of various cultures and shopping for jewellery and crafts. The festival is “is a celebration of Palmerston North’s richness and diversity of cultures and is a great opportunity for new refugees and migrants to have a sense of place, feel connected and have a sense of belonging“.  I’ve been guilty of being somewhat derogatory about this city at times, but events like this make me pround of my ‘adopted’ home.  Looking around people from such a variety of cultures enjoying the day together, I wondered why it is that this kind of atmosphere of peace and happiness seems so difficult to achieve on larger regional and global levels.

(pictures shamelessly ‘borrowed’ from the Festival website)