Hope Spot 36 – Not so trivial

Do you ever play trivia games?

I like them – but only if the main topic is 70s music 😊 (As you know, this is the best decade for music ever!)

Can I run a Trivia question past you? One that is not so trivial.

How much of Australia’s budget is dedicated to overseas aid (the kind of work you support through ALWS):

I’m sorry, no matter what you answered …

… you’re wrong. ☹

The fact is Australia dedicates only 0.68% of our budget to foreign aid.

What’s worse is that this is decreasing each year, as you can see:

Now, I don’t blame the politicians for this.

They will respond to a cause if they see there are votes in it.

So, if we don’t tell them overseas aid is important to us, they won’t know that it is!

That’s why, ALWS has joined a coalition of Australian aid agencies, under the banner SAFER WORLD FOR ALL to call on all political parties to do better.

The aim? To restore our overseas aid to 1% of Australia’s budget.

Yes, 99% for Australia, and 1% for those countries where poverty and injustice hurts worst.

That’s why the campaign slogan the aid agencies coalition has come up with is:

What do you think?

If you think this is something you’d like to support, it is super-easy. Simply CLICK HERE

This takes you straight to the SAFER WORLD website. Here, you put in your address, and magically up pops the MP for your electorate, along with a pre-written email.

You simply put in your name, press the button, and job done!

You can make it even more powerful by adding a personal line or two, about the work you do for others through ALWS.

(Your local member will see your email is not just words, your actions speak louder!)

STEP UP AND CLICK HERE!

If you’d like to find out more about the campaign – and be challenged, informed and inspired – I urge you to watch this entertaining 2 minute video.

The good news is there are many other people who care about Australia helping others as much as you do:

As you know, through ALWS you work in some of the most dangerous places in the world:

• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Ethiopia
• Ukraine
• Myanmar

Your kindness and compassion through ALWS already prove your commitment to a SAFER WORLD FOR ALL.

If you would like to join the campaign for ‘Down Under to Step Up’ …

… and call on ALL political parties to commit to increasing overseas aid to 1% of Australia’s budget, simply click here.

You may think that you on your own can’t make much of a difference.

You may even feel your effort is trivial.

It’s not. We can create a real groundswell for change when we come together across all aid agencies, and put our plea to all politicians for Australia to do better.

Thank you for considering adding your voice!

PS: What’s in it for ALWS? The big picture is we want a more compassionate world, that cares for others, especially those forgotten, just as Jesus did. At a financial level, any increase in Australia’s overseas aid likely means an increase in the 5:1 Grants the Australian Government makes available to ALWS.

PPS: 70s Music Trivia Part 2:

Do you agree the 70s was the best decade for music? (How could you not?!😊)

PPPS: Footy finals – last one!

Last Friday, I drove from Adelaide to Melbourne. On the way, I passed hundreds and hundreds of cars heading for Adelaide, all with Hawthorn scarves flying from their windows. Even though Hawthorn ended up losing, it gave me goosebumps to see all those people prepared to drive 800 kilometres to support their team. It’s what you do when you are passionate. Of course, I couldn’t help thinking of people like you who, through ALWS, go to the ends of the earth to help people in need. That gives me goosebumps too!