Yo querría hablar de Gema, que hoy le taladran el coco, pero ya hablaré de ella luego.
Siempre me gustó el nombre de la organización "make poverty history" porque no son siglas, o nombres amorfos sin sentido, sino que es un mensaje directo, shot al corazón: "has que la pobreza sea historia".
A veces estamos tan acostumbrados a algo que cambiarlo, por tenerlo tan incorporado, parecería imposible. Como genérico, es tan enorme, tan ajeno a nuestra vida, que muchas veces nos resulta intangible.
El otro día leía las estadísticas de un país. Decían que 12.5 millones de chicos viven en casas donde no tienen asegurada la comida. O sea, puede que hoy coman o puede que no. 12.5 millones. Ese país es Estados Unidos.
Los que podemos leer esto, que tenemos acceso a un pc, y tiempo o ganas para leer un blog, no tenemos la más remota idea de lo que es ser pobre.
Tener hambre.
Tener hijos con hambre.
Me acuerdo de una peli (A time to kill), con Sandra Bullock, Matthew Mcconaughey y Samuel L. Jackson donde, en el alegato final*, Matthew abogado le pide al jurado que en vez de imaginarse a la nena que habían violado negra se la imaginen blanca.
Gana el juicio.
Me quedó grabado. Y supongo que lo mismo tendríamos que hacer, cada minuto, con la pobreza, aunque ponerle cara a la palabra da mucho miedo.
La cercanía magnifica.
No imaginemos el nene pobre del mas allá, o la foto de UNICEF que hace que se te atragante la comida del domingo, o el documental que cambiás porque te hace sentir terriblemente incómodo, o la nena llena de moscas sin poder tomar agua.
En vez de eso, que tal imaginarme esa misma nena con los rulitos de olivia, o la cara de Anna?. Imaginarme el hambre de mi nena con la barriga hinchada.
Me resulta insoportable. físicamente insoportable.
Por eso me acordaba de ese cierre, porque pobreza sin cara, pobreza en millones es mucho mas digerible que si le ponemos cara. Acercamos el drama a nuestra vida.
Y cuando tiene cara es quizás cuando podemos pensar en ayudar. Pobreza deja de ser una palabra como látigo y se transforma en un reactor para la ayuda. Un poco de a poco es mucho para muchos. Un bol de arroz que yo aporte y tres de mi vecino que está mejor que yo, y cinco del de enfrente. Así muchos muchísimos que cambian la vida de alguien. En el otro lado del mundo o en el siguiente pueblo o vecindario.
Un poquito.
De a poquito.
* From A time to kill:
Now i'm gonna tell ya'll a little story.
I'm gonna, ask ya'll to close your eyes while i tell ya this story, i want you to listen to me, i want you to listen to yourselves. Go ahead, close your eyes, please.
This is the story about a little girl, walking home from the grocery store one sunny, afternoon. I want you to picture that little girl. Suddenly a truck races up. 2 men jump out, and they grab her. And they drag her (...)
Can you see her?
Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her?
I want you to picture that little girl.
Now imagine she's white.
-------------------------------------------
October 15th
Today, we are supposed to post about poverty.
Today, in this Blog Action Day, all the bloggers (I am not sure if I am one) agreed to talk about one subject, change the conversation, talk about poverty.
This morning I wanted to talk about Gema, as today they are going to make a hole in her head, but I will talk about her a bit later.
I have always loved the name "make poverty history" org. Because its not just a bunch of sensless letters or some kind of mystic name without much meaning.
Make poverty history is a shot straight to the heart..
Sometimes we are so used to something, that changing it seems impossible. Poverty as a term is so big, and so far away from our lifes that we can hardly grasp the idea.
A couple of days ago I was reading statistics about "a country".
They said that 12.5 million children live in households where daily feeds are uncertain. Meaning... they may eat, they may not.
12.5 millions.
That country is the U.S..
But all those who are reading this, who can access a computer, and who have time and will to read a blog have no idea what to be poor means.
Or be hungry.
Or have hungry kids .
I remember a movie (A time to kill), with Sandra Bullock, Matthew Mcconaughey and Samuel L. Jackson where, in the closing*, Matthew-lawyer asks the jury to portrait the raped girl (that was actually black) white..
And he wins the trial.
I always remember that closing. Maybe we should do that every minute thinking about poverty. Although changing poverty's face can be scary.
The closer it gets, the more terrifying.
How about we do not imagine the poor kid far far away, or the UNICEF photo that makes us want to stop having lunch on Sunday, or the documentary that makes us change channel because it makes us feel uncomfortable, or the little girl covered in flies and with no water available any more?.
Instead, how about I try to imagine that same girl with Olivias curly hair or with Anna's face?
Imagining my kids hungry and with swollen bellies is just unbearable. I can't stand it. Emotionally and physically. In any way.
That's why I was remembering that closing, because poverty without face, poverty of millions is way more bearable than poverty with face.
May be that face is the one that makes us think that we can help. Poverty is no longer a word but turns into action. A little bit, little by little is a lot for many. A bowl of rice that I give, plus three from my neighbour and five from the one in front. And thus, many can change someone's life. At the other side of the world or in your own neighbourhood.
a little bit
little by little
* From A time to kill:
Now i'm gonna tell ya'll a little story.
I'm gonna, ask ya'll to close your eyes while i tell ya this story, i want you to listen to me, i want you to listen to yourselves. Go ahead, close your eyes, please.
This is the story about a little girl, walking home from the grocery store one sunny, afternoon. I want you to picture that little girl. Suddenly a truck races up. 2 men jump out, and they grab her. And they drag her (...)
Can you see her?
Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her?
I want you to picture that little girl.
Now imagine she's white.
1 comentario:
This is pretty close to what i got earlier ;) and you are spot on.
and is that a whacky-doo compliment up above? Congrats on that too - you deserve it - you put it perfectly.
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