We ushered in 2009 with much festivities and celebrations. Concerts and parties rocked towns and cities around the globe.
At midnight, fireworks lit the sky of world cities, from Tokyo to London, Moscow to Istanbul, New York to Los Angeles…. Fireworks were let off, some lasting for more than 15 minutes. Even the one at Dataran Merdeka in KL lasted 10 minutes. These pyrotechniques are not cheap, some could run into millions of dollars, depending on the complexity and duration.
If the world is facing an economic crisis, where hundreds of thousands are laid off as factories halt operations and governments complain about shrinking reserves, then it wasn’t evident at all that night. I wonder how many of us remembered the thousands of Palestinians who were being attacked by Israel’s military might at that moment. Or, how many thought about the millions in poverty-stricken places.
According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes. This is one person every three and a half seconds, and sadly, it is the children who die most often. So, by the time a 15-minute firework display is over, some 257 people would have died of hunger somewhere around the world.
Imagine, that 15 minutes of excitement for some people could mean a lifetime of joy for the needy should the money be channeled to those more deserving.
How I wish the money spent on the fireworks had been used to help alleviate the sufferings of the poor and impoverished people among us. If we don’t see them, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist….
At midnight, fireworks lit the sky of world cities, from Tokyo to London, Moscow to Istanbul, New York to Los Angeles…. Fireworks were let off, some lasting for more than 15 minutes. Even the one at Dataran Merdeka in KL lasted 10 minutes. These pyrotechniques are not cheap, some could run into millions of dollars, depending on the complexity and duration.
If the world is facing an economic crisis, where hundreds of thousands are laid off as factories halt operations and governments complain about shrinking reserves, then it wasn’t evident at all that night. I wonder how many of us remembered the thousands of Palestinians who were being attacked by Israel’s military might at that moment. Or, how many thought about the millions in poverty-stricken places.
According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes. This is one person every three and a half seconds, and sadly, it is the children who die most often. So, by the time a 15-minute firework display is over, some 257 people would have died of hunger somewhere around the world.
Imagine, that 15 minutes of excitement for some people could mean a lifetime of joy for the needy should the money be channeled to those more deserving.
How I wish the money spent on the fireworks had been used to help alleviate the sufferings of the poor and impoverished people among us. If we don’t see them, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist….
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on Saturday, January 03, 2009
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