Food crisis appeal from Sierra Leone foreign minister

[littlezendra]

people are starving,

and we can go on and on about our political ideals, religious opinions and keep trying to figure out who is to blame but it wont change the fact that the people are starving.many of us are searching for a soloution and its not straight forward, there are enough resources in this world to go around, we just need more people to care about people and act on it.

[procrastinator11]

The fact that Sierra Leone is a Muslim country based on a 60% population is irrelevant to the point in that people are starving and they need help. If you guys are going to play the religion card, it will trump you in nothing but irrelevancy.

Good Day!

[Freetowqn80]

Sierra Leone is not A MUSLIM COUNTRY.

[dkrustyklown]

If the women of the developing world would simply close their legs and say, "no" every once in a while, then maybe their putrid vagina's wouldn't belch out so many starving children.

[jafische]

I wish you were born in Africa! That is a very, very small part of the problem!  With Sierra Leon and other African countries it is due to poor infrastructure and war, a direct cause of Western colonialism. The UN FAO's analysis concludes that usage in industrial, feed, and input intensive foods, not population growth among poor consumers of simple grains, has contributed to the price increases. E.g. 7 kilos of grain for 1 kilo of meat, fill ur tank with bio for one African's corn for a year.

[dkrustyklown]

Firstly, colonialism did not cause your country to have such poor infrastructures. You can't really blame western colonialism for destroying something that wasn't there in the first place. It's not as if Africa had railroads and a telecommunications systems before European colonialism.

Secondly, what WE do with OUR crops and farmland is OUR business. You see, we have this little concept called, "property rights" here. It means that a farmer can do whatever he wants with his crops.

[dkrustyklown]

You claim that Africa's supercharged population growth has nothing to do with the food crisis.

Um, what?

If the problem is that you people don't have enough food, then obviously your rapid population growth has SOMETHING to do with that situation.

[greyhowl]

i think it would be better if african women were given control over family planning,there is a very good talk on this subject at TED by hans rosling (i think thats his name)i think you should watch it, type in ted talks you will find it.

[dkrustyklown]

Yes, birth control is a good idea, but I am also concerned about the HIV epidemic which is killing millions as well. Some moral fortitude regarding sex would help alleviate the problem immensely.

[Daracon75]

Other Governments giving money would only make the problem worse. It would make the population grow even larger, thus eventually leading to MORE starvation! There is a REASON why poverty exists there. If there isn't enough food, just stop having so many children! There's no one to blame for the starvation except Africans themselves. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Let them die out, so there will be less pain in the future.

[Daracon75]

There already IS a huge starvation problem in Africa, and it's getting larger!!! The reason is that the typical African people have 10 children each!!! If some people in developed countries struggle to feed even 2 or 3 children, how the hell could people in UNdeveloped countries feed 10+!!?

The African population is growing far too rapidly. I checked the growth statistics, and for the rise in population in Africa there just isn't enough agricultural land for produce.

[xzistpo]

Stop biofuels,

And yes it partly started that hole crisis.

And what started that hole biofuel hype is Genetically engineered food. The european markets ( all the european union, in fact ) are now closed to almost any GE importations,

so we are turning them into biofuel, Instead of stopping the use of GMOs.

Monsanto is responsible for that crisis.

There are other factors, of course, there always are multiple factors to a crisis, but some are more serious.Please don't put ethanol in your car.

[dkrustyklown]

If American farmers want to sell their corn crops to ethanol producers, then that is their AMERICAN RIGHT to do so.

You see, in America, we have PROPERTY RIGHTS. The corn that a farmer grows is the SOLE PROPERTY of the farm owner and government has no place telling that farmer what to do with his crops.

If you don't like American property rights, then suck it, because we're not going to change regardless of how many of you people are starving to death.

[morlai2006]

no man has the right to decide another mans destiny. you say women should not give birth to children; that's nonsense. remember NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT. THE DOWN FALL OF A MAN IS NOT THE END OF HIS LIFE. Now you tell me what continent in the world that has not ripped or continuue to rip benefits from Africa. Do you know where most of the products you use everyday comes from?. THE WORLD IS A GLOBAL VILLAGE. WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER. IF YOU DONT HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY YOU NEED TO SHUT UP!.

[dkrustyklown]

The world is NOT a global village and I most definitely do NOT need you for anything.

To hell with your, "global village".

That "global village" idea is of communist origin, anyways, and I firmly believe that the only good communist is a dead communist.

Also, there is a difference between having one or two children on the one hand and having 6 to 10 children like the women of the developing world tend to do. If a poor family decides to have 8 children, then they get no sympathy from me.

[procrastinator11]

No, listen. For all my life, I have never read any vile acts of the prophet. You're probably going to tell that I'm brainwashed. No I'm not. If Muslims read nothing bad about him, then what bad are they going to follow?

Listen, its people that DON'T follow the prophet are doing the vile things: hurting innocents, forced marriages, raping women, etc. Those actions are not of Islam- what you guys see is an amalgam of bad government, ignorant, and some: pure evil defined by any human.

[Daracon75]

procrasinator11, They are not of Islam?

The leader of Islam had slaves, he raped a 9 year old girl, and murdered people. That's exactly what Islam about. That, and killing infidels.

[sadunkal]

I heard from a relatively reliable source(a high profile worker at an oil company) that the money masters have already given up on africa, they don't give a shit about what happens to africans. So I don't know, take this information as you wish, I just thought that it's relevant and interesting... I'm only the messenger.

Wish everybody good luck...

[tlc2wice]

some day it will be one nation ruled by one leader, that will be the anti-christ and people will look to him and follow him he will offer peace and look real good for a while then it will all turn, and if you take a mark or micro-chip or whatever form it comes in you are doomed!

[ommy7778]

Fuck the West all this problem coz by devils from west yes that is true they let people get hungry so they can fight and that is way they can sell their wepons or change with Gold,Diamond and such things,Fuck Da West fuck fake UN Fuck USA FUck BUSH.

[smcuriel]

Where are you from, I am from California. This hatred does this help anything?

[ohworldgirl]

OMMY7778 - I do see why u are angry. But don't say FUCK the US because there are many people here fighting, giving their last dime, and their time in volunteering to help causes in Africa, and elsewhere in the world. I have personally met ppl who have run 30+ miles to raise money for causes in Africa and people who haven't much money here in the US give the best they can. just know ppl are not all rich here in the US.

[KFDonny]

you guys are fucking gulible. fucking naiv. desived by religious bullshit stories. in an universal point of view, religions are bullshit, made up to control the human masses. all religious people are fucking stupid. of course you should feed the people. we need to unite the world into one nation and one ruler. and religions should be banned. there would be no more wars, when 1 nation has ultimate control of the world. one nation, one language and realistic believes. no bullshit

[fromfictiontofact]

God Bless you

[fromfictiontofact]

there is no need to be so rude. I would be pleased to share my perspective of the situation but only if you are receptive as I am receptive to you. Otherwise this will be a waste of time. I have just as much compassion for the people being hurt as you do, maybe even more, so do not judge me, you have no idea what I think, who I am, what i do or how i feel.

[hiperjimjim]

Starcatcher I think it's funny that you judge people like that. Just shows how your mind is just as primitive as the people who commit these crimes in developing countries. You should know better. What kind of racist theory is that to go blurting on the internet? Why can't you try and focus on a positive solution that benefits everyone? You need to look after your mental well-being and ask yourself why you're so angry. I'm not Muslim but I know a few and they're pretty good, normal people.

[fromfictiontofact]

If you understood how much our behavior is governed by our environment, upbringing and society maybe you would have a bit more sympathy. ANY person, put through the right circumstances will be a murderer, rapist, etc. You name it. If you deny it, you are just fooling yourself. I do not view myself as any better then anyone else, I view all humans the same, governed by the same rules, yes some choose more evil then others, but ALL put through the certain circumstances will become evil.

[fromfictiontofact]

big heart you have there mate

[Hamoodi99]

The issue of Islam had nothing to do with this. What's wrong with you? There are various countries around the world suffering from this terrible and unfortunate disaster which is the food crisis. BTW food prices in the US and Canada are slowly increasing so don't think like people in the western world are immune to it. We're burning thousands of acres of land just for biofuel & ethanol.

This is what we're talking about.

[procrastinator11]

Yeah, you're 100% right

[jafische]

Actually, he's NOT right! That is a very, very small part of the problem! With Sierra Leon and other African countries it is due to poor infrastructure and war, a direct cause of Western colonialism. The UN FAO's analysis concludes that usage in industrial, feed, and input intensive foods, not population growth among poor consumers of simple grains, has contributed to the price increases. E.g. 7 kilos of grain for 1 kilo of meat, fill up a car with bio for one African's corn for a year.

[procrastinator11]

Also, if anyone has anything to say about Islam, please don't do it here: contact (message) me instead.

[procrastinator11]

Starcatcher778, you are correct in that moderate Islam does not exist. However, Islam cannot exist if something is taken away from it. Example 1: denying women's rights. In Islam, women have certain rights. However some countries follow culture more than religion, and they take away these rights. That is not Islam. Anything added or taken away from Islam no longer makes it Islam.

I will help you understand the present condition if you send me a message. Do you look for the truth?

[blayzebright]

Starcatcher778, that's certainly some typical Christian 'love and compassion' you have there. I guess you don't have to be better than them to hate them, however.

[Hamoodi99]

What's wrong with this guy, "Starcatcher"? This video is not a panel for his views about Islam or any other religion. People are here to show their views and sympathy for the worldwide food crisis.

This is the matter at stake.

This is what's being discussed in this video.

He should go take his hate mongering somewhere else.

[Hamoodi99]

Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines and Thailand are amongst many of the worst countries affected by the Food Crisis and most of their populations are not Muslim but Christians. Prophet Mohammed says that "If someone is not your brother in Faith, then he is in Humanity", in the sense that he is a human being like you.

I am not here to discuss the issuesof radical interpretation of Islam. They don't represent Islam, just like the KKK doesn't represent Christianity.

[Hamoodi99]

This food crisis is caused because we are turning food into biofuels so we can decrease polution. The developed world is taking the wrong direction...We really need alternate sources of energy...than this farce called biofuel.

[able67]

Agree totally Hamoodi99.

[blayzebright]

@ Hammoodi99 - That's true, and we are ignoring research that shows biofuels are ~not~ less harmful to the environment. So this crisis is being caused for no reason at all.

[Runafrom237]

Turning food into biofuels is only a small part of the food crisis! I'm not saying that we should kep doing it, but the main reasons for the food crisis are thing like failing crops. Not biofuel.

[KFDonny]

i think we need to start WW3, world population is too high. we need 3,5 planet earths to maintain the amount of ppl that we are today. i volunteer on death.

[Gerbert66]

Then start with you first and their is one very stupid people out of the world.

[KFDonny]

one very stupid people?

[meteoritelight]

Your an idiot

[KFDonny]

your insignificant. just like me

[d991]

Peak Oil is going to cause an abrupt end to globalization. Unfortunately people will die because of this. People think this is a harsh thing to say, but the earth cannot sustain this many people and especially can't sustain more growth. We need to go back to small communities. I feel sorry for North Americans who commute 1+ hour to work each day, they don't even know what's coming...

[TheShizzlest]

Unless we create alternate sources of energy.

[KFDonny]

they can extract electricity from sugar today. alternate sources of energy is coming.

[KFDonny]

i know, people are so sensitive, they dont even realize the aftermath of whats today.

[GrantNeufeld]

A suggestion to Avaaz: Please include a link to your petition for this cause in the description of this video so folks can more readily get to it.

Thanks for supporting this cause and engaging more people in addressing it! I fear the wars of this century will be centred around food and water access :-(

[yassau]

Brazil is here to save the world.

[vamosbabe]

:((