Should do more

People are saying that the EU is in a crisis. I still feel that there is a continent with a bigger need for urgent actions.

hope
Originally uploaded by demirkase.

I ran across an interesting article today. It is written last week by the former UK Prime Minister John Major. The title of the article is I did care, but I didn´t do enough. Major supports strongly the Make Poverty History campaign and admits that his government and himself did too little for Africa.

He´s not the first retired leader making these kind of statements. I remember Bill Clinton saying during his last week as president that he did too little for HIV/AIDS. And after the tsunami you saw Clinton and Bush Sr running a campaign for financial support for the victims of the terrible tragedy.

It would be easy to be cynical. Yes, it would be better if they would do these things while in power. But then again - the same as with superstars in the One campaign - they are raising awareness, using their networks for the cause. No one forces them to do this which is often forgotten. Although on Major´s case I have to say that his argumentation is very easy to understand. I just hope he´d used the same rhetorics while in power.

I have not been hiding my respect for Tony Blair. His speech after the London attacks and in the end of G8 meeting were to me a signal once again that he is a world-class leader. His conclusion showed wisdom: tragic incidents like the bombs should not make us lose our focus from helping the people really in need. If allow ourselves to turn hysterical, they have won.

p.s. About doing more. It is easy to bark in a blog. I know it is not much but I ordered yesterday 10 white wristbands. I am going to give them to people. You should do the same.