I used to concern myself if things were expensive. 'Who's ripping me off?' 'What profit is the middle man taking?'
I have often said to myself 'this is too expensive' but I can't remember when I have ever said 'this is too cheap!'

Organisations like CHRISTIAN AID have alerted me to the truth. The fact is that it is the poor who are really being ripped off. It is children and women sitting in the dust who make our products so cheaply!

So, nowadays when I find myself rejoicing that something was a 'bargain' I am at least beginning to say to myself, 'how on earth can this item be produced for this price?' Or 'what sort of pittance do the producers of this item get paid?'

This month is CHRISTIAN AID WEEK. The special concern this year is World Trade. The issues are complex but not so complex that we cannot recognise the basic issue. This is that the scales of basic fairness in trade are weighing against the poorest nations. The trade laws, in other words, are designed to make the rich richer, and this means that the poor get poorer.

WHY CHRISTIAN AID?
Many organisations do a fine job, but as we call ourselves a 'Christian' country it is worth noting why we should be generous. One way to live up to that name 'Christian' is to be really generous with our money. This simply means doing what the Bible says. In the Old Testament we read; 'Open your hand to the poor and needy' (Deuteronomy 15:11) and in the New Testament 'If you see your brother in need and close your heart against him, how can you have the love of God in you?' (1 John 3:17). There are many, many more verses throughout the Bible. In Matthew 25 Jesus speaks of the poor, the hungry and imprisoned. The prophets of old are continually on about caring for the needy and having the scales of justice weighing accurately. The list of passages and verses is very long. So it is a Christian's duty to give. Of course we need be careful how we give and this is where an organisation working directly with the needy people can really help.

TOP 4 FACTS ABOUT WORLD TRADE

1. The richest 3 people in the world control more wealth than 600 million of the world's poorest people.
2. Poor countries only account for 0.4% of world trade. Since 1980 their share has halved.
3. The UN estimates that unfair trade rules deny poor countries of £500 billion a year.
4. It is the governments of the rich countries that set the rules.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY

Alan Dodds