This is my entry to the Micah Challenge exhibition at Parliament House Canberra as part of the Voices for Justice gatherings and rallies during October.

Micah Challenge International and MakePovertyHistory have organized campaigns in National Capitals to push politicians to fullfill their promises to halve world poverty by 2015 as part of the Millenium Development goals set by the UN in 2000.

Good things are happening but with the sudden problems with the Stock Market, we so easily retreat to our myopic self interest and personal comfort at the expense of our brothers and sisters who are really doing it tough around the globe.

My focus in this painting is to question our interest in just physical poverty and perhaps to broaden the term to include our own poverty of spirit, which of course drives our minds and therefore culture making.

Is the hungry African girl … suddenly transported to the ‘pinnacle of western development’ looking across at the hungry girl from the west with jealousy?… with pity?… with anger?… with puzzlement?

Is the ‘spirit of democratic capitalism’ got everything to offer and nothing to receive?… even from the poorest of the poor?

Hopefully this painting along with the others in the exhibition will prompt viewers, as it has myself, to rethink just what giving and receiving is.
Do I only give out of my excess? Is this self serving and patronizing?
What makes us change? Can we change our own spirit?

Thanks for reading.

P.S. All my profits from sales of this image on Redbubble will go directly to the Micah Challenge organization and TEAR Australia.