Page 17 - St Barnabas Parish Homerton Summer Magazine 2020

TEARFUND ACTION: SEND A REBOOT MESSAGE
This is the text of an email you can send Boris Johnson
You will find it at www.tearfund.org/reboot
Dear Prime Minister,

I want to see the world rebooted

Life has taken a very unexpected turn for us all, and there can rarely have been a more
challenging time to be a national leader. However, even in the midst of these trials and
suffering, there have been some unexpected positives too.
Communities have come together and made huge sacrifices in order to save lives. Our
interdependence has never been clearer, and we have realised what we are capable of
as individuals and as a nation.

I believe we have a chance to create a new normal. I’d go further: this is a turning
point in history, perhaps equivalent to the aftermath of WWII. The values that we have
come to prioritise must shape how we move forward. During other times of global
crisis, the UK worked tirelessly and successfully to bring people and even countries
together. We can do the same now.
The crisis is particularly devastating for those who had the least to start with. It has
also been exacerbated by the damage we have done to the environment: air pollution
increases the danger posed by the virus and climate change increases the likelihood of
viral pandemics. We must address these issues in our response and in our recovery.
In the run-up to the UK hosting the G7 and COP26 in 2021, I’m calling on you to take
these five steps, as outlined by relief and development agency Tearfund:

1. Respond: Share vaccines and resources with the poorest countries so we fight the
pandemic together.

2. Reset: Cancel all developing country debt payments due in 2020 and 2021 and
release emergency funding to help them respond to the crisis.

3. Recognise: Acknowledge the key role that faith communities, including churches,
in the global south have in responding to the crisis and building a better future and
include them in development plans.
4. Recover: Act globally to make sure the recovery in developing countries creates a
better world for people in poverty, including by supporting small businesses, clamping
down on tax loopholes and being aligned with climate agreements.

5. Renew: Working alongside the devolved nations, make sure the economic reboot
in the UK tackles the climate crisis and creates good jobs for the unemployed.