UPDATED: Tonight's new episode of Perspectives: The Weekly Edition is now streaming online above.
There's a food crisis in Africa right now, but odds are you probably don't know about it. The Sahel region of West Africa is suffering the consequences of a drought that devastated farmers' crops. Many communities have used up all their food reserves, while market prices have skyrocketed in the wake of increased demand.
As NGO's work to feed the hungry, the Western media has tuned out. Or are we, their audience, to blame for not expressing any interest? In our defense, it can be hard to keep up with every disaster. Charities complain about "donor fatigue". Or is this just another way of saying that we stopped caring, or stopped believing we could make a difference?
This Friday on
Perspectives: The Weekly Edition, guest host Kris Dmytrenko asks this difficult question to leaders from two organizations working to alleviate the crisis in the Sahel: the
Canadian Foodgrains Bank and
Development and Peace. This new episode airs at 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm ET / 8:00 pm PT, repeating Sunday evening at these same times.
In the mean time, it's worth emphasizing that we
can still make a difference. In fact, our efforts will be doubled through the end of September. Until Sunday, September 30, the federal government is matching donations to organizations working in the Sahel, such as
Development and Peace and the
Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Visit their websites to learn more about the Sahel Emergency Appeal.