The Perfect Christmas Gift
The news headlines tell us that there's one 'must have' present
every year - and apparently for Christmas 2009 it's the 'Go Go
Hamster'. According to the blurb it's an interactive, realistic,
artificially intelligent, talking, moving electronic pet. They're supposed
to retail for £10, but supply and demand means they're now on sale
for many times that -and if you want to buy the specially designed habitat as
well, there'll be very little change from £100! Now don't get me
wrong -like anyone else, I will be buying Christmas presents for my family and
friends. The trouble is that by this time next year the Go Go Hamster will be
forgotten and pester power will have been redirected.
I'm of the opinion, however, that the perfect Christmas gift is not to be found on a supermarket shelf, and although I'll be going down to London this month, it won't be a trip to Oxford Street looking for bargains. Instead, on Saturday 5th, I'll be wearing my blue clerical shirt and collar, along with a curly blue wig, and joining thousands of others marching around the capital's streets as part of 'The Wave'. During December world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen for the UN climate talks and the purpose of the march is to urge them to come up with a deal that sets clear targets for tackling climate change and puts the needs of the world's poorest people first.
In twenty, thirty or forty years time, our children's generation, and the generation that follows them, won't be asking us why we didn't get them a Go Go Hamster for Christmas, they'll be asking why we didn't stop damaging the environment and oppressing the poor. Climate change and global injustice are problems which, without action, are only going to get worse -causing more and more migration as people seek out the scarce resources which they need to provide for their families. We won't remove people's fears about immigration by tighter border controls -the ultimate way to reduce immigration is to make the world a fairer and safer place. Why not give the children in your life the perfect gift this Christmas by becoming part of making the world we hand onto them better, rather than worse, than we received it. You may want to join the march or get involved in some other sort of campaigning -but you can make a difference practically too. Why not visit www.musthavegifts.org or www.ethicalsuperstore.com for some gift ideas that show that you really do care. I'm going to have some festive fun in my curly blue wig -but in the true spirit of Christmas, and inspired by the one whose birth we celebrate -I also want my life to make a difference.