Iraq legacy kills in Burma

Confidence lost

Tony Blair once painted a brilliant picture of a benign all-powerful Western World bringing justice to countries oppressed by their own leaders. But that was in the dazzling early days of the hope and innocence of 1997.

It was plausible, with only one world super power imposing their will benignly on dictators of small countries. The dream of that brave new world is shattered. We watch now pained, furious but ultimately impotent at the mountainous tragedies of Burma. The torments of a natural disaster are multiplied by human stupidity and wickedness.

The Western World waits patiently for visas from a country that has closed its visa office for three days while lethal diseases spreads. The Blair vision envisaged the might of the super power forcing decent behaviour on minor dictatorships.

After Iraq and the Helmand invasions, the free world has lost confidence in intervention. It not just the Iraqis or Afghans that are the victims of bungled interventions. It is the dying millions in Darfur and Burma.

If there is a case for humanitarian intervention, it's now.

YMCA goes cool

YMCA goes cool

The staid, dour image of a worthy but dull YMCA is fading.

Newport’s brilliantly pioneering YMCA proved that new idealism is replacing stale habits. In past five years they have sent young people to Palestine, Somaliland and China. Their ambassadorial work with Y-care is of great value. The characters of these very talented young people have been shaped by the suffering and injustices they have witnessed.

Today’s May Morning Breakfast thrilled to a bracing account of a year spent by Newport YMCA member in China. Richard Davies said he learnt the essential Mandarin expressions that he would need. They were, ‘Two pints of lager please’, and “You are very beautiful’. One of his pupils was asked to produce a striking English sentence came up with ‘Our teacher looks like a fat Wayne Rooney.’

Richard returned with great respect for the Chinese people and their work ethic. Their adoption of English names intrigued him. They do it to help foreigners who have difficulties pronouncing Chinese names. Richard was baffled as the chosen name of one diminutive Chinese woman. She called herself ‘Glutton.’

Richard’s delightfully frank and uninhibited speech amused the audience. But the ghosts of YMCA past stirred at the advance from its dour temperance past. This morning was a celebration of a year of achievement in sport and multi-ethnic idealism building. Richard’s work and that of the others who have lived in Hebron and Somaliland is of massive value.

Welcome to the twenty-first century YMCA. Your future is assured.