Dancing, dining, and making a difference
Hunger banquet raises funds for AIDS work
Rebecca Coish
“But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”
– Mother Teresa
When I think back over the past year, I realize that two interesting things occurred. The first was a community dance that I attended, organized collaboratively by several folk dancing groups, including the Manitoba International Folk Dancing Association. The second was that I decided to organize the U of M Amnesty International event for World AIDS Day.
A year ago, when Dr. Allan Ronald came to speak to students at the U of M about his work and experiences with those affected by HIV/AIDS in Kenya and Uganda, I found his presentation very inspiring. I wondered what might be done to improve the lives of those affected by AIDS, even if only in a very small way. He gave me information about the Uganda Orphan Fund, founded by his wife, Myrna Ronald.
I had a lot of fun at the community dance and was very touched by what Dr. Ronald had said about those living with and dying from AIDS. I wondered if there was a way to combine the community dance idea with a fundraiser to raise money for the Uganda Orphan Fund.
On May 28 this year, we held a community dance to raise funds for the Uganda Orphan Fund. There were about 100 people in attendance. Everyone seemed to have lots of fun, and we raised $1600, $1000 more than the original goal of $600.
In light of this success, I decided to start getting involved with organizing other events.
The upcoming event on November 26 at Churchill Park United Church is a collaboration between the U of M Amnesty International Group and several other groups, including the Comhaltas Winnipeg Irish Setdancers and the Manitoba International Folk Dance Association.
We are holding a Hunger Banquet, which illustrates the uneven food distribution around the world. The majority of people will be eating a simple (but tasty!) meal of rice and beans. Slightly fewer will eat rice, beans and chicken. Only a few people will have a meal that most of us would take for granted, one that we could eat on most days. Guests won’t know which meal they will be eating until they arrive, but everyone gets dessert and coffee, regardless of which meal they have.
During the community dance following dinner, everyone is invited to participate in learning Irish set and ceili, English Country, Contra, Israeli, Klezmer and Ukrainian dancing, and maybe even a few surprises!
In light of many of the overwhelming problems in the world, some people have asked, why bother to organize such an event? In their view, something such as this could not possibly make a difference.
To the doubters, my answer is this: stand in one spot, make a circle around yourself, see what needs to be done in the circle, and then do it. This doesn’t have to be something earth shattering! It could be something as simple as giving up your spot for an elderly person on the bus.
I originally became interested in AIDS issues after a fellow Amnesty International member organized an HIV/AIDS related event in May 2004. Since then, I’ve organized six events to raise awareness and/or money for those affected by AIDS.
Perhaps the money raised for the Uganda Orphan Fund, which sends HIV/AIDS-affected teens to school, will not make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things in the world. Perhaps, though, one of those kids who can now go to school will find a cure for AIDS or cancer, be an excellent parent or do something else remarkable in the world. You just never know the difference that you can make, so it is definitely worth a try!
To return once more to the words of Mother Teresa: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
For tickets or more information, call 487-0756 or visit www.freewebs.com/dancingforhope.
