miércoles, 2 de diciembre de 2015

Talking point: Social inequality

This week's talking point is social inequality. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
  • What kinds of social inequality can you think of?
  • Do any types of social inequality exist in your country?
  • If so, what are they?
  • What are some ways we can try to reduce social inequality?
  • What humanitarian causes do you feel are most important in the world today? Why?
  • What do you think is the role of a Goodwill Ambassador for an organisation like the UN?
  • What do you think is the best way to help refugees?
  • What about people who live in poverty?
  • How important do you think international aid is?
  • Who should receive it?
  • What kind of social injustice is most serious in your country, in your opinion?
  • What would you do to help reduce unemployment in your country?
  • Imagine you are planning a charity event to raise money for homeless people in your city. Discuss what kind of event would be most effective and easy to organise. Say which one(s) you would prefer to do and why.
fashion show - charity run - cake sale - jumble sale 

To illustrate the point you can watch this NBC video on the charity work singer Bono carried out in Africa some years ago.




And good evening, from the nation of Ghana in West Africa, where today, we continued on a trip designed to look in on nothing short of an unfolding emergency, and check in on the status of anti-poverty, anti-HIV efforts on this continent where it's currently estimated that over 9,000 people are dying every day from disease, poverty or illness.
The tour has covered the nations of Nigeria, Mali, and now, Ghana, and was arranged by the Irish rock star, Bono. And because it is the leading effort of its kind in the world, and because the need is so urgent, we thought we would begin the broadcast tonight here in Ghana with a look at the stakes here, and the man so many are calling a humanitarian for this cause.
This is what we Irishmen call, "The American Dream."
A 46-year-old rock star from Ireland stopping at a small kiosk where a woman from Ghana runs her own business selling shares of call time on cell phones. But Bono likes to stop and point out what works on this continent, largely because he's plunged himself into so much sadness.
At another stop, he visits the Ghana Stock Exchange. Not quite the Big Board, but a big and burgeoning development here, and they are justifiably proud.
And the regional vertical integration is very exciting for us because…
He is never greeted as simply "a musician." In fact, he is welcomed as something akin to a head of state. He sits with the presidents of the nations he visits, because they know it is his interest that is driving a massive global effort and pledges of billions of dollars. He wants this story to be about more than him.
I genuinely see myself as a...as a traveling salesman. And like all salesmen, I have... I'm a bit of an opportunist. And I see Africa as a great opportunity.
Bono gave NBC News extraordinary access to his traveling operation - perhaps the largest Africa aid effort ever mounted by any individual. On the flight from Mali to Ghana today, he talked about his love of the place and the people.
My goal - my job - is to put myself out of a job. So I can be in a rock band in all good conscience and get on with my spoils of rotten rock star's life and drink a martini.
This effort, he says, is to use and leverage his own name. Whether it's getting the G-8 nations to give more money, lobbying President Bush, partnering with Evangelical Christians, or getting Americans to care about the 9,000-plus people who die every day in Africa.
American is deciding that... that's what America is about. That's why I'm a fan of America. America's not just a country, it's an idea. And real Americans are getting busy.
How did you find President Bush as a man to do business with?
Well, he's been very honest in his business dealings with me, as has Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who we did an awful lot of work (with).
He says none of the barnstorming for the poor and the sick has taken time away from his music.
He says he's going back to Dublin and his U2 bandmates with up to eight new songs. One of which, he told us on the plane today, he wrote just last night.
"Has no midnight please, you're just on your knees. There's a harbor and a safe course. What was is now not. There was no price to pay. Thank you for the day." And... so I don´t know where that *** it comes from. By the way, but it keeps coming and interrupts you when you´re trying to get your job done.