Rowling’s Fight

Times Online has an article written by JK Rowling about her advocacy for oppressed and neglected children throughout Europe. It’s a wonderful window into her heart as well as a lesson for us all. Initially motivated to action by an article about caged children in the Czech Republic, she reflects on her experience:

One of my first thoughts, when I finished reading that initial article by Justin Sparks, was “why didn’t I know about this? How could I not know about it?” I had momentarily forgotten that human suffering, however dreadful and on however wide a scale, will always go ignored and unheard unless somebody is prepared to shout about it, and others are ready to act. It is phenomenally easy both to hide and to silence children once separated from their families. They are small and portable, their language skills aren’t great, they don’t have lawyers and they aren’t registered to vote. Abandoned, neglected, caged or trafficked, these children were intended by nature to be protected by their parents. Now it is somebody else’s job — partly, mine.

(Hat Tip to John Granger for sending me the article).