The Harry Potter Alliance

By Matt Maggiacomo

October 6, 2008

Introducing GRAWP: A Global Poverty Initiative

Hey everyone! Matt from The Whomping Willows here. The following blog pertains to a brand new chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance called GRAWP (Guitar-wielding Ragamuffins Against Worldwide Poverty). I’ve started this chapter along with fellow wizard rocker Justin Finch-Fletchley, and our first initiative is a nationwide fundraiser for disaster relief efforts in Haiti. We’ve worked this fundraiser into the structure of our upcoming fall tour, which starts in Boston on October 24 and runs through November 26. We’re hoping to raise over $1,000 for the cause, and we’re also hoping to raise awareness for a humanitarian crisis that has been largely ignored by the media. If you’d like to help out, the first step is to read this (rather lengthy) blog. Thank you so much, and we hope to see you on the road this fall!

The Harry Potter universe is a mirror to our society in many ways. The children and teens of the wizarding world are subjected to years of magical training, just as the young people of our world must meet certain academic requirements before entering the workforce. Grown-up wizards face grown-up problems: seeing to their children’s health and well-being, putting food on the table, and advancing their own careers. Even the most talented wizards have to make a living somehow, whether it’s a mundane administrative job at the Ministry or an exciting, comparatively glamorous position as instructor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.

We learn early on that wealth wields power in the wizarding world. The Malfoys’ family fortune allows them to enjoy a large home and a number of luxuries not available to all wizards. Additionally, their money has apparent influence on the government; in the lead-up to Harry’s trial before his fifth year at Hogwarts, it is implied that Mr. Malfoy may have paid Cornelius Fudge not to clear Harry’s name (OotP). Like the corporate lobbyists and special interests prevalent in real-world America, wizards with wealth can expect their voices to be heard by the ruling class.

As he prepares for his first year at Hogwarts, Harry learns that he has inherited a fortune from his family. Even at the age of 11, Harry is able to use his wealth to purchase the best supplies and to entertain his friends who are less fortunate. At home, his wizarding money means nothing and he is virtually powerless, eking out a modest existence under the control of his resentful aunt and uncle. Harry’s dual role is a demonstration of the power of money to alter one’s life and influence in society.

Although the subject of poverty is seldom explored in the Harry Potter novels, the Weasleys provide us with a familiar example of a family struggling to get by. Ron’s secondhand clothes, sub-par school supplies and lack of expendable cash is highlighted early on.

Personally, I can relate to Ron’s situation. From age 11 to 18, I lived with a single mother who struggled to raise two kids while paying a mortgage and bills on an administrative assistant’s salary. At one point she lost her job and claimed unemployment, but her pride kept her from resorting to food stamps and other government assistance. She ultimately fell behind on bills and suffered the consequences; there were times during the winter when we went without heat and hot water, and eventually she was forced to give up the house. I started working at the age of 13 to help my mom pay the bills, and to have my own money for new clothes, CDs, and fun with my friends.

My story is fairly common in our country. In fact, I tend to think that I’ve had it pretty good over the years, and I’m aware that many people have experienced worse. Despite being stressed about money at an age when I should’ve been more worried about the trivialities of adolescence, I am glad that I’ve learned the importance of hard work and self-reliance. I’m also lucky that it never got any worse; I always had a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in, and I always had access to a solid education.

The truth is that I’m privileged — if the worst I can say about my upbringing is that I learned not to take comforts like heat and hot water for granted, then I am privileged. It horrifies me that many of my own fellow Americans have it much worse, and that we (the privileged) seldom think about the millions of Americans for whom poverty is a lifelong reality. While conservative pundits and politicians call for the impoverished to pick themselves up by the bootstraps, and liberal politicians and pundits support any number of legislative band-aids, the vast majority of citizens simply turn their heads and pretend not to notice.

It seems that we don’t really think about the poor until something drastic happens. Hurricane Katrina forced the news media to recognize that an obscene number of people in New Orleans live under the poverty line. And just a few weeks ago, a series of tropical storms and hurricanes ravaged the Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, and the Gulf Coast of America. Understandably, the American media focused on the devastation along its own coastline; we witnessed the destruction of Galveston and the assault on Houston, and related casualties that extended as far north as Ohio. Lost in the barrage of media coverage is the story of Haiti — a country already crippled by poverty that has been brought to the brink of collapse by these storms.

In 2003, 80% of Haiti’s population was estimated to be living in poverty (CIA – World Fact Book – Haiti). Meanwhile, approximately 30% to 40% of the nation’s budget is fueled by foreign aid. The United States is the country’s largest donor; however, the US has cut off aid at times when it has disapproved of Haiti’s leadership. Poverty is pervasive in Haiti and the 2008 hurricane season has brought the country’s disadvantages into sharp focus.

In the wake of Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Hanna, and Hurricane Ike, the combined death toll in Haiti has been estimated at over 600 people. However, the ensuing flooding has been so extreme that an accurate death toll is nearly impossible to calculate. The destruction of bridges and roadways has effectively isolated major cities like Gonaives from the government center of Port-au-Prince, rendering the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid nearly impossible. Haiti has long been susceptible to dangerous flooding and mudslides, due to its particular geography. These storms have caused entire villages to be inundated with mud, such that even the homes that survived the wind and storm surges have been rendered uninhabitable. It has been estimated that nearly one million Haitians are in immediate need of humanitarian aid.

For the past month or so, I’ve been planning to establish my own chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance that would focus on poverty in the United States. After reading about the devastation in Haiti, I have decided to expand the focus of the chapter to include issues of global poverty. And so, I am pleased to introduce GRAWP (Guitar-wielding Ragamuffins Against Worldwide Poverty). With the support of the Harry Potter Alliance, I will be working to raise money and awareness for the impoverished. Although my primary focus will be domestic issues, my first initiative is to raise money for the people of Haiti who have been impacted so severely by hurricanes this year.

I’ve previously announced that my fall tour will serve as a fundraiser for the Harry Potter Alliance. After talking with Andrew Slack and other members of the HPA Board of Directors, I’ve decided to direct all donations to a yet-to-be-determined charity that provides humanitarian aid to Haitians affected by the storms of 2008. Justin Finch-Fletchley and I have set a goal to raise at least $1,000 for this effort.

As I’ve stated before, we will be charging a $3 admission fee at many of our shows throughout this tour. $1 per person will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti. A donation jar will be provided at the merch table for additional donations. In coming days, we will be providing a detailed tour schedule that will include the exact admission fee at all shows. Please note that libraries and independent bookstores do not allow us to charge admission to our shows. We highly encourage attendees to utilize the donation jar at these events, in order to help us reach our goal.

For more information on our fall tour schedule, please visit The Whomping Willows myspace page.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog!