A $2,000 goal has surpassed $12,000.
That is the power that comes from ordinary people working together to make the world a better place.
I gave a talk to a network of fundraisers today. In this talk I review the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), a set of 8 remarkable goals put in place in September 2000 at the United Nations General Assembly. I started by reading the United Nations Millennium Declaration. It is a powerful document. It set a new trajectory for human kind, one based on the fundamental values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibility.
The world was challenged to reach the MDG's by 2015. Here is what the collaborative efforts of many nations and international organizations accomplished:
1/ Eradicate extreme Poverty and Hunger- we lifted 2 billion people out of extreme poverty
2/ Achieve Universal Primary Education- the number of children with access to primary education in resource poor countries was increased from 57 million to 100 million
3/ Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women- now 90 % of countries have more women in Parliament and in significant leadership positions....and the 'Me Too' movement was sparked.
4/ Reduce Child Mortality- the number of children who die before the age of 5 was cut in half.
5/ Improve Maternal Health- the global maternal mortality ratio was cut in half with 50 % fewer women dying in childbirth, a significant issue in developing countries where universal health care is non-existent.
6/ Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB- we reduced the number of new annual HIV infections by 50 % and provided access to life saving treatment to 26 million people, treatment that stops the transmission of HIV and allows for a normal life expectancy.
7/ Ensure environmental stability- 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking and many nations have joined forces to tackle climate change.
8/ Create a global partnership for development- Between 2000 and 2014, overseas development assistance from rich nations to developing countries increased by 66% in real terms, and in 2013 reached the record figure of $134.8bn.
"Human beings as a collective are now not just a part of nature; they have become a force of nature. All of us, acting together, now have the power to do good at a speed and scope we have never seen before: to reverse environmental degradation, tackle pandemics, feed, house and cloth every person on the planet, if we set our collective minds to doing so.”
Thomas Freidman
Creating an effective vaccine that is 95% effective in under a year is not a conspiracy, it is not by luck or chance. It is the result of our collective resources, technology and intelligence and our ability to cooperate internationally. These vaccines were developed on the shoulders of decades of advancement in science and medicine.
If human kind has the ability to stop the transmission of a deadly virus like AIDS, in a matter of decades, we can tackle any global problem.
We've got this. Have no doubt. Practise the public health guidelines.... always. Wait with great hope. Rise above the political posturing and bickering and focus on that day when COVID 19 is in the past and our lives are restored.......that day will be here sooner than you think!
Anne-Marie
Please share and please reach out if you need help.
An upcoming Canadian Mental Health Association webinar:
Coping with Loneliness and Isolation during COVID-19
December 17, 2020 | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Sign up here:
Check out a great place for mental health support here:
For local assistance with anxiety and depression:
CMHA WW Website: www.cmhaww.ca
Here 24/7 at 1-844-HERE-247 or www.here247.ca.
And for post-secondary students, Good2Talk
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