As I walked into the lobby of the New York Headquarters of the United Nations Building on Monday, an overhead announcement said, “The Security Council is now in session.” I felt a bit like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, thinking, “How did I get here? We are certainly not in Kansas anymore!”
I, “>We Said Go Travel, had been personally invited to participate in a meeting at UN OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). After years of working as a travel writer, on camera host and teacher, I felt like I won the Oscar of Travel Blogging by the honor of being included in this momentous conversation about the need for change in how humanitarian assistance is given around our planet.
Our group of twenty “Champions for Humanity” are tasked with assisting the UN ” target=”_blank”>new website and the upcoming first ever ” target=”_blank”>Tweet your world leader that they must attend this summit. Right now, during Passover, it is a time to remember when the Jews were slaves in Egypt and act as if each and every one of us had to find freedom. Go to the website and send one tweet. It can make a difference.
How would you choose after crisis and natural disaster? Can you imagine having to flee your home to escape civil war, leaving behind what you know and love? If airstrikes were imminent, what do you choose to save and what do you leave behind?
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- Prevent and End Conflict: an end to human suffering requires political solutions, unity of purpose and sustained leadership and investment in peaceful societies.
- Respect Rules of War: even wars have limits – minimizing human suffering and protecting civilians requires strengthening compliance with international law.
- Leave No One Behind: honouring our commitment to leave no one behind requires teaching everyone in situations of conflict, disasters, vulnerability and risk.
- Working Differently to End Need: meeting the basic needs of all vulnerable people requires a new way of working hand-in-hand with local systems and partners, anticipating and transcending the humanitarian-development divide.
- Invest in Humanity: accepting and acting upon our shared responsibilities for humanity requires political, institutional and financial investment.
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