No One Left Behind

Many businesses use a tool called a dashboard report which assigns a color scheme to gauge the progress of important business initiatives. The color green denotes everything is moving according to plan and no barriers are foreseen. A yellow status indicates some concerns are emerging which may jeopardize the business plan if left ignored. A red status signals that problems need to be addressed or the business will be adversely impacted.

The United Nations measures progress of their Millennium Development Goals (MDG) using a similar approach (for an illustration of MDG dashboard reporting from the European Commission Joint Research Centre, see www.http://esl.jrc.it/dc/). Eight Millennium Development Goals were established by the United Nations to address poverty in third world countries. The goals are 1.) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, 2.) achieve universal primary education, 3.) promote gender equality and empower women, 4.) reduce child mortality, 5.) improve maternal health, 6.) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, 7.) ensure environmental sustainability, and 8.) develop a global partnership for development.

Each of the goals included in this declaration are monumental undertakings in their own right. And subsequently, to consider all eight of these monumental goals in aggregate, the endeavor envisioned by world leaders becomes no less than an aggressive, seemingly impossible agenda to accomplish by the year 2015.

I envision a world with an MDG dashboard report where the colors of yellow and red are absent. I envision a world where all leaders and citizens are actively engaged and working together to position these lagging countries to succeed. Not for political or financial gain but because it is an instinctive desire, because leaders and citizens alike recognize the intrinsic value of those who are suffering, because leaders and citizens each feel a sense of connectedness and understand that the world is not whole when any child, woman or man goes hungry. I envision leaders and citizens who acknowledge that a deficiency exists when any human does not have adequate means to education, or when mothers and fathers do not have access to clean water for their children.

My personal agenda is to bring awareness of the MDGs into the mainstream culture of countries whom are economic and thought leaders of this century, in particular, the United States of America. We have financial performance indices such as the Dow Jones, NASDAQ and the S&P 500 to monitor the fiscal performance of the world around us. Who is monitoring the basic human needs? Where is the concern about the lack of the most fundamental, basic human needs – food and water? Why is no one advertising the meager humanitarian performance in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times?

It’s no secret that the United States is an egocentric country who commonly creates an “us against the world” mentality. There is a common misperception among many Americans that another country is a threat if they excel in an industry, such as automobiles, electronics, or space exploration. It should be unacceptable for other countries to be unsuccessful, for their families to be unable to support themselves and access the same basic necessities as we do.

The World Pulse-Voices of Our Future program will enable me to strengthen my voice and broaden my reach. I will have access to experienced correspondents who share a common concern about global wellness. I need to connect to those who can band together with me and who can provide the guidance, insights and experience.

Equally important, World Pulse connects me to those who know the face of affliction, the feeling of oppression and the depth of the atrocities. These women are the heart of the program. They provide first hand glimpses into everyday realities and have the capability to rapidly communicate through World Pulse.

I have a desire to make the world a better place. I have a hunger, not to eat, but to feed others meaningful information so they can make a difference. I have a vision to mainstream humanitarian efforts to the world. I have a yearning to reach out and hold those who suffer. I have the passion and commitment to stay on course in the midst of adversity. I have a voice which is but a whisper, but poised to become thunderous.