Local to Global- Social Good is Everyone’s Responsibility #2030NOW

Many years ago during my freshman year I visited an indigenous hamlet in Odhisa, India. It gave me an opportunity to learn more about indigenous life and their daily struggle. I noticed that I could probably count the ribs of the children playing in the hot summer afternoons with their bloated bellies. I was curious to know the reason behind this body structure, which I was seeing for the first time in my life. The word ‘malnutrition’ was just a word for me until I saw its meaning right in front of my eyes. That was the first time I saw the real hard life of people in my own country. My curious self tried to dig more into the reason and found out that these kids and their families collect a local grown wild fruit that could be preserved for a long time. Most of the time, which includes the lean working periods and during monsoon when the hamlet gets totally cut off from the rest of the world due to the overflow of water in the canal, the natives can’t go to the nearest town for job. So they need to rely on the food left with them. Therefore, no square meals for the families for days and they just spend their days eating those preserved wild fruits along with water from the canal, which being the only source of water also serves as the bathing place for the cattle. No wonder my beloved India is still the highest contributor to the child deaths under the age of five due to preventable diseases.

I met people, community led groups, who were fighting for the rights of the indigenous communities and the future of their children with very limited resources. I observed their voices go unheard, their hard work get unnoticed, and their efforts often get undermined in the larger forums when they are the real heroes and they are the ones making the difference in my country. In last few years mode of communication has undergone a significant change. We no longer wait for the national media to cover news or spread information. Now with the growing involvement of digital media in Social Good more people can participate and the tales of Heroes can reach to millions all over the world. As Jeff Terry, Head of Corporate and Social responsibility at Amway, during her panel discussion at Social Good summit nicely put “Social Media helps people to get off their couches and take an action for the cause they are passionate about”. Our job is to find out the right people who have strong voices in social media.

In September 2015 history was made. Country leaders, volunteers, professionals, entrepreneurs, activists and many others from the different walks of lives came together with a purpose of a greater good. The leaders of 193 countries joined in and not only just listened, but promised to deliver on the 17 #SDG or #GlobalGoals by 2030. This time those real ‘Heroes’ are no more alone in their journeys. They are joined by entrepreneurs, actors, authors, journalists, bureaucrats, leaders and many others. And, we will #TellEveryone. Together we will make sure no child goes to bed hungry or dies from a preventable disease before seeing the fifth birthday. As Kajol, the famous Bollywood actress and UN Ambassador for Hand Washing Program said, “Every child should reach age 5 without our help”.  My thoughts are with those children of Odhisa whom I met so many years back- future seems brighter for them this time.

From now on we need to do more Good in our Society. We all need to come together and contribute. We all need to choose our own goal and strive to achieve it in the coming days- no matter how small or how big the attempt is. What’s important is aiming towards the goal and work on it together. September 2015 ended with a BANG and lots of noises. In other words I can say it was just the beginning of a new era, new dreams, and new Goals that started with ‘Telling Everyone’!

https://sgs15.eventfarm.com/?page=7fff46cb-0000-4555-abb0-050fac4abc65

http://www.globalgoals.org/