“Why didn’t you tell us about all of these things?” my 9-year-old daughter recently asked me as she feverishly jotted down notes about poverty, gender inequality, climate change, and other global challenges.
We were on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Global Citizen Earth Day festival, hearing from speakers and performers about the injustices facing billions of people around the world, and my daughter wanted to know why my generation hasn’t been moving faster to fix them.
Her passion gives me hope for the future, and it makes me want to redouble my efforts to work with the United Nations to create a world where every child can get quality health care, go to school, and pursue her dreams.
From the United States to Uruguay to Uganda, parents everywhere want to leave their kids a better world than the one they inherited. And right now, we have our work cut out for us.
That’s because every 20 seconds, a child dies from a vaccine-preventable disease. Every year, nearly 3 million babies die in their first month of life. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for girls ages 15-19. And more than 60 million girls are out of school.
The good news is: We have solutions – from vaccines to education to better health information and training – to save lives and create healthy, happy families. The task before us is to get these solutions to families who need them. The United Nations and partners are working every day to deliver solutions, and by supporting their efforts, we can help more children and families.
This is where you come in.
On Friday, we are launching the “Global Moms Relay” to tap into the power of families – moms, dads, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends – to raise awareness of global challenges and inspire action for global solutions.
