Leaders from around the world met for the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in NYC to discuss and to make plans to solve the world’s problems and issues. For you to know, the UN has established a document called the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which identifies the main issues and goals that impact humanity worldwide to be addressed:
Goal 1: Iradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/MDG goalsAIDS, malaria & other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
What does this mean to us—families of children with visual impairemnts and disabilities from around the world? What is our role in solving the world’s problems? Actually, families and communities play a key role. Governments and large non-government organizations cannot achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals without us.
I attended a side meeting to the General Assembly “Five Years for Children; Partnering with Communities to Achieve MDGs with Equity” where international leaders discussed what we can do in the next five years to combat the world’s main issues. I firmly believe that if parents of children with disabilities have emotional support and connection to resources and education, they can ensure and advocate that their children will receive special medical and educational services they need for their foundation for the future.
My role as the NYC Representative for the World Blind Union (WBU) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI), for the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to UNICEF is to be your voice and advocate to represent parents and children with visual impairments and disabilities. WBU and NAPVI are looking at ways we can contribute to supporting families worldwide.
NAPVI has been involved for 20 years in helping to support the development of parent and family support organizations throughout the world in nearly 20 countries, supporting members in 80 countries. We have a strong community base to make an impact.
You can expect more mobilization and communication through WBU, NAPVI and www.FamilyConnect.org with international communications through our websites to increase our networking and connections between parents’ associations throughout the world.
Please check out this link of Stevie Wonder speaking out at the UN’s 184th World International Intellectual Property Organization’s meeting last week, advocating for copyright laws to consider allowance of translation of publications into readable formats for people with disabilities.
Being a part of the FamilyConnect community connects you with families throughout the world.