Influential moves were made with the decisions of UN Headquarters this week, as the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was re-elected for a second term.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUR0gzFg2ss]
Celebrities were also spotted around the globe supporting the missions and goals of the organization. The week started off strong, with the Vienna Energy Forum 2011 in Vienna, Austria as celebrity and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger made the opening keynote speech in his homeland, proud to be given the opportunity to speak at the event. Actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie also visited refugees in Turkey and Italy in support of World Refugees Day 2011. Later in the week, singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira visited children in Israel inspiring them to reach towards the world of education.
Following in the footsteps of Shakira, the UN is encouraging involvement in the development of education specifically in Southern Sudan. The region will be officially independent of the country of Sudan itself early next month and is in looking for a developed start to educate its future. The UN also urges the need for midwifery services in the world to give children a future from the second they are born, with the potential of saving 3.6 million lives a year. Not only helping the children, but also saving the mothers, as the first ever UN International Widows’ Day was also recognized this week.
Beyond youth and education, great concern is discussed this week of drug use and violence in the world and its effect on global security. The global environment is also being effected, as rainforests in Honduras and Indonesia and previously a Wildlife Sanctuary in India earlier in the week are being effected.
Here in the US this week, as the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon supports US President Obama’s decision to begin withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan, in hopes that the country’s leadership will begin to develop on its own. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also encouraged the importance of our national involvement in climate control with the development of our cities. With support of our cities’ progress, he pushes towards environmentally-friendly considerations to be made for the future. Along with the his encouragement of these environmentally-friendly considerations, a new goal has been made for 2015, as the importance of sanitation needs be available to half of those in need today.
The week has finished with purpose, as we look forward to new beginnings and developing changes and ended the week with the UN Public Service Day. Join another celebrity and learn about more global affairs over the weekend. Tune into “Nepal’s Stolen Children” documentary with actress Demi Moore about trafficking and what can be done to help the future.
-Cara