How Many Effing Stories Does it Take?

I'm here to share a story - Yes ANOTHER story, because I hope and I pray that this can make another person's struggle real enough for political leaders and powerful advocates to bring about coordinated change and make our world more human.

Last Friday the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) sponsored a special event with the overarching theme One Humanity to call recognition to World Humanitarian Day.  Held in the UN General Assembly with a star studded lineup including Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), Alisan Porter (The Voice),  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (author Americanah), Yasmine Al Massri and Mohammad Assaf (actress and singer), the evening promised an entertaining program guaranteed to bring high profile recognition.

Yet with all this star power, at the center of this program was the heartfelt story of a Syrian refugee family. Hala Kamil is the mother of 4 children, Sara, Farah,  Mohammed, and Helen, ages 7-15 years old. The account of their transition from surviving in Allepo as freedom fighters to seeking refugee status in Turkey to settlement in Germany is told in the Frontline report Children of Syria. I watched the entire episode early last week. The excerpts shared Friday were well selected but couldn't cover each moment that touched me earlier.

As an advocate, educator, and mother, my heart wrenched as Farah flinched at the sound of missile fire, Sara told about collecting red ribbons to help her father make bombs, Mohammed said goodbye to his neighborhood, and Helen refused to cover her hair in her new German home.

As a woman and wife I shed tears as Hala made the difficult decision to leave Syria for her children's future, and explained why her phone with pictures of her husband (taken by ISIS and presumed dead) and her life in Syria, had become her life.

On this evening in New York, in a country far removed from the horrors her family faced, Hala took another courageous step, to beseech the leaders of our world to take action to end the attack on civilians in Syria.

Here are three points that called to me:

• Two hundred seventy-five thousand men, women and children are under siege, and two million are living in fear of besiegement. They cry out, but they are met with silence. The world does not hear them. Instead, the world hears the echoes of gunshots and explosions, tormented by images of knife-wielding terrorists killing in the name of Islam. Well, not in our name. Not in my name.

• I do not agree with those out there who say that there are two worlds—one for the political decision-makers, and one for those who bear the consequences of their decisions. We who suffer those consequences must have some bearings on the actions, or lack of action, of the powerful.

• Make your voices heard. I call upon you not to give up and not to regard us as helpless victims being ushered by the powers of destiny alone forever deprived of self-determination. We may have lost our homes, but we have not lost our ability to change this world, for it is the only world we have.

You can watch her complete speech here:

And on this evening, her children joined her onstage for a standing ovation. A standing ovation for the terrors of their life, for their struggle, for their pain, and for their future. They stood awkwardly, seeking out each other's gaze and shifting their feet. How is a child supposed to respond when their story is there for the world to see? I was uncomfortable with them.  

There are over 60 Million refugees in the world. Every minute 24 people are displaced and half of them are children.  These astronomical numbers are hard to fathom which may be why nations aren't fulfilling their quota commitments to accept refugees and why there seems to be a stalemate on efforts to prevent, negotiate, and end the crises that are the cause. 

But while these astronomical numbers are hard to fathom, it is even harder to accept that these are 24 lives, 24 stories, 24 futures at stake. EVERY. MINUTE.   

So today I'm here to share a story. May this one be the call for action locally and globally that rewrites the future for our world. 

Something More YOU can do today:

• Tweet your world leaders demanding action in crisis #sharehumanity 
• Join the Messengers of Humanity to become a global advocate 
• Learn more about the Agenda for Humanity 
• Donate to the Central Emergency Response Fund
• Support refugees in your community 

Global Goals - How Do We Start?

Global Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, World’s To Do List - celebrities and heads of state speaking out "Tell Everyone!" Tell everyone what? Tell everyone this:

WOW that seems overwhelming! So, what do you really need to know? 

These goals were created by a working group of over 100 countries that listened to consultation sessions including 8,429,844 individual voices sharing what they want in the world. Over 70,000 were from the U.S. (http://data.myworld2015.org). Because of the many stakeholders that contributed to their development, they touch everyone. These goals weren't designed to help one group of people. They were crafted and tweaked and revised and revised again. They are based on the premise that it will take partnerships between people, and governments, and companies, and philanthropy to make it work. I really love Hugh Evans’s summary: "This is a shared vision for People and the Planet for the future."

And yes, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Over that past two days I have listened to amazing speakers share heartfelt messages about vital issues like refugees, education, climate change, the dark and bright side of technology, family planning, the responsibility of advocacy, and more—here it's easy to find something more.  

There is something for everyone. What resonated with me most were those who said "I'm about Goal 4," or "Goal 16 is a foundation for Goal 5," or “Goal 13 has to happen for the rest of the goals to even exist.” Did you just peek back at the list? I hope so - I know I am. Look through the goals - what speaks to you? Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing stories as I process the experience of the Social Good Summit. When something touches you, take time to learn more and figure out your part. 

That's how we start. Sharing the message, spreading the spark, finding likeminded friends, building new partnerships, and doing our part. TOGETHER we begin. And together we can do this.

Where the Action Is

How can I make a difference in the world? I read, I listen, I discuss, I share, but I feel most productive when I take action in some way. I'll talk about tribe another day, but 'doing' something with others who share my passion for human rights and global understanding sparks my energy and gives me the chance to taste something more. 

That's why I'm so excited to be heading to the Social Good Summit in New York. The Summit is a forum that utilizes Social Media and technology to solve world problems. Global leaders, innovators, educators, and activists come together in person and online, sharing ideas, building partnerships, acting as a catalyst, and considering solutions made stronger through collaboration.

Moving beyond 'slacktivism' participants are encouraged to take tangible action, made possible by new connections across borders and disciplines. 

My official role will be UNA-USA blogger, blogging and tweeting up to the minute news from the summit to spread ideas to new networks and potential partners. My personal agenda is to seek inspiration, make connections with new soul mates, and find my next action item. I hope the information I share motivates you to act on the issues that you care about.