This year’s Peace Day theme, “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace”, resonates closely with the work of Arigatou International’s End Child Poverty initiative.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared it as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and people.
We are currently facing the largest global crisis on refugees and forcibly displaced persons, since World War II. Nearly 60 million people have been driven out of their homes due to violence, poverty and other factors out of their control. Approximately half of all refugees and displaced persons are children.
On the other hand, 9 out of 10 countries with the lowest human development index have experienced conflict within the past 20 years, and about 40% of fragile and post-conflict countries relapse within a decade. Additionally, high poverty rates are often found in small, fragile and conflict-affected countries; and nearly 1 billion children still live in poverty; according to UN reports. That means 1 out of every 2 children worldwide, lives poor.
The link, therefore, between conflict, underdevelopment and escalating poverty, is undeniable. It is fair to say, without peace, there can be no sustainable development. Without peace, we cannot end child poverty.
End Child Poverty continues to support the attainment of attain Goal 1 and 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end all forms of poverty and build peace, respectively; through our replicable grassroots projects addressing child poverty, and our campaign on peace and transforming violent conflicts.
“Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development present(s) a clear opportunity to, on the one hand, make the connection between faith, poverty and children and, on the other, draw attention to this at the various levels (of) the dialogues on sustainable development”, Rev. Fred Nyabera, Director of Arigatou International’s End Child Poverty initiative.
On this Peace Day, we encourage everyone to do his or her small part to realise a world without poverty and a world without conflict. First do what is necessary, then do what is possible and thirdly, dare to do the impossible, to end child poverty.
Be part our #EndChildPoverty #PeaceDay movement on Facebook and Twitter.