Well, another great trip to Montreal. Our friend, Daniel, hosts the Montreal Millennium Summit every year and it is our privilege to attend. It is a meeting of the minds regarding the UN's millennium development goals, in order to eradicate poverty by 2015. Kind of a 'check up' to see how we are doing, how far we have come and what still needs to be done.
The day is all about raising awareness, and of course the more high profile people you have the more attendance you get. Well, the conference was sold out so I guess there's your answer! Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York , Mia Farrow, Val Kilmer, Nick Clooney, the VP of Starbucks, plus the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and many more activists and politicians graced the stage.
The most inspiring and touching presentations were by Mia Farrow, who travels to Darfur several times a year and always brings heart wrenching photos to show, and Sarah Ferguson, who tirelessly works for a mind-boggling number of charities to help children around the world.
I need to constantly have the plights of children and the poor in front of me, so that I may unflinchingly know and feel the horrors that are going on in places like Darfur, or Uganda. With knowledge comes responsibility, and we are called to action when we understand. What is our unique call to action? That must be determined for oneself. The overwhelming message of this years conference was to do something, no matter how small. If we all do our one small thing, this world will be a better place and we will be far closer to reaching the MDG's than if we wait for everyone else to do it. Sponsor a child. Travel to a third world country. Help your neighbour. Volunteer at the food bank. Write about your experiences. Tell people. We must dig our heads out from the sand and stare poverty in the face and be changed. And then change the world.
The day is all about raising awareness, and of course the more high profile people you have the more attendance you get. Well, the conference was sold out so I guess there's your answer! Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York , Mia Farrow, Val Kilmer, Nick Clooney, the VP of Starbucks, plus the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and many more activists and politicians graced the stage.
The most inspiring and touching presentations were by Mia Farrow, who travels to Darfur several times a year and always brings heart wrenching photos to show, and Sarah Ferguson, who tirelessly works for a mind-boggling number of charities to help children around the world.
I need to constantly have the plights of children and the poor in front of me, so that I may unflinchingly know and feel the horrors that are going on in places like Darfur, or Uganda. With knowledge comes responsibility, and we are called to action when we understand. What is our unique call to action? That must be determined for oneself. The overwhelming message of this years conference was to do something, no matter how small. If we all do our one small thing, this world will be a better place and we will be far closer to reaching the MDG's than if we wait for everyone else to do it. Sponsor a child. Travel to a third world country. Help your neighbour. Volunteer at the food bank. Write about your experiences. Tell people. We must dig our heads out from the sand and stare poverty in the face and be changed. And then change the world.
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