The Girl Who Silenced the U.N. for Five Minutes
July 1, 2008 | 3 Comments
This is an incredible video of a Canadian girl who spoke to the United Nations and left them completely silent and speechless for five minutes. Her name is Severn Suziki, and her speech was given at a U.N. assembly in Brazil when she was twelve years old. She had raised all the money to travel to the delegation, five thousand miles from her home, herself.Speaking about the hole in the ozone layer, pollution, the devastation of the forests and extinction of so many species, Severn charges that we adults have no idea how to fix these things, in fact can’t fix them, and that we must change our ways. “If you don’t know how to fix it, stop breaking it,” she pleads.
Severn continued to say:
“I am here to speak for all generations to come. I am here to speak on behalf of starving children around the world whose cries go unheard. I’m only a child and I don’t have the solutions…but neither do you. I am only a child, but I know we are all part of a family five billion strong; in fact, 30 million species strong, and borders and governments will never change that.
Even when we have more than enough, we are afraid to share. We are afraid to let go of some of our wealth. Two days ago here in Brazil, we were shocked when we spent some time with children living in the streets. This is what one child told us:
‘I wish I was rich. And if I were, I would give all the street children food, clothes, medicine, shelter, love and affection.’
If child on the streets who has nothing is willing to share - why are we, who have everything, still so greedy?
I am only a child, but I know if all the money spent on war was spent on finding environmental answers, ending poverty, and finding treaties - what a wonderful place this world would be.”
And here’s the kicker - this speech was given in 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. How much is still relevant today? All of it. And the more important question is: How much has been changed, accomplished, since Severn spoke that day?
Years later, Severn wrote a piece for Time magazine in which she said: “I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation. Some of the delegates even cried. I thought that maybe I had reached some of them, that my speech might actually spur action. Now, a decade from Rio, after I’ve sat through many more conferences, I’m not sure what has been accomplished. My confidence in the people in power and in the power of an individual’s voice to reach them has been deeply shaken…In the 10 years since Rio, I have learned that addressing our leaders is not enough. As Gandhi said many years ago, ‘We must become the change we want to see.’ I know change is possible.”
At the age of nine, Severn founded the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO), a group of children dedicated to learning and teaching other kids about environmental issues. Today, Severn is an environmental activist, speaker, television host and author. She has spoken around the world about environmental issues, urging listeners to define their values, act with the future in mind, and take individual responsibility.
She co-hosted Suzuki’s Nature Quest, a children’s television series that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2002. In early 2002, she helped launch an Internet-based think tank called The Skyfish Project. As a member of Kofi Annan’s Special Advisory Panel, she and members of the Skyfish Project brought their first project, a pledge called the “Recognition of Responsibility”, to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002.
Click here to watch the video and hear her incredible speech.
MFFO Joins Worldwide Orphans With The Ethiopian Water Project
May 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
A few months ago, Mothers Fighting For Others started the Clean Water Project. Our original goal was to raise $30,000 to put in 10 water purification units in schools and orphanages. But due to Kenya’s post-election violence, we here at Mothers Fighting For Others have decided to join forces with the ongoing Ethiopian Program with A Child’s Right and Worldwide Orphans Foundation. Read about the work that A Child’s Right has done in China, Nepal, and Cambodia. We feel honored to be able to assist in a small way to help contribute to the Ethiopian Program. WWO is run by Dr. Jane Aronson, one of the preeminent international adoption pediatricians in the world. Here is a little information about WWO:
“In January 2007 WWO, in partnership with AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) which treats adults with HIV/AIDS, opened the WWO-AHF Family HealthCare Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Center is a full-service care facility for treating and monitoring the care of orphans and children in families with HIV/AIDS, and for the treatment of adults with HIV/AIDS. The Center helps to bring orphaned children into the mainstream of community life.”*
You can read more about Worldwide Orphans and the amazing work they do for Ethiopians children. We look forward to helping any way we can to help WWO get this project funded.
If you would like to help, write all checks to A Child’s Right and write MFFO in the memo. Eric, the Director, at A Child’s Right will distribute the funds to the Ethiopian Project.
I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has donated already. It’s truly amazing what can happen when we come together for a greater purpose!
A Little Bottle Can Be A Big Help!
January 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I “met” a wonderful mom on Cafemom last year. Her name is Jill, and she came up with a brilliant idea for our Clean Water Project.
It’s pretty simple.
All you need to do is PRINT YOUR CLEAN WATER PROJECT LABEL and place it on a wide mouthed small water bottle. Pass out the bottles to co-workers, friends, and family members. Ask them to fill them up with change, dollars, even checks (remember, checks are written to A Child’s Right) and send them on back to MFFO!
This is just an easy way to collect donations for this great project. We need $28,000 more to reach our goal. Remember, this project will help over 3,000 children get the clean water that they need and DESERVE!
Let’s Do It!
Clean Water For Kids Project Kicks Off Today!
November 20, 2007 | 4 Comments
We have a lofty goal here at Mothers Fighting For Others.
We need to raise $30,000 to put ten water purification units in ten different orphanages and schools in and around Nairobi, Kenya. We will be partnering with A Child’s Right to get this project accomplished. You can read about the work A Child’s Right has done in country’s such as China, Nepal, and Cambodia by clicking HERE.
When Julie and I started on this venture, we knew one of our main goals was to get clean water to as many kids as we could. We did our research and A Child’s Right seemed to be the perfect fit for us.
So our first big project is now underway.
I take my tap water for granted. It might not be as clean or taste as good as bottled water, but I am not going to get sick from it. That is the point I am trying to make. I will not die from my tap water. I might have a bad taste in my mouth, but the reality is, that is no big deal in the scheme of my life.
After spending time in Kenya, I know for a fact that 2-3 girls, on average, at Saint Monica’s Children’s Home come down with Typhoid every month. Every month. The CDC explains Typhoid as a
life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. In the United States about 400 cases occur each year, and 75% of these are acquired while traveling internationally. Typhoid fever is still common in the developing world, where it affects about 21.5 million persons each year.
The interesting thing in can be easily taken care of by eliminating the source of unclean water.
And that’s what we plan to do.
I am hoping that you can help. And time is of the essence. You can help us in the next few weeks.
How? Easy. Have a party. We are looking for 100 moms to raise $100. That will be one third of our goal. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It is. Thanksgiving, Office Holiday Parties, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years are just around the corner. This is the prime time to ask our friends and loved ones to help those in need. $100 from each woman. That’s all.
You have complete control. Want to have an ice cream party? A BBQ? Are you having big Family-Get-Together this holiday season? Are you going to your office party this year? You can help thousands of children by collecting only $100 and getting us closer to our goal of clean drinking water for the girls at Saint Monica’s and thousands of other orphans in Kenya.
Interested?
Let me know if you are. I would love to help any way I can with your questions. Here are a few FAQ that I thought I would answer now.
1. Who do we write the check out to? The check should be written directly to A Child’s Right. In the memo of the check needs to have MFFO Kenya Project. That will guarantee our project be credited the amount.
2. How do I know this is not a scam? This is a legitimate question these days. A Child’s Right is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation (tax ID# 56-2600599). You can locate them on the IRS, GuideStar.org, and GoodSearch. Julie and I will be accompanying A Child’s Right to Kenya next year. We will be helping them with the installation itself and meeting all the children that receive your donations.
3. Who do we send the checks to? You can send them directly to Mothers Fighting For Others. Here is the address.
Mothers Fighting For Others INC
Clean Water Project
27943 Seco Canyon RD # 533
Santa Clarita CA 91350
If you are able to throw a party before the end of the year, and checks are written no later than 12/31/07, you and your donors will be able to receive the tax deduction for 2007. So take advantage of the tax deduction this year!
So let’s get on it my friends. Who is ready to jump on board? I hope you are. I am excited to work with all of you on this very exciting and important project.
Let’s Party!
Rock for Darfur November 10th | Fight for Human Rights in Darfur
November 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Okay, I’ll admit it… I like MySpace.
In recent days I like it even more since they have spent a lot of their time in recent days promoting the Impact Awards, the Red Campaign and now, the Rock for Darfur Event taking place on November 10th.
On November 10th you can see a concert in a major city in your area, and be assured that a portion of the proceeds from your ticket will go directly to the Save Darfur Coalition and to Oxfam’s humanitarian work in Darfur.
The crisis in Darfur is still urgent. The people are still real.
We need to end the genocide taking place in Darfun in Sudan Africa right now. The devastation on humanity is heartbreaking, the reality is undeniable. America needs to intervene and we need to do it now.
Corporate America listen up… I know where your tax deductible donation will have the biggest impact. I know the kids that your donation will have the biggest impact. There is no middle man. There is not cut off the top. I will take your money straight to the kids who need it most. Every single dollar of every single donation
will go directly to the children of Africa.
Mothers Fighting for Others will be an official non-profit organization within the next few months. When everything is “official” we will make an announcement on where and when to make direct, tax-deductible donations to our organization.
In addition to working with Eric from A Child’s Right, we hope to work with Father Augustine at St. Monica’s Orphanage in Kenya to send ALL of his girls to high-school next year! They deserve it.
You can be the drop in the bucket. We can make a difference!
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