Friday 1 October 2010

Will you become part of a movement and end starvation as a major cause of death for children?

Four years ago I was privileged to speak to members of the board of Oxfam Trading Australia. While waiting in their boardroom I copied down the words of a poster on the wall by Community Aid Abroad. It was headed ʻBasic human rights for all' and was created long before the concept of corporate social responsibility had gained any momentum. It read:

enough to eat

clean water

a livelihood

a home

an education

health care

a safe environment

protection from violence

equality of opportunity

a say in the future


Tears welled in my eyes as I read these words for they capture what I stand for and explain why I got up this morning and every morning and go out into the world to influence leaders in whatever you do to be doing it for the good of people.

That day in the Oxfam Trading Boardroom a seed was planted in my heart and mind that grew to become differencemakers community. Today we are over 500 members from 32 countries.

A key philosophy of differencemakers community and my personal passion is enlightened self-interest. Or simply put - doing well by doing good.

Recently I have joined with some differencemakers members to ensure one basic human right, enough to eat, is possible for all.

Today, like everyday, more than 16000 children around the world will die of starvation. That's 6 million children a year!

This is entirely preventable and yet despite billions of dollars and a lot of talk this problem remains unsolved.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others like them are taking amazing actions to end many of the worlds biggest problems.

Most of us are not in a position to do what Bill and Melinda and people like them do.  At least until now we weren't.

Some of my differencemakers friends and I have joined a movement which in the last two and a half years since it began has already provided 2.6 million meals to starving children; 1.6 million just in the last 8 months!   Considering this vertical curve we have a 'big hairy audacious goal' to increase this to 500 million meals a year in the next 7-10 years.

Will you join us?

Please watch this 6 minute video, and get in touch with me.


This is urgent.  

While you were reading this 11 children died simply because they did not have enough to eat.

Be the difference you want to see in the world
Ian
Founder Differencemakers Community
Catalyst for changing what’s normal for the good of people, our planet, and for profit

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