URBAN ECONOMY FORUM (UEF)'S VOICES OF SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is providing us with an opportunity to show the best of humanity. The global economy has slowed down as our consumption has decreased. "The air is purer and the water is cleaner" is a result of that. Social distancing is not a practical concept to everyone especially those living in developed nations. One billion people living in informal settlements or slums are left in most vulnerable conditions. Their daily subsistence living has dried up us factories and services closed in lockdown. Without the daily wage, they have been reduced to starvation with no means of funding their rent for shelter, food and basic human needs. These are the most marginalised communities with absolutely no power.
UN-Habitat’s Urban Economy Forum (UEF) initiative launched this year the Voices of Solidarity campaign in order to provide a channel for leaders around the world to inspire people for long-lasting transformational lifestyle changes that would reshape behaviour of our societies post COVID-19. The campaign envisages to build on this momentum to take better care of our planet and ourselves. The beacon of hope amplifies the voices of our leaders and transmits them virtually to all communities around the world. The campaign’s ultimate goal is to involve leaders from all 195 countries to exemplify and thus highlight the connectively of the entire human race on this planet, irrespective of our geographic proximity to one another.
Thoth Impact Advisory (TIA)’s Founder & Principal, Kunal Kirpalani, who serves as consultant to the Urban Economy Forum (UEF), was invited to provide the following video message of hope and support out of Sydney (Australia) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A special thank you to Anantha Krishnan, Secretary-General of the Urban Economy Forum (UEF), for inviting Kunal to participate in the campaign and Simeon John for filming this video message.
Please Note: The information pertaining to the Voices of Solidarity campaign on this blog piece draws inspiration from a similar worded introduction of the campaign from the Voices of Solidarity official website: https://www.ueforum.org/voicesofsolidarity