The UN is “sparing no effort” to end poverty
While riding into work this morning, a short NPR story on the UN building renovation project just got to me and I had to respond. My commentary won’t change their plans, and I’m not about to go to New York City and stand in front of the bulldozers, but I feel better having said it and hopefully my letter will be read on the air.
Here’s what I sent:
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much sympathy for the 4,000 UN workers who will be inconvenienced during the $2 billion makeover of the UN headquarters in New York City. July 2007 was the midpoint in the agreed timescale for achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and the UN in its own status report said the world was failing in the battles to cut infant mortality and put every child in school. How is it that we have money to spend on remodeling when half of the world doesn’t even have a simple toilet? The UN anti-poverty declaration adopted in 2000 said that we would ’spare no effort’ to eradicate extreme poverty in our world. I guess that statement doesn’t apply to new air conditioning systems for the world’s wealthiest.”
November 9th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I understand your thought completely on this matter. It is a waste of money but so is a toilet house. The money spent on building and operating it could of well bought over 15000 toilets. It is an admiral idea overall but I just don’t see waisting that money. With that in mind I do have a question. Your organization is helping overseas poverty but what about helping poverty in your own country? I’m sure you have helped many so far. The funding used for overseas though could of been well spent here in our own backyard. Just a thought…