Join Commit in September @ commitinseptember.com
This is my first blog post on the Global Pulse Blog. My name is Sam Vaghar and I manage the Millennium Campus Network (www.mcnpartners.org), a national non-profit network of university student organizations working to reduce extreme poverty and achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. The network spans 17 campuses across four cities and counts Dr. Paul Farmer, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, and musician John Legend among its Board of Advisors.
I’ll save an explanation of my passion for student activism for another time.
Right now I want to invite you to add your name at www.commitinseptember.com, a new national petition to President Obama and Congress urging action on the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We have put in specific asks on global education, global health, and long-term development in Haiti. Our goal is to generate 25,000 signatures by the end of July and present them to White House and Congressional staff ahead of the UN MDGs Summit this September.
Why this matters: This generation is passionate about global health and development. When you walk onto most college campuses, you will find a student organization (or five!) committed to raising awareness, fundraising, or engaging in service work overseas in solidarity with the world’s poorest communities. But our leaders in Washington aren’t always aware of our generation’s passion. Commit in September is one powerful way for all of us to show them what we stand for. We are calling on students to partner with us this year, signing the national petition, writing a letter to the editor, becoming a Campaign Ambassador (visit the site for info.), and joining with us, the United Nations Foundation, 1,000 peers and leading advocates at our conference this September at Columbia University on the eve of the UN MDGs Summit.
Together, our generation can build a grassroots movement for global development. But we’ve got to get personal, reach out across our networks, and use all means available to create both social and political change. I know many members of AMSA are leading the charge for global health equity, and I hope you will partner with us in this effort. Please leave a comment so I can connect with you in the days and weeks ahead!
PS- It is a real pleasure to be joining this blog community. I have been impressed by AMSA’s commitment, particularly in the advocacy arena, and the opportunity to connect with all of you means so much to me. Hana, thanks for the invite!