Hearing More Voices

We need to democratize access to conversations about global progress.

Every September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) hosts representatives from over 190 countries to discuss the world’s most pressing challenges. How can countries cooperate with one another politically, socially and economically? How can the global community create peace and respond to humanitarian emergencies in a unified way? War, inequality, food insecurity, climate change, poverty — what can be done to address the broad range of issues in the world today? World leaders, policymakers and select representatives on global issues come together to debate, discuss and resolve new ways of working for international progress.

Over time, the General Assembly has inspired side events and other external opportunities in New York for non government stakeholders to come together around the work of the United Nations. These events attract a few thousand people who come to New York to discuss global progress alongside this event. While side-events are good progress at diversifying conversations, we ask: How can these select few represent the diverse needs and perspectives of over 7 billion people?

Source: https://www.icafoodshelf.org/blog/2017/11/15/equity-vs-equality-vs-justice-how-are-they-different

The people not in the room

This is not a story about the UN General Assembly or the events that surround it. This is a story about the people who aren’t in the room. This is about the people who have no seat at the table in global conversations. It’s about people who have no chance to voice their needs and ideas in the decision-making processes that ultimately impact them. Security, status, space limitations and the color of people’s passports determine who is invited to take part in the world’s most important conversations. People who are closest to the problems at hand have important contributions to make, but are not often given opportunities to join pivotal conversations about progress or be partners in the change.

How can we discuss displacement and migration without the perspective of Burundian refugees? How can the General Assembly make resolutions without entire governments? How can these conversations take place when people so many people are left out of the conversation because of the color of their passport? Adequate representation in major global conversations is treated like a privilege when it should be a human right.

What are the barriers to including all people in pivotal conversations about global progress?

• We don’t live in societies where there is a culture of information equity. When there is an imbalance in people’s access to information on a local level due to imperfect education systems, lack of social services or poor transportation, the challenge of inviting people into global conversations is exponential. How can people join a global conversation when there aren’t the local resources to give them access?
• Many people are effectively invisible to decision-makers. Last year, the World Bank estimated that 1.1 billion people lack any proper form of identification. These people may struggle to gain access to basic services and miss out on formal employment. The policymakers and representatives from their governments miss out on critical insights about their health, wellbeing and engagement with the state. For example, the 2011 India census found roughly 1.7 million homeless people. However, factoring in uncounted people, it is estimated the total number is closer to 2.3 million homeless people. How can decision-makers meet the needs of people they can’t see?
• It is estimated that over half of the world’s population lacks internet access. Without access to what is arguably the world’s most powerful source of knowledge, how can people actively participate in global conversations? The internet presents a powerful possibility for participation. But this possibility can only be made real by breaking the “digital” divide.
• Two-thirds of internet users live in countries where their criticism of the government, military, or ruling family is subject to censorship. Censorship blocks people from critical information about the state of the world they live in, and bars them from active participation in conversations about progress. How can the internet be a tool for global convening if people’s voices are regulated?
• We don’t all speak the same language. When globe-shaping conversations, like those at the UN General Assembly and its side events, are only available in a select few languages, billions of people miss out. Resolutions from the UN General Assembly are translated into 6–7 languages. But, there are roughly 6,500 languages spoken globally. If these conversations are not available in our languages, how can we fully participate?

Changing the conversation

We all have a role to play in making conversations about global progress more equitable and inclusive.

Here are tangible ways you can take action:

• You can register now to join us at the Global People’s Summit on September 22. The Global People’s Summit was created to democratize access to the conversations and information that shape the world. Our summit is 100% online. Last year, the Global People’s Summit had a digital reach of 84 million worldwide. That’s over 1% of the world’s population. We are counting on new voices to join and amplify these conversations beyond one day, beyond the internet, beyond language barriers and directly into your communities.
• Create or join spaces for open dialogue. What mechanisms exist in your community to advocate for political, social or economic change? These spaces can take on any number of shapes: a local advocacy group, a town hall, an artists’ collective. Who has a voice in those forums? How can they be more democratic and how can they reach key decision makers? Ask these questions and create these spaces if you cannot find them. (The Global People’s Summit is creating the spaces for knowledge sharing by developing Global People’s Hubs across the world.)
• Challenge seeing the world in silos. When we approach issues in the world or in our communities as distinct, separate problems, critical voices are often left out. Access to clean water is a sanitation problem. But, it is just as much a health problem. It is a gender problem, since women are disproportionately responsible for collecting safe water. It is an education problem, since access to safe water affects a child’s ability to go to school. Educators, gender advocates and health workers have incredible contributions to make in making safe water accessible. Many of the world’s most challenging problems exist between sectors. Seek out the grey areas between problems and bring them to the forefront of conversations.
• Get involved in local politics, community activism, and engagement. Last year, the World Bank found that global voter turnout has dropped by more than 10% over the last 25 years. Actively choosing the people who represent you and your community can ensure that more voices are amplified in conversations that have global resonance. Furthermore, participating in community events can build momentum for the issues you are passionate about.
• Learn about the Sustainable Development Goals and share them. When world leaders crafted these goals launched at the United Nations, they wanted to transform the world for the benefit of everyone. For these goals to succeed, they must be adopted at scale by everyone — governments, NGOs, organizations and individuals. We can all participate actively by understanding these goals more deeply, linking them back to issues in our communities, and sharing them.

The people left out of critical conversations are often the people closest to the problems. These people are critical to creating long-lasting and sustainable solutions and championing change. We look forward to collaborating with you at the Global People’s Summit to lift unheard voices in a conversation about shaping a better future. Join us.