Target 3 Billion
Target 3 Billion, is one of the most important and influential books I have ever read about sustainability. The book is written by His Excellency A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the late president of India, and I had the honor of receiving a signed copy of the book from him on November 8, 2013, when he was state chief guest of the Sharjah government during the 32nd Sharjah International Book Fair.
I remember the good time we spent together when he invited me to his presidential suite at the Hilton hotel in Sharjah City to discuss the issue of poverty around the world and how to fight it. I remember his advice to me: “Son, this is the way forward [the book]. Read the book; feel the inspiration in it. I have listed my vision and put all my strategies to fight poverty. Around 3 billion people are out there in the world waiting for great leaders like you to give them a hand and lift them to a new landscape where they can feel the real meaning of sustainability and inclusive growth.”
You are Great
“You are Great. I love your book and your philosophy about sustainability. I don’t mind writing the foreword for your book, especially after reading the chapter titled Global Poverty.” These words were said by His Excellency Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, former president of the Comoro Islands. He was referring to my book Sustainability: The fourth Wave of Economy, during a discussion over breakfast in Dar-Us-Salaam, Tanzania, back in mid-2014.
Gallup, the American institute of public opinion, conducted a study to find out which country has the happiest citizens. The revelations only added credence to the fact that possession of wealth is not all about happiness. The study discovered that citizens of the poorest countries are the happiest. The list of happiest countries was topped by El Salvador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Should we be satisfied with the fact that the poor are happier than the rich? They are happy because the realms of their world are very small. This is because the age of information and communication eludes them and development and change have not touched their lives.
The study amply proves that happiness is not an event. It is a state of mind. And I must say that happiness has no correlation with richness. The celebrated 19th-century English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton described it best: Happiness and virtue rest upon each other; the best are not only the happiest but the happiest are usually the best.
The World Wealth Report says that the top 1 percent of the population owns 46 percent of all global assets. This paradoxical scenario does prevail.
During my service as a volunteer when I was general manager at Sharjah Charity International, I saw more smiles on the faces of those who were economically weaker than on those who were branded rich and powerful.
An Extraordinary Human
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted on December 13, 2006, by the UN General Assembly, however, before this adoption, there was ignorance about persons with disabilities in the human rights discourse—they had been tucked away in savings clauses and sidelined in a few resolutions and declarations. The convention clearly spells out that persons with disabilities have equal access and the right to full and effective enjoyment of all human rights. There is no barrier for them, and they are allowed to access and enjoy this equality.
It is worth mentioning here that it was a proud moment for me when I was awarded a certificate of Goodwill Ambassador by the World Peace Organization in Washington, United States, with the title Extraordinary Human. The certificate contains these words: “Whereas you are active in the field of humanitarian work and the service of civil society in addition to the support of the disabled, you deserve all the thanks and appreciation, you are worthy of the title of an Extraordinary Human.” Thanks a lot to them for recognizing my efforts to help people suffering poverty and disability. The words of appreciation and recognition have boosted me with positive energy and allowed me to work more in this field.
UN 2030 Vision
Let us consider some facts. Out of the 7 billion people living in this planet, about 900 million—one in eight—do not have enough to eat. The conditions in some underdeveloped countries are worse.
At this point, I want to share the UN’s 2030 vision of eradicating extreme poverty.
Thank You, ADB
The Asian Development Bank’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.8 billion people who live on less than $2 a day, with 903 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.
Angel of Mercy
There are always good people from all over the world who have good causes. These people keep asking themselves, “What is it from me?” You will not hear them asking, “What is it for me?” A good example is Abdul Sattar Edhi. He was a prominent Pakistani philanthropist, ascetic, and humanitarian who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs hospitals, homeless shelters, rehab centers, and orphanages across Pakistan. Born in Gujarat, British India, Edhi moved to Karachi only to establish a free dispensary for Karachi’s low-income residents. Edhi’s charitable activities expanded in 1957 when an Asian flu epidemic swept through Karachi. Donations allowed him to buy his first ambulance the same year. He later expanded his charity network with the help of his wife, Bilquis Edhi. Over his lifetime, the Edhi Foundation expanded, backed entirely by private donations, including establishing a network of 1,800 minivan ambulances. By the time of his death, Edhi was registered as a parent or guardian of nearly 20,000 children. He is known as the “Angel of Mercy” and is considered Pakistan’s “most respected” and legendary figure. In 2013, the Huffington Post claimed that he might be “the world’s greatest living humanitarian.”
Unfortunately, Edhi died on July 8, 2016, at the age of 88 because of kidney failure. He was laid to rest at the Edhi Village Karachi. He was such a great personality that reactions to his death came from several high-ranking Pakistani officials. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, “We have lost a great servant of humanity. He was the real manifestation of love for those who were socially vulnerable, impoverished, helpless, and poor.” He also declared national mourning on the day following Edhi’s death and announced a state funeral for him. The head of the country’s army, Raheel Sharif, called him a “true humanitarian.”
Really, Edhi strongly promoted religious tolerance in Pakistan and extended support to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 1985 famine in Ethiopia. Edhi has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times.
Rockefeller Foundation
For more than a century, the Rockefeller Foundation has been dedicated to a single mission: promoting the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, the foundation pursues that mission with the dual goals of building greater resilience and advancing more inclusive economies. Through its portfolio of initiatives, its members strive to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, convene sector-spanning partnerships, and create systemic change to benefit poor and vulnerable people around the world.
The Rockefeller Foundation utilizes three reinforcing levers for impact to varying degrees. These organizing principles, which were inspired by John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s tradition of scientific philanthropy, are the Three Pathways to Impact:
The gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In its 34 member states, the richest 10 percent of the population earn 9.6 times more than the income of the poorest 10 percent. There is no standard measure of inequality, but most indicators suggest it slowed or fell during the financial crisis and is now growing again.
I can quote here an example of how some people are enjoying a luxurious life while half of the planet is suffering from extreme poverty. A restaurant in the New York financial district is offering customers a pizza priced at US $2,000. It is topped with caviar, Stilton cheese, and gold leaf, with each bite costing around US$50. This story is not just of New York, there are many other countries that offer gold pizza; but the question is, is it OK to enjoy this much luxury, knowing that a lot of people sleep with an empty stomach and are unable to get even the bare necessities for survival?
Happy Hour
I would like to share a story about humanity. Because of the recent price hikes, Egyptians have been experiencing shortages in basic goods. To mitigate the suffering of the people in the region, a restaurant in Dokki called Kebda w Shawarma made a great initiative. Very poor people cannot afford the prices of sandwiches, so the restaurant’s owners suggested providing free sandwiches for one hour daily to help people through the economic crisis.
The initiative, which was announced by the end of 2016, attracted needy people, who formed long queues during “happy hour.” Each customer could have up to five sandwiches for free. The restaurant does not specify a quota for the number of needy people who could be served sandwiches during happy hour. According to Egypt Independent, a customer named Mohamed Bayoumy praised the restaurant for their charitable initiative. He said, “some people can’t afford food, so yes, it is definitely a good thing . . . You can see the number of people standing here who need food but cannot afford it. We’re talking about a good meal for lunch in a place like this. That’s all we need!”
Kebda w Shawarma employees are shareholders in the restaurant, so they receive a margin of profits instead of salaries. The collective ownership of the restaurant can better afford to provide free food to customers, said head chef Ahmed Samir. “All employees contribute to the restaurant. Each one has a certain task within the scope of their expertise to focus on. We are making a business, instead of being employees of an owner . . . Solidarity is strength,” Samir added.
The owners of Kebda w Shawarma said that they did not plan to suspend the initiative soon, despite the harsh economic conditions, and that new branches are already in the pipeline for other Cairo neighborhoods.
50 for Freedom Campaign
The 50 for Freedom Campaign, led by the International Labor Organization and its partners, the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Organization of Employers, was launched on October 20, 2015. The campaign aims to end modern slavery. According to the latest ILO figures, there are 21 million modern-day slaves in the world today, the majority of whom are women and girls. Because of extreme poverty, they have become modern slaves. They work in mines, fields, and factories, as well as in homes and on the street. This industry generates estimated profits of 150 billion dollars every year.
The campaign’s goal is to persuade at least 50 countries to ratify the Protocol on Forced Labor by 2018. The protocol, which was adopted on June 11, is cited as the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labor Convention. I have provided one of the protocols below:
The measures to be taken for the prevention of forced or compulsory labor shall include
(a) educating and informing people, especially those considered to be particularly vulnerable, in order to prevent their becoming victims of forced or compulsory labor;
(b) educating and informing employers, in order to prevent their becoming involved in forced or compulsory labor practices;
(c) undertaking efforts to ensure that
(i) the coverage and enforcement of legislation relevant to the prevention of forced or compulsory labor, including labor law as appropriate, apply to all workers and all sectors of the economy and
(ii) labor inspection services and other services responsible for the implementation of this legislation are strengthened;
(d) protecting persons, particularly migrant workers, from possible abusive and fraudulent practices during the recruitment and placement process;
(e) supporting due diligence by both the