Humanitarian Day invites ideas on world’s top needs

The United Nations has invited everyone to pitch in ideas on what could be the world’s best needs as millions of people worldwide prepare to celebrate the World Humanitarian Day tomorrow. The UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the organisation’s aid partners have set up a website, www.worldhumanitarianday.org, where people will put their ideas, responding to the question of “What do you think the world needs more of?” The UN boss already offered his idea, stating that what the world needs more of is “teamwork” in order to overcome its current challenges. “In a time of global challenges people and countries need to work together in common cause for peace, justice, dignity, and development. That’s the humanitarian spirit,” Ban said. Local aid workers ask for better governance For some aid workers in the Great Lakes region, a call for making peace through good governance is likely to be their main message tomorrow. The National Director for Rwanda of Child-focused humanitarian and development NGO World Vision Rwanda, George Gitau, said that the region needs more people with the will to bring peace and positive change instead of those who fuel conflicts and pillage resources. “We need agents of positive change,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Times on Friday. He explained that people who come to help local communities work better on the road to more peace and development are what countries in the Great Lakes region need more. “Anybody who tells you to bring the resources to Africa, would be cheating you. We have the resources. What we need is basically peace and also people who are non-exploitative,” he said. The aid worker highlighted that regional communities need people who are able to enhance peace, instead of fuelling conflicts. “We need more of people who will take us in the direction of positive change. We need to see more of people who are working with us, not against us,” he said. Another local aid worker, Sulah Nuwamanya who works as a partnership development and communications manager at Actionaid Rwanda, pleaded for better governance in the region. “Tackling the governance issue would lead to trying to reduce conflicts within the region,” he said. He decried situations of armed struggle and constant conflicts that have wrecked the Great Lakes region for many years. “The leaders within the Great Lakes region need to ensure that there is accountability and transparency and ensure that there is rule of law and respect of civil liberties and freedoms,” he said in an interview. Celebrated every year on August 19, the World Humanitarian Day is used to recognise those who face danger and risks in order to help others, as well as celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe. By launching this year’s month-long campaign called “The world needs more...”, the UN and its humanitarian partners hope to raise more money for aid.