The subject of our column this week will be not Russia but America. The Journalists and Writers Foundation, within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly, held the “Transforming Our World” conference last week in New York. The conference’s overarching theme, “Transforming Our World,” may seem ambitious at first glance, but upon delving into the details, it will be evident that it is far from it.
The United Nations was founded with the aim of preserving world peace and security, addressing issues such as hunger, famine, disasters, illiteracy, women’s rights, education for girls, social development opportunities, international development goals, fostering societal and cultural cooperation, environmental issues, combating radicalism, belief, freedom of expression, and press freedom in different countries and regions, and enhancing fundamental human values and needs. To achieve these goals, countries allocate significant funds to the UN. The UN holds a general assembly meeting every year and presents working proposals on these principles to member country leaders and delegations. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are always encouraged and volunteers are sought to contribute to the development and growth of social awareness on these issues.
“Leave No One Behind” Slogan The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF), which has played a significant role in the Global Sustainable Development Goals during the UN General Assembly in New York, has been continuously providing a successful platform for discussion and dialogue for the past 8 years. By taking practical steps, it opens up topics that benefit all of humanity for discussion with experts and academics. It offers suggestions as an alternative solution to advance the culture of peace, human rights, and basic principles. In this context, it proudly hosts hundreds of high-level speakers every year, including Heads of State, UNGA Delegates, UN Senior Officials, diplomats, experts, and leading civil society actors.
Through a series of events that lasted for four days last week, JWF brought these topics to the table, offering solutions in areas such as the culture of coexistence, food issues, human rights, development models, press freedom, and other crucial issues. It presented a civil perspective as an alternative framework. On September 20th, at the conference held at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, New York, which consisted of three panels, 52 NGOs from 27 countries and 18 international distinguished speakers shared invaluable experiences in overcoming global crises and contributed to cross-cultural enrichment by advancing international expertise. Experts provided examples from regional reports and shared statistical data.
Operating under the slogan “Leave No One Behind,” JWF and its global partner organizations aimed to fulfill the core vision of Sustainable Development Goals, supporting peaceful, inclusive, fair societies that uphold the fundamental rights of all individuals and create clean and healthy environments through volunteerism. During the presentations, it was emphasized that autocracy and gender discrimination have led to an increase in violence and crime, and civil society actors and human rights advocates can play a significant role in building trust within communities. Strengthening a people-centered approach to peace and security, the importance of representing marginalized groups and individuals who are socially and politically oppressed was underscored.
The Role of NGOs in Education, Health, Poverty, and Violence Resolution Silvia Osman, an expert in political studies and public administration at Romania National University, highlighted that given the increasing geopolitical and security risks in various regions of the world, the multifaceted Global Goals are undoubtedly under threat. Referring to the previously published Sustainable Development Goals report, Silvia Osman noted that only 15% of these goals have been achieved. In this regard, she stated that civil society organizations can bring us closer to achieving these goals by providing transformative and local guidance.
Tania Bozaninou, a columnist for Greece’s Vima newspaper, emphasized that sustainable development can be achieved through meaningful participation of civil society, especially in less developed countries. She stated that the challenges and threats faced by civil society organizations in serving the needs of society must be addressed. Among her recommendations were “Supporting and protecting the civil society space for peace and development; Creating partnerships and collaborations among civil society and NGOs worldwide; Supporting innovative projects and initiatives that bring about positive social change in various areas, including education, health, poverty alleviation, human rights, gender equality, and indigenous issues.”
George Abualzulof, Senior Human Rights Advisor at the United Nations Development Coordination Office, highlighted that violence against women persists in societies, including within public authorities, and the right to education for girls is being obstructed. He recommended more efficient utilization of local NGOs for crisis resolution. Despite living in a modern era, Abualzulof noted that human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and similar forms of exploitation have not been eradicated. He called for civil initiative and media to be more sensitive and inclusive in addressing these issues.
Press Freedom as a Means to Advocate Human Rights During the session titled “Press Freedom as a Means to Advocate Human Rights,” Batya Ungar-Sargon, Editor of Newsweek, spoke from America. She particularly recommended sharing the experiences of developed countries in ensuring the full and effective participation of women in social life and providing equal opportunities, especially in less developed countries. Ungar-Sargan stated that budgetary contributions should be made to ensure educational opportunities for girls. She emphasized that regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, religion, or economic status, all forms of violence, abuse, and associated death rates must be significantly reduced, and urgent plans must be devised for this purpose.
As these examples illustrate, even a UN project requires civil initiative to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in a timely manner. In this regard, the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s “Transforming Our World” Conference organized within the framework of the UN General Assembly contributes significantly to preventing violence, combating terrorism and crime, promoting non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development, and advancing global partnerships. Moreover, JWF’s partners actively serve humanity on all these issues in various parts of the world.
In conclusion, we have tried to describe the efforts made by the Service Movement as a whole, not just one institution, for the benefit of humanity. As a whole, Service Movement institutions worldwide actually fulfill the objectives of international organizations such as the UN, UNESCO, UNICEF, AMNESTY, and others through volunteerism. In the reports of these international organizations, efforts are made to raise awareness through volunteer participation in different countries and among different peoples regarding basic humanitarian principles. The Service Movement, by attributing its organizations to fundamental human values, fulfills the function of peace islands of the world and contributes to the transformation of the world with its own energy.
