An Opinion Editorial
by Eric
Stradford, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired
AMWS,
September 26, 2018, Atlanta – In the
news today, a “gulf of distrust,” once assessed metaphorically, surfeits in the aftermath of an unnaturally
man-made disaster. 49% of Americans are wading
through the latest news cycle, watching 49% drown in the uncertainty of a manufactured
truth.
Today, the often
uncounted 2% is admonished to WAKE UP, and get busy hijacking a narrative likened
to the air we breathe. “The American Dream
is on life support…” said Stephanie A. Walker Stradford. The CEO for Youth
Achievers USA Institute (YouthUSA) joined like minds at #Goalkeepers2018 to sandbag a surge of
unprecedented, unnecessary, and useless information seeping into the national
discourse.
Does it
really matter that Donald Trump’s lawyer got stuck with $130,000 in hush money
paid to a consenting porn star? What
about the sexual proclivities of “justice” be it Bill Cosby’s or the most
recent supreme court nominee? On the
downlow, some rich folks have been padding their inherited pockets with
favorable public policy while others must discover methods and means to reverse
or “deny, deny, deny” their historically bad habits.
Recent
polling suggests that people of all ages in low and middle-income countries are
far more likely to agree that “my generation will have a more positive impact
on the world than my parents” -- (63%) compared with people in higher income
countries (39%). In both groups of countries, youth are more likely to agree
than older people.
When it comes to policy priorities, ending poverty (33%),
improving education (31%), and access to jobs (27%) are top Sustainable Development
Goals for leaders to focus on worldwide.
On Our
Street, USA, today is the day to breathe and ask one another, why did it take
us so long? “Is poverty
inevitable?” The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation echoes the sentiment of a 20th
Century Poor People’s campaign with an optimistic twist. In doing so, the thought provoking, “Where Do
We Go From Here?” presented in Dr. Martin Luther King’s last book, arrives at
the only clear choice – CHAOS or COMMUNITY.
Quoting
social justice advocate Hyman Bookbinder, Dr. King wrote that ending poverty in
America merely requires demanding that the rich “become even richer at a slower
rate.” But, in retrospect and after a
plethora of policy perversions since Lyndon Johnson’s "War on Poverty,” demands
on the wealthy tend to fall short of ending poverty.
Global Goals
Week is an annual week of action where the United Nations and partners from
around the world come together to drive action, raise awareness and hold
leaders to account in order to accelerate progress to the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals.
Timed to
coincide with the UN General Assembly, the week includes many exciting events
and activations in New York but also around the world, including the Global Day
of Action on September 25th, when people connected to cultivate ideas, identify
solutions, and generate meaningful partnerships for the Global Goals.
The Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and Youth Achievers USA Institute share a common
vision for the future. Both believe that
“investing in young people” is a necessary step towards achieving COMMUNITY.
To
support its partnership goals, YouthUSA is recruiting, training and funding Community Asset Managers in 12 economic
regions of the United States. Virtual
meetings and on-demand access to collaboration tools promote tech-supported,
cost-effective operations.
According to
the Gates Foundation, “Today’s booming youth populations can be good news for
the economy; if young people are healthy, educated, and productive; and, there
are more people to do the kind of innovative work that stimulates rapid growth.”
At YouthUSA, “Money-n-the-Bank” supports inclusion. Each youth beneficiary
invests seven goals to write a vision of their own future.
Much of the
evidence published in Goalkeepers 2018 underscores the need for #EconomicInclusion
of economically disadvantaged youth. Bridging
the “Gulf of Distrust” calls for Goalkeepers representing America’s haves and
have nots to pursue “opportunities to serve -- catalyzing public and private
sectors and civil society to establish and sustain a pathway to a better life
for all.
Addressing
gaps in economic opportunity ultimately empowers economic beneficiaries to
participate in having the greatest impact. Working with partners who have the
expertise and experience will be helpful in developing and implementing innovative
approaches at scale. However, according to YouthUSA, “engagement of youth and
communities will be essential to sustainable long-term solutions.”
Partnerships
are as effective as the partners with a seat at the table. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is circling
policy leaders around the global partnership through collaborations such as the
US Partnership on Mobility from
Poverty.
“People
often frame the problem of poverty as a lack of things, of people not being
given what they need. But, I think it's
the people who must be made to feel needed, vital, and productive in our changing
economy. It's about dignity,” said
Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) in
Washington, DC.
#EconomicInclusion calls for an intentional, prosocial approach. It engages youth where they live, learn, work and or worship in developing their leadership skills. It calls for caring adults to invest value and positive values toward prosperous futures. It requires new energy, collective synergy and a shared commitment to make business as usual a practice of the past.
National LEARN-2-EARN invests collective synergy with new energy for win-win collaboration between neighbors in need and partners with means.
