14 December 2023 12:00 am Views - 246
With Sri Lanka’s 2024 budget being approved by Parliament yesterday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to give approval to its second tranche of a USD 3 billion bailout package, after which the country’s economy is likely to stabilize.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has handled the economic crisis with skill, but the Government of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is badly split with different fractions expressing different views. The vital factor is that the relief must reach lower and middle class people who are struggling to meet their basic needs relating to nutritious food, housing, educational and medical needs. The President and the government need to give the highest priority to poverty alleviation, whilst the vital solution to unity lies in upholding diversity through the substantial devolution of power.
On December 20, the United Nations marks International Human Solidarity Day. In a statement, the world body says, the sustainable development agenda is centred on people and planet, underpinned by human rights and supported by a global partnership determined to lift people out of poverty, hunger and disease. It will thus be built on a foundation of global cooperation and solidarity.
This event is a day to celebrate our unity in diversity; a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements; a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity; a day to encourage debate on ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication; a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.
Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wherein those who either suffer or benefit least, deserve help from those who benefit most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, the strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable.
According to the UN, its General Assembly, convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing is important for combating poverty, proclaimed the 20th of December as International Human Solidarity Day. Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty and the proclamation of International Human Solidarity Day, the concept of solidarity was promoted as crucial in the fight against poverty and in the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Referring to the UN and the concept of solidarity, the world body says, the concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the Organization. The creation of the United Nations drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights and social and economic development. The Organization was founded on the basic premise of unity and harmony among its members, expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite “to maintain international peace and security.”
It is in the spirit of solidarity that the Organization relies on “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character” as well.
The General Assembly, on 22 December 2005, by a resolution identified solidarity as one of the fundamental and universal values that should underlie relations between peoples in the twenty-first century, and in that regard decided to proclaim December 20 of each year as International Human Solidarity Day.
By a resolution, the General Assembly, on 20 December 2002, established the World Solidarity Fund, which was set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme. Its objective is to eradicate poverty and promote human rights and social development in developing countries, in particular among the poorest segments of their populations.
Former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has said, climate change does not respect border; it does not respect who you are - rich or poor, small or big. Therefore, this is what we call ‘global challenges’, which require global solidarity. According to Theologian, Musicologist, Organist, Writer, Humanitarian Philosopher and Physician, Ludwig Schweitzer, the first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings. One of the world’s greatest statesmen, Nelson Mandela has said that as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest. On the day of the Last Judgement, Lord Jesus Christ will say to the righteous people, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him saying, “When did we do these?” And The Divine King will reply: ‘Truly, I say to you, in as much as you did this to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it unto Me.’ (Matthew 25:40).