Prominent leaders from the global development community,
technology industry, the arts and entertainment have joined an unprecedented
call for world leaders to implement the promise within the newly agreed Global
Goals that universal internet access become a reality by 2020, ITRealms
reports.
The leaders of 193 nations formally adopted the Global
Goals for Sustainable Development at the United Nations, Friday, after years of
negotiation. The Goals aim to fight inequality, protect our planet, and end
extreme poverty by 2030. The Connectivity Declaration draws attention to target
9.c of the Global Goals demanding internet access for all in the
Least-Developed Countries by 2020.
ITRealms
gathered that the Global Goals build on the success of the Millennium
Development Goals, which helped cut malaria deaths in half, reduced new HIV
infections by 40 per cent, saved millions of children’s lives, and contributed
to a worldwide decline in extreme poverty of more than 50 per cent.
The co-founder and global executive director of ONE,
Jamie Drummond, in a press release said, “Internet access is a catalyst for
creating a world of greater freedom, fairness and dignity for all peoples,
everywhere. Every country must now agree on urgent plan to implement the Global
Goals, and mission-critical within those strategies is connectivity for all.
The Pope and Malala have spoken eloquently about the one world and one family
we’re all a part of, and the internet, at its best, facilitates that unity. But
when three billion are left beyond the internet, they are left behind and left
out of that family. That must change and fast.”
The Connectivity Declaration, ITRealms
also reports, has already been signed by: the Action/2015 coalition, Charlize
Theron for Africa Outreach Project, Judith Owigar for AkiraChix, Ayaan Hirsi
Ali, Bill and Melinda Gates for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
Richard Branson, Erik Hersman for BRCK, Niall Dunne for BT, Danny
Sriskandarajah for Civicus, Denis O’Brien for Digicel, Jeff Sachs for Earth
Institute.
Others include Hans Vestberg for Ericsson, Mark
Zuckerberg for Facebook, Hugh Evans for Global Citizen, Arianna Huffington,
Josiah Mugambi for iHub, Ashish Thakkar for Mara Group, Mo Ibrahim for the Mo
Ibrahim Foundation, Bono for ONE, David Soloff for Premise, Project Everyone,
Nik Hartley for Restless Development, Carolyn Miles for Save the Children,
Shakira, George Takei, Chris Anderson for TED, Daudi Were for Ushahidi, Jimmy
Wales, Omoyele Sowore for Sahara Reporters, Cobus de Swardt for Transparency
International, Kathy Calvin for the UN Foundation, and Oluseun Onigbinde for
BudgiT.
ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly
seven million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable
disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, ONE raises public
awareness and presses political leaders to combat preventable diseases,
increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater
transparency in poverty-fighting programs, ITRealms
learnt.
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
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