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Sustainable Development

Post-2015 Global Development Agenda

The High-Level Segment meeting promoted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) ended on Friday (7/11) at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The conference was marked by a discussion of the ongoing and emerging challenges for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015 and for sustaining development gains in the future. In his official statement, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, President of the ECOSOC, said: "We are bracing for our final push to accomplish the Millennium Development Goals."

In a special edition of Good Will – Sustainable Development/2014 magazine, available in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish and shared with all participating authorities, I declared that over the ages the study of Law has been improved in order to provide society with more and more solid guarantees. The 20th century, for example, left us a legacy of immense learning by means of the successive civil triumphs over the great difficulties faced by populations.

Given the countless episodes recorded over time, we can conclude that human beings need the bread of freedom. However, there can be no true freedom if it is not enlightened by the fraternal feeling of solidarity. The rest runs the risk of descending into chaos and History is full of examples to prove this. Let us, therefore, pay tribute to the many activists who, throughout History, have longed for freedom and worthy living conditions, especially the hardworking women. Every day they commit their very existence to protecting their children, whether they are their own, adopted, or, as I am accustomed to saying, children that represent great achievements in benefit of Humanity. All women are mothers.

One of these brilliant women was the Brazilian pediatrician, sanitarian, and founder of the Pastoral of the Child Dr. Zilda Arns (1934-2010), who said: "Social work needs the mobilization of efforts. Each one collaborates with that which they know how to do or with what they have to offer. In this way, the tissue that sustains the action is strengthened and each one feels that they are a cell for transforming the country."

Exactly! For this reason I have always advocated, including at the UN, the universal reconciliation of all human and spiritual knowledge in a powerful force in the service of all people.

The Legion of Good Will (LGW), which has general consultative status with ECOSOC, took its recommendations on good social and educational practices to this High-Level Segment, whose goal is to assist in creating a new post-2015 global agenda. During the discussions held on Monday, July 7, the LGW was invited to make an official statement to the international authorities present, with live transmission by UN Radio and TV to the world.

Besides showcasing its work in Brazil since 1950, the LGW presented the results of the events hosted in 2013 with several segments of Latin American society in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

José de Paiva Netto is a writer, journalist, radio broadcaster, composer, and poet. He is the President of the Legion of Good Will (LGW), effective member of the Brazilian Press Association (ABI) and of the Brazilian International Press Association (ABI-Inter). Affiliated to the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Union of Professional Journalists of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the Union of Writers of Rio de Janeiro, the Union of Radio Broadcasters of Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilian Union of Composers (UBC). He is also a member of the Academy of Letters of Central Brazil. He is an author of international reference in the concept and defense of the cause of Ecumenical Citizenship and Spirituality which, according to him, constitute “the cradle of the most generous values that are born of the Soul, the dwelling of the emotions and of the reasoning enlightened by intuition, the atmosphere that embraces everything that transcends the ordinary field of matter and comes from the elevated human sensitivity, such as Truth, Justice, Mercy, Ethics, Honesty, Generosity, and Fraternal Love.”