2015年9月21日BBC聽力：結合國峰會共商天下將來
If you were to draw up a list of the most urgentproblems facing humanity, what issues would makeit onto your list? Global inequality? Poverty?Hunger? Maybe it's climate change? Or the need topromote peace and justice in the world?
Imagine that world leaders were gathering at the United Nations to make unprecedented,tangible and measurable commitments to tackling all of these problems. Wouldn't such ameeting be so remarkable and so historic that it would be on the minds of every citizen of theplanet?
Sadly, it seems not.
Global leaders will, in fact, meet in a weeks' time to adopt what are known as the 'SustainableDevelopment Goals'. They are the successor to the Millennium Development Goals agreed bythe international community in 2000 and they represent the most realistic and unifiedapproach in human history to tackling these axiomatic crises.
In 2013, a survey revealed that only 4% of people in the UK had heard of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, I fear that a similar survey about this month's event would show equallydisappointing levels of public awareness.
Next week, the Jewish community will observe the fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement- the most self-reflective and solemn day on the Jewish calendar.
Our Sages teach that atonement is only achieved through sincere acknowledgment of pastfailures and a realistic and resolute intention to avoid repeating them. It is a deeply hopefulmessage. We can, and often do, succeed second time round.
You may never have heard of the failed business named Traf-O-data, but you're certainly awareof how its founder, Bill Gates, then went on to create Microsoft. And where would OprahWinfrey be today if she had been deterred at the age of 22, when she was told she was 'unfit'for television?
In the year 2000, the world pledged, among other things, to eradicate extreme poverty andhunger and to achieve universal primary education. This was an ambitious and braveundertaking. Unfortunately, we are still far from delivering on these admirable aspirations. TheSustainable Development Goals present us with another opportunity to make good on God'scall to us to 'work the earth and protect it'.
My prayers are with the Heads of State attending the UN Summit. This time round there is noalternative to success. The future of mankind rests upon their shoulders and ours.
As Nelson Mandela put it, "Millions of people in the world's poorest countries remain imprisoned,enslaved and in chains. They are trapped in a prison of poverty. It is time to set them free."
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