Today is celebrated to pay tribute to all those working as volunteers in disadvantaged countries. This date also honors September 8, 2000, when world leaders met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and adopted the Millennium Declaration, which today is translated into the Sustainable Development Goals. Although Juan Ciudad ONGD does not currently have any volunteers, as our counterparts are the San Juan de Dios centers and the staff are local, we would like to celebrate this day by remembering the important work carried out by thousands of Spanish people around the world in the field of international cooperation for development.
In the top photo A gathering is seen in a village in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone, during a child vaccination campaign carried out by the community health team at St. John of God Hospital in Lunsar.
In addition, we share this release which has been published today by the Coordinator of Development NGOs of Spain: "Cooperation: A crucial policy far beyond the pandemic."
On International Volunteer Day, we call for strengthening a crucial public policy at a time when, due to the pandemic, millions of people have seen their living conditions worsen.
The next General State Budget must ensure that Spain moves out of the rearguard of European cooperation. The funds allocated to this public policy must increase by âŹ900 million compared to the 2018 budget extension, which would reach âŹ3.5 billion. This measure is essential to achieving the 0.51% TP3T target by the end of the legislative term. The commitment to cooperation will demonstrate the role Spain wants to play in the world and in solving the problems that affect us as a whole.
The Coordinator is touring four countries with aid workers who are working hand in hand with civil society and the most vulnerable populations. As COVID-19 has shown, improving the situation elsewhere on the planet means contributing to global well-being.
