I am only a child...

A child, only 13 years of age, silenced many a UN representatives with her short 5 minute speech at the UN summit.

While the speech clearly (?) seems to be written by some one else and read out loud by the child - it does make a couple of honest appeals. Opening the speech with a mock at governments and corporates across the globe - as also the UN Summit itself - the child says on fear of losing its future

Losing my future is not like losing the elections or losing a few points in the stock market.

Going further the girl appeals to all asking them to stop polluting. 'I am only a child; but...' is what makes the speech so effective. Children are not knowledgeable about the various problems and their solutions. But the children do know that there are problems. And it is becoming increasingly apparent to them that we adults have no solution. Though contradictorily, it is we who seem to believe that there is (will be) a solution to everything. Then why aren't we able to stop the black hole, why aren't we able to do anything about the animals that are now extinct?

If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it!

begs the little girl in front of a now intently listening UN audience.

The speech even tackles the topic of increasing disparity between the poor and the rich - not at an individual level but globally. The North American countries which have so much in abundance seem to share so little or nothing with those starving in the South. They interviewed street children in Brazil where one of the boy of around the same age said that one day he wishes to be rich and buy food, clothing, shelter and education for all the children living in the street. Then the girl asks -

Why is that the child in the street who has nothing ready to share everything, whereas we who have everything are ready to share nothing! It makes a tremendous difference where you are born!

Little does she realize that it is because we have everything that we share nothing. Anyone, almost every person if asked would be ready to share a car which he doesn't own but not part with a shirt he owns! 'I am ready to share everything that I do not have!' said someone!

There are things that make 'human development' seem a farce.