The Global Moms Relay is asking community leaders: What kind of future do they want for their family and the world in 2030? This is a daunting question to ask — after all who really knows what the future holds? However, after attending the Moms+SocialGood event in New York City this morning I am confident that no one is better placed to answer this than Moms.
It was inspiring to see so many Moms working together, passionate about making the world a better place. The topics covered were wide ranging, from newborn development to digital advocacy. However, they were all united by a common thread: a desire to make the next 15 years even better than the last, for mothers and children around the world.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of Save the Children, I had the honor and privilege of introducing fellow Board Member and internationally acclaimed actress, Jennifer Garner and Save the Children’s CEO, Carolyn Miles. These extraordinary women have made remarkable contributions that have resulted in Save the Children doubling the number of children the organization benefits globally! They were attending the event to preview Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers Report (SOWM). The annual SOWM report provides a unique insight into where mothers and children fare best, and where they face the greatest hardships around the world.
Johnson & Johnson has always focused on providing support for the communities in which we live and work. In fact, the first sentence of Our Credo focuses our organization on our responsibility to mothers. This is why Johnson & Johnson was delighted to form a long-term partnership with Save the Children at the end of last year. This partnership is our way of ensuring organizations such as Save the Children can continue their important work. It is through their efforts that we can feel confident the future looks bright for mothers and families in 2030 and beyond.
The Moms+SocialGood event marks the start of the Global Moms Relay that Johnson & Johnson is launching in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. Every day from now until Father’s Day (June 21, 2015), a celebrity, community leader or everyday mom and dad will share a personal story on www.globalmomschallenge.org/globalmomsrelay. Anyone can then share these posts on social media. Every time you share a post, $1 is donated by Johnson & Johnson to help moms and children through UNICEF, MAMA, Shot@life and Girl Up.
I encourage you to take some time and read today’s inspiring post from Patricia Arquette, an Oscar-winning actress and humanitarian. Then, all it takes for you to make a difference to moms around the world, is to simply share this post with your social media networks. It is that easy!
As you share these posts and help raise money for some noteworthy organizations, take a moment and think how would you answer the question: “What kind of world do you want for your family in 2030?”
My answer? One where my daughter can have amazing role models, like the women at Moms+SocialGood, to look up to as she raises her happy and healthy children.
Joaquin Duato is Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, a position he assumed in January 2011. A member of the Johnson & Johnson Management Committee, he is responsible for the global pharmaceutical commercial businesses of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. In this role, Joaquin also oversees the Operations, Quality, and Compliance functional groups supporting the Pharmaceutical commercial and research and development organizations.