They say that warriors are born when they face a battle. When we faced the challenges of these last two years, which were so great, we were also able to learn, as a third sector, our full size and capacity. We were warriors with the courage and resilience to face the demands!
Rates of unemployment, hunger and people in poverty have increased. It was necessary to seek new paths to be up to the task. The good news is that we discovered, in the midst of this great battle, that it is possible to move forward. The difficulties we experienced during the pandemic were also a source of learning, providing opportunities to promote transformation.
At the end of 2020 and even at the beginning of 2021, we were full of uncertainty about the present and the future. A new wave of Covid-19 was a certain threat, the number of hospitalizations and deaths was growing and mass vaccination was a distant dream.
We reached the end of this year with a hope that seemed impossible, with a large part of the population vaccinated, some even with the third dose. It was an unthinkable reality that became real due to the union of efforts for this common good together with strategically coordinated actions.
It has been proven that when we do things collaboratively, we find solutions to challenges, whether local or global. The pandemic showed us what is possible to achieve when there is alignment of desires and purposes in the fight for common goals.
We learned that we need to keep people who know the real needs connected with those who have the power to make the necessary changes. Unite these two worlds to ensure better use of public and private resources for the benefit of society, advancing plans to reduce inequalities.
Thanks to joint efforts, we are regaining a valuable asset: freedom. We have an election year in 2022, a period that usually brings uncertainty due to changes, but that doesn't mean we should be paralyzed. On the contrary: we need to work even harder defending democratic rights and social justice, continue observing environmental needs, improving education, combating hunger, unemployment and poverty.
The obstacles that our country continues to face are great. We grew in adversity and saw a wide range of job possibilities, qualifications and awareness. We formed partnerships, got closer to many peers and gained a broader view of the relevant work that we can develop across the country in the areas in which we operate.
The third sector, as a collective, had fundamental achievements, becoming more aware and with people more engaged. We all left stronger, with values that remained very latent, of supporting others, of leaving no one behind, of the richness of life. We move forward more confidently when we see that with awareness and protagonism we can continue, collaboratively, promoting the transformations that our country really needs.
May in 2022 we continue to exercise philanthropy in its essence, of sharing love, so that we have a new year full of good news!
This article was originally published on the website of the newspaper O Povo .
