A Message From Our Founder – 17 Years

To the Entire United Planet Community,

I wish it were not true. I wish that our work and mission were no longer needed in the world.  But since our founding in the aftermath of 9-11, the state of affairs at home and across the world has grown more fearful.

You have read the news, you know these facts are difficult to face straight on –

·     mass murders rooted upon human differences of religion, race, nationality, and more

·     grave predictions for the environment

·     global health, educational, economic, gender equity, and security challenges.

The list goes on…

In light of these dire events, we are faced with our own decision: How shall we respond?

For me, I see this rising tide of events as a call to personal action. At United Planet, our work to build bridges of understanding and community has never been more important, and we are redoubling our commitment to achieving our mission, to build a united planet one relationship at a time. 

Today we celebrate 17 years of working together to build a more united planet. I am grateful for the dedication of over 10,000 United Planet leaders and volunteers from all over the world who have served in every habitable region on the planet to address global challenges and celebrate diverse cultures, while building bonds of trust and partnership:

• Young leaders like Esther, a 16 year-old student from the Boston Public Schools, who served as a Global Health Fellow in Ecuador. Esther’s experience inspired her to embark on a career in global health.
• And Stephanie, who came from China, to volunteer in US urban public schools. One day, Stephanie witnessed a student go home because her mom died of a drug overdose. That sobering experience led Stephanie to dedicate her life to protecting human rights.
• I am grateful to our older volunteers too, like Donna and Frank, who developed a foundation to support our partner in Romania, dramatically increasing their impact to serve homeless children and women affected by domestic violence.

The antidote to fear is positive action. The antidote to hate is positive interaction. The antidote to solving the world’s most intractable challenges is partnership. Please consider a donation today to take United Planet to the next level of global healing. Here are examples of what your support can accomplish:

·  $2,500 – Give the chance to a deserving student to develop as a global leader through serving for up to four weeks in another country.

·  $1,000 – Allow a circle of schools to connect and thrive through partnership and positive interaction.

·  $250 – Engage a school in building the skills, competencies, and connections necessary to ensure a brighter global future.

·  $50 – Fund scholarships to lead a deserving student down a path of global service.

·  $25 – Provide a student one year of school fees; education is the first step to united planet.

Please donate directly online or send your check to United Planet, 256 Marginal Street, Boston, MA 02128. All donations are tax-deductible. The foundation and hope for a more sustainable future lies in our ability to work together across differences. Our global survival depends on it.

Thank you for all you do. Together we truly can build a more united planet, one relationship at a time.

In partnership,