COMMENTARY : Success of World Summit for Children Depends on Each of Us : Citizens must hold their leaders to the commitments they have made to the young. And an Orange County conference is needed.

We are usually resigned about our inability to have any real impact on the serious problems facing our communities. We wish our political leadership would do something. But when our elected leaders commit themselves to ambitious goals, we are skeptical.

When you heard about the declarations made, and the goals set, at the recent World Summit for Children, what was your response? Did you ask, “Is this more political rhetoric?” Did you say, “Sure, talk is cheap”? Or did you applaud the real thoughtfulness and courage demonstrated by the historical and ambitious commitments enumerated in the World Summit Declaration and Plan of Action?

Will the World Summit for Children make a lasting difference? We think the answer to this question depends on the sincerity of the world leaders who attended it. And most of us are skeptical about their sincerity, at best. This is a mistake. The ultimate success of the summit is up to us, each and every one of us.

Seventy-one of our world leaders created and stood for a vision for the future of our children, and they have charted the way. It is now our responsibility to honor our leaders as they have declared themselves.

We must interact with them from the expectation that they will honor their word and match their speaking with immediate and potent action. We must lay aside our ordinary cynicism about the promises of politicians.

Only by demanding that our elected leadership keep their word will they expect it of themselves and keep their promises.

There is danger in demanding our leadership honor their word. If they are serious about keeping their promises, they will seek our partnership and active involvement.

According to the World Summit Declaration: “The World Summit for Children has presented us with a challenge to take action. We have agreed to take up that challenge. . . . We are prepared to make available the resources to meet these commitments.” Their stand does not let us as individuals, organizations and private enterprises in Orange County off the hook.

Each of us must take up the challenge personally. The promise of the World Summit for Children will be fulfilled by each of us making the well-being of children our personal priority and responsibility. Our governments can only take decisive action and allocate resources according to our priorities.

The declaration speaks to the need for local governments, non-governmental organizations, civic groups and the private sector to prepare their own programs to reduce malnutrition and illiteracy, and improve children’s health and education. This local implementation is critical.

In partnership with all individuals committed to the well-being of our children, I request that the elected leadership of Orange County--our five county supervisors and each and every mayor and city council member--commit themselves to seeing that such a plan is created for our community.

Today is the first day of Orange County Ending Hunger Week, as proclaimed by the Board of Supervisors. This is in response to a condition in our community wherein more than 350,000 people are “at-risk” of going hungry, including 296,000 children. The term at-risk means that given their family’s income, and the cost of housing and transportation, the federal government cannot figure out how they afford adequate nutrition each month.

It is insufficient to be concerned only for the well-being of the children. For example, there are an estimated 200,000 illiterate adults in Orange County. We must commit ourselves to providing parents with the opportunities they need to develop their family’s own self-sufficiency. Only in that way will our efforts cause a sustainable difference.

Chronic hunger and malnutrition are the worst enemies of children. There are hundreds of committed individuals and organizations working to alleviate and eliminate hunger in Orange County. We call upon our political leadership to commit themselves to the end of hunger early in this decade.

We could begin 1991 with our own summit--a conference on the well-being of children in Orange County. As we make meeting the needs of children our priority, let us come together and create a unified plan of action for eliminating hunger.

The high level of attendance at the World Summit for Children was due not only to the issue but to the strength of the leadership of those who called the meeting. The summit was initiated by the heads of six nations and then supported by 22 others.

Which of our elected officials in Orange County will have the foresight, the commitment and the courage to initiate our local conference?

This work is important not only for us, but for the overall success of the World Summit for Children. We must take care of our children here, where we have the best of circumstances. Without this we cannot authentically hold the president of Mozambique, for example, to keeping his word under the worst conditions.

Now is the time for each of us to act to keep the summit alive, its promise alive, and our world’s children alive and well.