Hello. My name is Moon Yong Zong. I am a youth advocate from World Vision.
At a young age I was fortunate enough to move to Canada, a country with access to health care, quality education and safe communities for children to grow up in. However, we all know this is not the reality for millions of girls and boys around the world, who lack these basic human rights and services. Having grown up in the suburbs of China, bordering the impoverished North Korea, I have personally seen and experienced such children, whose families struggle to get through each day.
Thanks to remarkable progress and development made by the global community, far fewer people are dying around the world and communities are thriving more than they ever have before. But there are still needs, and I believe that Canada has a role to play and that Canada can make a difference. International assistance has the reputation of being about charity, but it's more than that. It's about strengthening the global community and creating sustainable opportunities for everyone.
As a university student with extensive international experience, I can see the importance of Canada playing a bigger role, a more decisive role, in global development. Doing so will not only advance Canada's national interests, but it will further elevate Canada's reputation as a leader in promoting human rights and development.
Therefore, I urge you, honourable members, to recommend annual long-term increases to international assistance in your report to Parliament on budget 2019.
Thank you for your time.