Organization aims to help children living below poverty line
Iliana Deanda
On April 22, Thomas Nazario, a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, gave a presentation at MCC to inform students on his organization The Forgotten International (TFI).According to their Web site, TFI is a program that identifies the needs and defends the rights of children worldwide.
With this program, Nazario has had the opportunity to travel to countries such as Botswana, Romania, Thailand and India. During these visits, Nazario worked with the United Nations to document human rights abuses for the U.N. and the U.S. State Department.
Nazario explained his thoughts on what a meaningful life should be like for students.
“If there is nothing that you have done and everything in life has been about you, then it would be hard to argue that you had a meaningful life,” Nazario said. “I’m not suggesting you turn the world around, but you can do a little something once a year and that would be enough, but you have to do something.”
Nazario was inspired by the world’s less fortunate population.
“The thing that I noticed most is that there are almost a billion people on this planet that live on less than a dollar a day,” Nazario said. “They suffer greatly everyday and live on the edge of death. Often we look the other way.”
People who Nazario deemed “forgotten,” included those not only affected by disasters, but people of poverty, as well.
“The TFI Organization addresses emergencies like Haiti, and work with people who are simply not on the radar,” Nazario said. “We work with all of the people on the streets all over the world, all of the people who have been forgotten…by their families, society, their neighbors. This is simply what TFI does.”
Nazario left work as a public defender to publish a book based on liberties that should be provided to youths around the world.
“I decided to write a book on children’s rights. I put this book together, and even before the book came out, I get a call from Oprah Winfrey. I did five shows for (her) based on children’s rights,” Nazario said.
In the final portion of his lecture, he told the stories of the children he met and their everyday struggle to survive.
Nazario left students with a piece of advice.
“If you ever travel internationally, take a Polaroid camera with you. The children like to see themselves,” Nazario said.
For more information on TFI visit http://www. theforgottenintl.org/
