The Home of The Human Safety Net hosted today the European presentation of the 2021/2022 edition of the Human Development Report (HDR), "Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a World in Transformation". The event, taking place on United Nations' Day and for the first time in Italy, marks the recent partnership of Generali and The Human Safety Net with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The report focuses on the challenge of increasing uncertainty, which is taking on new dimensions with a profound impact on people's lives. According to the report, and as remarked by Ulrika Modeer, Assistant Secretary General & Director of Bureau of External Relations & Advocacy at UNDP, “more than six out of seven people worldwide feel insecure about their future”.
The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change have destabilised lives, increased inequalities, and the political-institutional polarisation of society, reducing the overall level of trust in others and, more generally, in the community. In fact, for two years straight, and for the first time since 1990, the Human Development Index (HDI) has declined, falling in nine out of ten countries.
Joining one panel, Lucie Cluver, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, University of Oxford, a partner of The Human Safety Net, has stated how the Covid pandemic has proved to be an incredible stressor on caregivers. At the same time, thanks to a joint effort more than 200 million parents in the world could be reached with evidence-based parenting tips adapted and also disseminated in collaboration with The Human Safety Net and Generali. Tangible solutions are available, they are scalable, and a massive social good can be delivered in a digital, hybrid model to many more families around the world, she said.
The report's final message is straightforward: to turn new uncertainties from a threat into an opportunity, we must double down on human development to unleash our creative and cooperative capacities. The report proposes three areas of intervention - investments, insurance, and innovation - to tackle the global challenges and support people —in all their complexity, diversity, and creativity— as they are the real wealth of nations.
The Human Safety net is committed to do its part in supporting parents, children and refugees living in vulnerable contexts through the daily engagement of the net of NGOs, social enterprises and volunteers, and working together with like-minded organisations and institutions, promoting social innovation, for a more inclusive future.
