For those of us who believe in the spirit of giving and compassion, it's heart-wrenching to think of children around the world facing death due to a lack of basic necessities, while millions are used in our own communities for brief firework displays. Annually, millions of dollars are spent on extravagant firework celebrations. Imagine the world we could create if these same funds were refocused to tackle global crises such as poverty, hunger, health or education.

Any child's life lost anywhere is a loss to all of us everywhere. With the money spent on firework displays in the U.S. alone which, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, was over $1.3 billion in 2019, we could significantly contribute to causes like education, healthcare, housing, and humanitarian aid. This would support our mandates of justice, equity, and compassion, and could create long-lasting and meaningful change in people's lives around the globe.

By calling on governments, corporations, and event planners to reconsider their annual budgets required for fireworks, we can start a dialogue about more impactful ways to celebrate national holidays and special events. We, the world's citizens, have the power to incite this significant change. We urge you to consider this proposal seriously in order to create a world where the lives of children around our globe are valued over fleeting displays of spectacle. Sign this petition to show your support today.