This is a blog posted previously submitted to the CSIS Smart Global Health blog competition in response to the question 'is a social movement for NCDs possible?':

The AIDs movement is an exemplar of the possible – a powerful combination of leadership, a united civil society sector, and messaging that resonates ubiquitously. A social movement so successful it has galvanised global political action and strong institutional representation far in excess of any ‘objective’ proportionately to disease burden.

Is our movement – the global NCD movement – on the same path to success? As a young health professional are NCDs the social justice issue, the HIV/AIDS, of my generation? I answer in the affirmative, but only if (and these are big ifs) we seize the opportunities before us. There are many, but I will give you three that I consider important.

Our first opportunities are unity and passion.

The recent UN civil society hearing in New York was replete with technical and pre-scripted arguments – where was the emotive and the outrage? It was rarely evident. Before we can connect with the hearts and minds of our global leaders and world at large, we must first feel our cause. And we must feel it deeply. A social movement is won with passionate ideas, from passionate people shouting from the rooftops.

Do we challenge this pandemic because the science tells us to? No. We do so because in a world where they are preventable, NCDs are unjust. Because NCDs are a threat to human rights and dignity, and to the alleviation of poverty. Because children - even before they are born - are increasingly exposed to tobacco smoke, unhealthy diets, alcohol and physical inactivity. Because they have a human face. Each of us must answer this question – why do I care? This is why our movement matters.

Have no doubt, NCDs are not simple. There are multiple diseases with multiple determinants, interest groups and institutions. Some might call this cacophony. But it is also an opportunity. We have strength in numbers, but to unleash our collective power we must nurture a culture of learning and mutual interdependency.

Our second opportunity is symbolic capacity.

Can the acronym ‘NCDs’ become a symbol of our times, akin to AIDs? Indeed it can. We have achieved success when our 3-letter acronym resounds with the man on the street. But first we must tell stories about the human face of NCDs, and connect our stories with the world. We have new tools to help us. YouTube, Twitter and Facebook did not exist at the first UN Summit on health – we can now harness the power of social media.

But more than this we must also offer an alternative and more positive vision for the future. Smoke free societies, nourishing food systems, alternative drinking cultures, exercise promoting places, healthful minds, and healthy children – to frame NCDs in this way is to envision success not only for our movement, but also for societies at large. It is to shift the framing away from the doom and gloom of risks and risk factors.

Our many opportunities are young people.

As Sir George Alleyne recently said, the UN Summit this September 'is only the end of the beginning'. We must think long-term and make investments that will pay dividends for decades to come. This is why young people are critically important. The students and young professionals of today are not only the workforce and patients of tomorrow, but also the future leaders of our movement. Not just in health, but across all relevant sectors and disciplines. Multi-disciplinary training curricula and leadership programmes are strategic investments.

The NCD Action Network is transforming these ideas into actions. We are young people, university students and concerned citizens building a global and multi-disciplinary advocacy community. We believe a social movement is not only possible but inevitable, because this is the social justice movement of our generation. And we care deeply about our cause.