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Nearly five years have already passed since the leaders of the world pledged to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to provide the people of the world “freedom from fear and want.” They signed to implement eight major Goals by 2015. In September 2005, the world leaders will meet again in New York to review the progress they have made regarding their pledge to implement the MDGs.
But data and reports coming from various sources show that the world is nowhere close to achieving these targets. Neither developing countries are able to move in the direction of fulfilling these targets nor have developed countries kept their promise to increase assistance to the third world. Still over one billion people in the world are living with less than one dollar of income a day. The recent reports published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicate that the level of hunger is still on the rise. And on the top of that, developed countries have not kept their promise of increasing their assistance to the 0.7 percent of their GNP.
In the past, we experienced so many promises of world leaders, again and again. Hardly a promise was really implemented. We remember, for instance, the overwhelming announcements which have been made at 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio, right after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. We hoped for a peace bonus instead of weapons expenses; for protection of environment and eradication of poverty instead of the fear of a mutual assured destruction; for the “end of history” by a worldwide triumphal progression of wealth and democracy instead of bloc confrontation. And the politicians? They said, “We will do that all!” Indeed. They promised a new world order and signed Agenda 21, agreeing to the goal of sustainable development.
But after checking the targets ten years later, they had to confess: There was no peace bonus. And the situation of environment and poverty is worse. And what did they decide after this balance? Hardly new actions. The most concrete decision was in fact the decision for a new summit, in order to check the targets again after further five years – and, so it looks indeed, after doing nothing.
By those experiences of disappointment, even many engaged people became pessimistic. A young activist from Spain told me, from her point of view, there are two ways to achieve the MDGs, namely a realistic way and a utopian one. The realistic way is that aliens land on the planet and coerce humankind to eradicate poverty. The utopian way is that humankind itself releases the problem of poverty.
But the civil societies across the world have decided not to accept any excuse this time. In fact, we have decided to enter into partnership with the governments to implement the Goals because if left to governments alone, they are not likely to be achieved. If the civil society is active, these Goals could still be achieved. Making youth partners could further help in achieving these Goals because it is today’s youth who will have to face consequences in the future if these Goals are not met.
That’s why I cannot agree with my fellow activist’s opinion. I strongly believe that we are able to achieve the MDGs – even without the help of Extra-Terrestrials. Humankind is capable of achieving a world without poverty. We simply must be! Every other view wouldn’t only be pessimistic – it would also put back all efforts and the hard work led by many encouraged people from every corner of this planet. This time, we won’t accept excuses. Sure, it’s already five years after the Goals were declared, and we sadly see great progress. But the balance will be done later. We still have time. But we don’t have time to loose. It is time to act:
- Let’s build up a network of activists all around the world!
- Let’s exchange our ideas and experiences!
- Let’s ask our governments what they do to implement the MDGs!
- Let’s tell all people we meet about the MDGs!
- Let’s realize concrete projects in our region to implement MDGs by ourselves – think globally, act locally!
When I talk to my buddies about what the MDGs mean, then I learn that most young people believe in the values of the MDGs and agree that something must be done to face all these challenges and to tackle all the obstacles pushing back progress, and they do agree because they are all naturally concerned by the future.
But not all of them take action; it depends on their level of empowerment. They don’t feel empowered, they are not aware of the power which is within all of us, the power to change situations and to improve things! They don’t believe that any change is possible or that they are able to participate in an extent which would create impact. But we have to know, that changes happen when a large number of people believe that this change is possible, and they work together on their common idea! Nothing will happen without us. Every single person is necessary for the change we strive for.
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Wolfgang Gründinger
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Find a pedestal.. Antony Felix O. O. Simbowo | May 4th, 2005
The point can be better driven home when people from the developed world urge their governments to support developing nations agenda and not bog them down with unfair trade, loans-tagged aid-that take 80 years to repay and then tell them they want to see development!?
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