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The promise was made on the year 2000. It was an historic day for the UN. As a result of long process the United Nations arrived to a new framework towards development, but most important a promise to all mankind: to free us from want and fear. The Millennium Development Goals were born with these words “we will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.”
The 2005 MDG Report states that extreme poverty is the reality for more than a billion people in the world today and that hunger and malnutrition affect around 800 million people, who do not have access to food provided with the nutritional properties needed per day. Of the world’s total 6 billion inhabitants, and merely considering income, almost 2.8 billion (nearly a half) live with less than 2$USD per day, and 1.2 billion (a fifth) survive with less than 1$USD a day (World Bank 2001). If other dimensions of poverty are considered, the world situation, by regions and/or countries is even more negative.
Are we serious about MDG's? If the numbers tells the story we are not.
However we still have a chance. If the M+5 Summit recognizes this sad reality we can accomplish the goals that the international community has set. Otherwise it will be another major frustration for the world, and of course our common future will be a miserable one.
There are a lot of things to be done. It is time to eradicate poverty, which does not mean to improve the income of people living with one dollar to two. It is about fighting against hunger and malnutrition, and implies access to education and ICTs. Also it is time to set a new strategy with the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in order to set authentic development credit lines, and not the current one that oppress undeveloped economies.
We have the big picture. It seems that enough diagnosis has been done. However if the world want to achieve MDG's it cant be done with the ones who are going to be benefited by the accomplishment and that needs to be active participant on these global challenge: young people.
The value of young people has been acknowledged in many international documents, but it seems that States and International Aid Agencies are not able to see how they can impact in young people if proper measures are taken Often it is said that investing in youth is risky. It is also pointed out that there is no way to measure if the investment is going to return.
Fact is: life is risky. Everyday we take risks. We should develop new instrument to measure youth led projects, but this not an excuse for not investing in young people. We need more research but we also need to empower youth, because they are already the people who is taking care of the dramatic situation the world is living. Who do you think is in charge of AIDS orphans in Africa? Who do you think is teaching in rural schools? Who do you think is at the very front dealing with misery? We are.
No MDG's will be accomplished without young people. There is not bigger risk.
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Fabrizio Scrollini
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