Millennium Development Goals

"It is a shame that world leaders announced these goals and not the church! We should have adopted these goals long before the leaders of nations did." -- Saffia Zakama, Micah Challenge Nigeria

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are set of 8 goals that work together to halve extreme poverty by 2015. The goals reflect some of the most crucial needs of our world. These goals were adopted by 189 nations at the United Nations in the year 2000. As Christians these goals are not just something that world leaders agreed to, but the MDGs echo the mind of the biblical prophets and ought to be our priorities as a Global Church. These are not just goals, but promises. These are just not statistics, but our brothers and sisters.

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

There are 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty defined as living on less that $1.25 a day. Nearly a billion people are hungry. PEOPLE--mothers, sons, daughters, fathers, lovers, friends. People beloved by many and especially by God. Hunger in a world of plenty is one of the greatest injustices of our time! Target: reduce proportion of hungry and impoverished people by 50%

Educate All Children

“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation..." -- Nelson Mandela. Education is a Human Right, and right now about 74 million children are deprived of that right. Many children have to work instead of attend school, and many children come from families who can't afford uniforms or other fees involved with attending school. Getting more children in school is key to lifting communities out of poverty.  Target: Ensure all children get a full course of primary school

Empower Women and Girls

Poverty disproportionately affects women--most of the poor in our world are women. This is no coincidence as girls make up 70% of unschooled youth, get paid less than men, have less representation in government, and hold fewer positions of power. Did you know that an extra year of primary school for a girl boosts her future wages by 10%-20%? (Source: CARE) Empowering women means healthier families, and empowered communities. Without achieving this goal the other MDGs will not be achieved. Target: Eliminate the gender disparity between girls and boys enrolled in school.

End the Senseless Deaths of Children

Children around the world are dying every day from diseases that have been curable for over 50 years. Hunger, diarrhea, and diseases like Malaria are destroying families across the globe. It is time for us to end these senseless deaths, and give every child the health they deserve. Target: Reduce by 2/3 the mortality rate of children under five.

Improve Maternal Health

Women continue to die from pregnancy and birth related complications at a rate of 1 a minute, and 99% of them are in the global south (world health organization). We pray and act so that pregnancy can become a time of joy and not fear for women around the world. Target: Reduce by 75% the maternal mortality ratio.

Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases

Though AIDs has received more attention in the last five years it continues to ravage our world. Over 30 million people are living with this disease, and nearly 15 million children in Africa alone have been orphaned by it. Through education, empowerment, and partnership we can halt and reverse the spread of this disease. Under President Bush (PEPFAR Program) millions of people with AIDs in Africa gained access to life prolonging Anti-retro viral drugs--we must pray and act for this to program to expand and grow under our current President. Target: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

Though completely preventable Malaria kills 1 million people each year. Malaria was eradicated in the United States over 50 years ago...why does it still cause the deaths of so many people world wide? We know how to eradicate this disease, we can afford to do so, but we lack the will to do so.  May be the generation that eradicates this unnecessarily deadly disease. Target 3: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Unsafe Drinking water, degrading environment, and Climate Change disproportionately impact the poor in our world. Often times though they have done the least to cause environmental degradation they are the ones to feel its effects the most. Nearly 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Target 1: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources.
Target 2: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss.
Target 3: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Target 4: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.

Develop a Global Partnership for Development

This final goal recognizes that these goals will not be achieved by one nation alone. These goals cannot be achieved by citizens, churches, and civil society alone--they require not only the cooperation but the leadership of governments. These goals will not be achieved while unfair trade practices make it impossible for farmers in Mali to sell cotton at a fair price. These goals will not be achieved if governments of impoverished nations don't vehemently fight corruption and establish transparency. These goals will not be achieved while countries in Africa continue to pay more in debt than they receive in aid. Target 1: Address the special needs of least developed countries, landlocked countries and small island developing states.
Target 2: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system.
Target 3: Deal comprehensively with developing countries’ debt.
Target 4: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries.
Target 5: In cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications.

Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Wilmore and James Zwier