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From School Sisters of Notre Dame Community (SSND)
Join the Global Campaign Against Poverty (GPAC)
“Our constitution calls us to be deeply inserted in our world, to address its basic needs and to lay down our lives so that others may live. We are called to transform our world by making Christ visibly present through our ministry as educators.” The forward to You Are Sent, S. Mary Margaret Johanning, SSND
Today more than a billion of
our brothers and sisters are trapped in extreme poverty. 104 million children
do not have the opportunity to attend primary school and 860 adults, most of
them women, are illiterate. Hunger is a daily reality for many and 1.4 billion
people have no access to safe water. This poverty is a violation of human rights
and human dignity on a massive scale.
In the year 2000, the heads of government of 189 countries signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration. This historic document set forth an ambitious agenda for improving the lives of the world’s poorest citizens by 2015 through a joint effort of developing and developed nations. That agenda, is articulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight measurable, time-bound objectives aimed at combating poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, environmental degradation and discrimination against women and for establishing human rights, good governance and democracy.
For the first time in human history we have the means to put an end to abject poverty. The year 2005 can be the year when citizens around the world pledge to “make poverty history.” The Global Call to Action Against Poverty launched at the World Social Forum is a worldwide alliance committed to helping world leaders keep the promises of the Millennium Declaration. It represents a coming together of hundreds of Non-Governmental Organizations, peoples of all faiths and political beliefs in a joint effort to end poverty that destroys lives and endangers our common security.
This year presents opportunities for citizens to encourage their leaders to take real action against poverty.
The G-8 Summit, will take place this July 6-8 in Edinburgh Scotland, where leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries will meet to discuss global economic challenges. Urge them to cancel the odious debt of the world’s most impoverished nations and to significantly increase the quantity and quality of official development assistance.
September 14-16 at a special high level
session of the United Nations General Assembly, Heads of States and Governments
will evaluate progress toward meeting the goals set for the in Millennium
Declaration. While some progress has been made, the international community is
falling short of meeting the 2015 target date set in the Millennium Development
Goals. Encourage world leaders to renew their
commitments and take concrete action to end poverty.
The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will meet in Hong Kong December 13-18 to discuss international trade regulations and standards. The establishment of just trade agreements has the potential to lift 300 million people out of poverty. The decisions made at the WTO can have significant impact on the poor. Insist that regulations governing trade consider the concerns of those most in need.
Take Action
· Learn more about the Millennium Goals and the Global Campaign Against Poverty and follow their progress in the press.
· Spread the word. Tell your students, friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about the Millennium Development Goals.
· Sign the pledge to ensure that girls everywhere, especially in the poorest countries, are afforded their right to quality education. Remind governments’ of their promise to ensure girls have equal access to primary and secondary education by 2005.
· Get involved in your country’s campaign. National Campaigns against poverty are being organized around the world.
· Show your solidarity with impoverished people everywhere. Join the white band campaign.
· Purchase fair trade products. Learn more at Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair Campaign.
· Call for full cancellation of the unjust debt of the world’s most impoverished nations Write to leaders of the G7 nations and the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund during the April and May.
· Write to your Ambassador to the United Nations asking the government to renew support for the United Nations Millennium Declaration and to take concrete action to end poverty now.
· Become an advocate for one of the world’s least developed countries. Write to government officials, contact the media and speak to you friends and colleagues about the urgent need to cancel the debt, increase the quantity and quality of aid and establish just trade regulations.
· Pray for a more just and peaceful world.
Up-Coming Events
· Global Week of Action on Trade (10-16 April 2005)
Materials, including prayer guides, are available from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) in English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and can be downloaded from Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.
· Global Week of Action on Education (24-30 April 2005)
Campaign Materials are available in English, Spanish and French. Materials include an Educator’s Pack, containing information you will need to take part in the Send My Friend to School action, a lesson plan, as well as leaflets and posters.
Resources and Links
· Action Aid, one of the UK’s largest development agencies, has joined the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.
· Action Kits and Posters for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty are available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
· Coopération internationale pour le développement et la solidarité (CIDSE) is an alliance of 15 Catholic development organizations from Europe and North America which provides a clear analysis of world poverty and structural injustice.
· Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development offers information on German government initiatives to end poverty.
· The Millennium Campaign informs, inspires and encourages people’s involvement and action for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
· MISEREOR, the German charity, provides excellent information about the Millennium Development Goals and the Global Call to Action.
· NetAid is a non-profit organization that educates and empowers young people to fight global poverty. They publish materials in English to support the Fight Against Poverty.
· The UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) promotes dynamic partnerships between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations and provides additional information on the MDGs.
· Debt and Development of Ireland is a coalition of organizations and individuals who share a deep concern about the injustice of the debt of poor countries.
Prayer for the Millennium Goals
In a world where so many go hungry,
Let us make the fruits of creation available for all.
In a world where one billion of our brothers and sisters do not have safe drinking water,
Let us help the waters run clear.
In a world where so many die so young,
And so many mothers die in childbirth
And so many families are ravaged by disease,
Let us bring health and healing.
In a world where women carry such heavy burdens,
Let us recognize and restore the rights of all.
Let us join together, with a new sense of global community,
A new awareness of our need for one another
And for this fragile planet,
To meet the clear challenge of the Millennium Goals,
To bring hope as substantial as bread,
To make human dignity as visible as wheat in the fields.
Amen. (Center of Concern www.coc.org )
LINKS
Global Call launched at the World Social Forum
Today the biggest ever mobilisation against poverty was launched at the World Social Forum in Porte Alegre, Brazil. The Global Call to Action against Poverty is a worldwide alliance of hundreds of organisations which are calling on world leaders to fulfil their promises to end poverty. Read more http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=190470&ct=367261.
Action Kit http://www.whiteband.org/downloads/files/en_actionguide.pdf
Posters http://www.whiteband.org/downloads/files/en_poster.pdf
Millennium Development Goals
Tell your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors about the Millennium Goals. Let them know what the goals mean to you. 2005 offers a plethora of occasions to campaign for the achievement of the goals and for telling your government that this is something that you care about. So why not make sure that the people you care about join you on your mission! Here is an easy way to tell your friends http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/siteapps/email/spreadWord.aspx?c=grKVL2NLE&b=220376.
The Best Millennium Goal Mobilization Action Award
We will soon be launching a competition to find the best MDG mobilization action on the website, so look out for news on this in your inbox and of course on the Millennium Campaign website. In the meantime, have a look at the Action Center to get some basic ideas on what you can do to make the Millennium Goals a reality http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=183708.
Up-Coming Events
Global Week of Action on Trade 10-16 April 2005
This week in April is the first major global mobilisation of 2005.
It is a unique opportunity to challenge the free trade myth.
Free trade and liberalisation are being forced on the poor with devastating results. Poor country governments the world over are being forced to:
· Open their markets to foreign companies, and cheap, often subsidised, imports.
· Cut support to vulnerable producers
· Privatise essential services
This is our chance to put forward the alternative – Trade Justice.
Hundreds of organisations, networks and campaigns are already involved.
Events are already planned in 50 countries, across 6 continents.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) is producing two easy to use booklets for the Global Week of Action on Trade. The Action Guide looks at the arguments, discussing what's wrong with trade at the moment and proposing alternatives, and it gives practical suggestions on how to organize effective events, to influence decision-makers and to inspire others. The Worship Guide is a collection of worship materials for use in church services. It contains some theological reflection, an order of service, stories of people affected by trade and ideas on how to use such a service to launch your campaigning. The guides are available in July 2004 in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and in German and can be ordered at http://www.e-alliance.ch/gwa_order_en.jsp
Global Week of Action on Education 24-30 2005
During the 2005 Global Campaign for Education Action Week millions of children and adults in over 100 countries will deliver an urgent message to world governments - education is the key to end poverty. Join us by taking part in the Send My Friend to School global action.
We will be calling on governments to live up to their promises made on education five years ago when they signed up to the Millennium Development Goals for ending world poverty. This year, they will break the first of their promises - to get as many girls as boys into classrooms by 2005. And their failure will cost lives: this year alone, one million children will die, who would have lived if governments had kept their 2005 promise on girls' education.
Global Action Week 2005 Campaign Materials are available in English, Spanish and French. Materials include an Educator’s Pack, containing information you will need to take part in the Send my Friend to School action, a lesson plan and detailed how-to information on getting your learners involved in Action Week, as well as leaflets and posters. The Campaign Planning Pack is also available in English, French or Spanish. www.campaignforeducation.org/action_2005.html.