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Millennium
Development Goals |
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This page contains general information on the Millennium
Development Goals, specific information on Zambia and
Uganda, a poster and external links on this issue. Also
added on the 14th of July 06 a southern perspective
on the Millennium Development Goals.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)- What are they?
Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in 2000,
world leaders made a commitment to eradicate poverty,
promote human dignity and equality and achieve peace,
democracy and environmental sustainability. This commitment
was framed in a set of 8 goals called the Millennium
Development Goals. The target for achieving these goals
is 2015.
Find out about the 8 Goals
A Southern critique of
the Millennium Development Goals.
Samir Amin recently had an article published
in the journal Monthly Review entitled 'The Millennium
Development Goals: A Critique from the South.' This
article is essential reading especially for activists
and campaigners in the north as it calls into question
the whole northern led project of poverty reduction.
At a time when campaigners are thankfully turning to
their southern colleagues and brothers and sisters for
leadership this is a welcome contribution to the debate
from a renowned academic and activist.
Samir Amin is director of the Third World Forum in
Dakar, Senegal. He is author of Obsolescent Capitalism
and The Liberal Virus, among other books, and is a regular
contributor to the socialist journal Monthly Review.
Amin starts by accepting of course the 8 goals are
desirable, nobody in their right mind could disagree
with the goal of reducing extreme poverty and hunger
by a half or ensuring environmental sustainability.
So his goals are of course the same as what all committed
humanitarians should be. However, from the beginning,
he maintains the goals are so contradictory in places
or simply statements with no substance in other places
that the 8 goals are ultimately unachievable. Worse
than that, Amin argues, the process of 'liberalization'
they are attached to will actually increase poverty,
the opposite of what they were supposedly designed to
do. A key question Amin asks and answers towards the
end of the article is were the goals designed to reduce
poverty or are they a cover or a smoke screen for a
much more sinister project that the architects know
full well will actually increase poverty, increase inequality
and further dis-empower the subjects. Sadly it seems,
upon reading this analysis, the latter is the truth.
But don't take this readers word for it, read the article
yourself and add your own experiences to make up your
own mind. Remember we are all fighting the battle to
create a more just and humane society for all of us
and for all the future generations to share in.
Gareth Murphy, Dublin
Samir Amin is director of the Third
World Forum in Dakar, Senegal. He is resident between
Paris and Egypt.
Read the Article in Word format 
Read the Article in HTML (webpage)
format
You can also read the following articles by the same
author:
'Neocolonialism needs everlasting debt' by Samir
Amin. Click
here
'Neocolonialism needs everlasting debt' by Samir
Amin. Click
here
MDG's in Uganda
Civil Society perspectives on the progress and challenges
of attaining the Millennium Development Goals in Uganda
Download in PDF format 
(525kb)
MDG's in Zambia
A report on the Millennium Development Goals and
Zambia
Download in PDF format
(1.09mb)
Nicaragua won't meet MDGs under
International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes because
of conditionalities
The importance of achieving the MDGs for a country like
Nicaragua is quite evident. Nicaragua is one of the
poorest countries in Latin America 80% of its population
lives on less than $2 a day (€1.60)
46% on less than $1 a day (€0.80)
Article by economist Adolfo Jose Accevedo Vogl Download
in PDF format (246kb)
One hand gives while the
other takes: Nicaragua under IMF conditions
html(webpage)
One
hand gives while the other takes: Nicaragua under IMF
conditions Word format
For Nicaragua and the MDGs also see: http://www.ccer.org.ni/english.htm
DEBT as a major obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015
To highlight the relationship between debt, health,
and HIV/AIDS on the African continent, Africa Action
has compiled a table comparing debt service expenditure
and spending on health.
More on Debt and HIV/AIDS:
A Deadly Combination!
Debt and the MDG's. The Damages of Debt
Africa is the most impoverished region in the world
today but it subsidizes the wealthy economies of the
world through a net transfer of wealth in the form of
payments for illegitimate debts.
More on the Damages of Debt
MDG's Jackpot Poster
Why not download and print off this poster!
Download
here in pdf format
External links
Millennium Campaign (United Nations Millennium
Development Goals Campaign)
Millennium Campaign Youth Site (United Nations
Youth Millennium Development Goals Campaign)
Jubilee Zambia
For Nicaragua and the MDGs also see: http://www.ccer.org.ni/english.htm
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