What if, We All Did Something Today for the Millennium Development Goals?

The United Nations will come for us.

  To kick-start 2012, I am proposing we start it with inspiration from a very controversial figure-a person whose legacy as UK prime minister will for a long time be a controversial issue. I am talking of Gordon Brown.

I don't really care about  what people will think of him as prime minister. What matters to me is how I see the man Brown- he is a man with a great  heart and a compassionate soul. 

Please read the speech below which he presented at the 65th UN General assembly dedicated to measuring the progress made by nations in the achievement of MDGs. Since hearing this speech for the first time, it has had a great impact on my advocacy for the achievement of MDGs.Please read on.


"I come to the richest city in this, the richest country, to declare on behalf of the poorest citizens, of the poorest countries, a global poverty emergency that we must now address.

Under Ban Ki-moon's leadership, we gather today from the Head of the African Union President Kikwete to the Prime Minister of China, from Bill Gates to Bono, Governments, NGOs, businesses, people of all faiths and societies, in a new unique and historic coalition against poverty to unite the world in an unprecedented effort from now on to secure the Millennium Development Goals.  And already this is a historic Summit.  Even at this time of financial difficulty, already we know that eight billion dollars has been pledged to reduce poverty.

Now our United Nations Chapter begins, we, the people, and I am humbled to stand here and speak for the thousands of our people who are dying because they are too poor to live and throughout the ages the fate of the hungry, the homeless, the deprived, and what we do to help, has been the touchstone of compassion, the crucible in which our morality is tested.  And we cannot stand aside.  We say we are "one world", but every three seconds, we allow one child to die from extreme poverty.

Some say this time of financial turbulence is the time to put our ambitions on hold, to cut back or postpone the dream of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, but this would be the worst time to turn back.
Every global problem we have requires global solutions, involving all the continents of the world.  We cannot solve the food shortages that face many continents without involving Africa and developing countries.  We cannot solve climate change without involving Africa and developing countries.  We cannot solve the pressure on resources and energy without involving Africa and the developing countries.  And Africa and our developing countries are not the problem - they are part of the very solution to today's problem.
In the museum in Rwanda, which commemorates the thousands killed as the world looked on and looked the other way, there is a picture of a young boy who was tortured to death and the plaque reads:
Name:  David
Age:  10
Favourite Sport:  Football
Enjoyed making people laugh
Dream of becoming a doctor
Last words:  the United Nations will come for us.
But we never did.  Even as he died, that child believed the best of us.  In reality, our promises meant to him nothing at all.

Today, facing famine, we promised we, the United Nations of the world, will come to help, but the hungry are dying while we wait.  Facing poverty, we promise that we will come to help, but poor are dying while we wait.   Facing betrayal of the Millennium Development Goals, we say again we will come, but many continue to die while we wait.  And I believe our greatest enemy is not war or inequality or any single ideology or a financial crisis;  it is too much indifference.  Indifference in the face of sole-destroying poverty, indifference in the face of catastrophic threats to our planet.  A casual uncaring corrosive pass-by on the other side, walk by indifference as [inaudible] said "to be indifferent to suffering makes the human being inhuman", so today again, it is this United Nations of the world that is on trial.  It is our credibilities, as representatives of the global community, that is being tested.  It is our commitment to one inclusive sustainable world that is under challenged.  Our global leadership itself is being questioned and let us face the shameful truth that while we have made huge advances, 40 million more children at school, three million children living who would otherwise have died, three million getting treatment for AIDS, but despite all our promises, with one mother dying in childbirth every minute, the 2015 goal to cut maternal in infant mortality will not be met even in 2020 or 2030, not before 2050.  And the 75 million of the world's children still without a school to go to, the goal promising every child schooling will not be met on present trends in 2015 or 2025 or even in 2100 and I say to the richest countries of the world the poorest of the world have been patient, but a hundred years is too long to wait for justice.

So to seek to make poverty history, we need to make new history today, and make it happen now, so I ask you to take today four goal steps:

- first, on health, that we recruit and train a million health workers, saving the lives of three million mothers and seven million children;

- second, on malaria, we agree that we will stop all malaria deaths by 2015, to ensure everyone has a bed net by 2010, to fund the research for the vaccine that can prevent the loss of life;  and

- then on education, to get 24 million more children into school by 2010, to get us back on track to universal education by 2015;  and

- fourth, on famine, to prevent today's starvation in the Horn of Africa, to fund and deliver seeds and fertilizers to 30 countries in time for the planting season, to invest ten billions in Africa so it can help feed not just Africa, but feed beyond Africa with its exports.

In the past, feed the world meant that we helped to feed Africa.  In future, if we do things right, we will do best by enabling Africa to feed the world.

So, let this United Nations, this leaderhip of the world, today rouse the conscience of the world.  Someone else's global citizens to great and common purpose so that millions of men, women and children trapped in the prison of poverty can at last be set free."

TRANSFORMING CHANGE Part.2

The naming by Times Magazine of “The protester” as person of the year last week, prompted this post in which we have seen the dominating perceptions of change by people around the globe. In this  part of the post, I give my take on what true change is.

Personally,I believe in change that  is transformation. The change we need in Cameroon, Africa and the world is not change that only consists of  transfers,dismissals or replacements of people and things.

While transfers, dismissals or replacements of people and things are necessary, they are not a sufficient condition for change to happen. A change in people rather than a change of people therefore appears to be the preferable and probably the most sustainable means to achieving change with long lasting impact and widespread effects.

A change in people is change that not makes different but transforms. This change  consists of  one putting his/her self  in question and making amendments. A change in people is the  change of mentality, which determines  the level of change in society. True development must begin from within.

Conscious of the fact that the brain is the central processing unit of the human body, it is evident  that a change of people has little , if at all any effect on the internal being of humans. For it can be fairly compared to an epidermis change and as we all know, a snake may change its epidermis  a thousand times, its Vernon Vernon remains poisonous.

I am convinced that if we must achieve our common aspirations(universal access to education, end malnutrition,empower youths and women, include people with disabilities in development processes) real change is an outward(external) sign of inward transformation. I desire change  with my entire mind as you surely do, “nothing is as constant as change” and nobody can do away  with it. Change more than words, should become actions. Let’s take the challenge, let’s transform our perception of change, let’s transform change.  

TRANSFORMING CHANGE Part .1

The   “change we need” slogan has indisputably become one of the most popular, if not the most reknowned, in recent world history. More than a slogan, ”change we need” has become a credo to billion of souls across the globe. The enthusiasm,optimism and hopes raised and/or re-enkindled in this people by this slogan is legendary and is  a clear illustration of  how “powerful” the word  “change” can be.

 

Times Magazine last week honoured the youths of the world by naming “the protester” person of the year 2011. This due to the numerous protests that wwere registered during this year.The word on every lip during these manifestations was change.

The year  2011 will be remembered in Cameroon,Africa, and the world as that year in which the desire for change was at its optimum. Social uprisings in in many parts of Africa, the Arab spring, the occupy wall street movement are among countless others the most  popular modes through which people have expressed their desire to see”change”. But the word change means diverse things to different people and one will not thus to be surprised to see people having a mutually exclusive definition of what they think change is at the same protest or even voting the same candidate in an election.

Surveys I carried out in November 2008, while the “change we need” slogan was at the peak of its popularity and another I conducted during the  October 2011 presidential elections in Cameroon, revealed that two main schools of thought existed when it comes to giving a meaning to the word “change”.

The first school of thought holds that change is synonymous to dismissal, displacement, and replacement. In fact to those in this school of thought, change is essentially physical and unless made to manifest in this way , they don’t consider it as change. “Change must be visible they say”.

The second school of thought on its part  sees change as going beyond a physical manifestation and argues that, the most important evidence of change is that which is within a person and not without her. This is because, they say, “a snake may change its skin but its Vernon remain poisonous”.

Before taking sides, it is necessary for us to know what  according to Barack Obama, the “change we need” slogan  author, change really is. The 44^th president of  the United States of America(USA) in his inaugural speech made the following declaration: “This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the evidence for us to make that change and that cannot happen without you”.

Very explicit isn’t it?This declaration  was no doubt an  to people who believe  change in its major part is physical and in support of those who hold a contrary view.

Why not listen to the "wind f change" while I bring you my take on the "real change to believe in" in the second part of this post.

States must not ignore human rights in efforts to end poverty

Today is international Human Rights day. Given that in my last blog I talked of an inclusion of human rights in the MDGs to be inevitable if MDGs are to be achieved,no body better than Amnesty which is  actively advocating for this can really explain what it really mean. I have posted this article from Amnesty International not only to acknowledge their efforts for human dignity to be respected but also to continue my advocacy for this to be done as soon as possible by the powers that be.

Governments risk failing some of the world's most impoverished and vulnerable groups unless human rights are put at the centre of efforts to eradicate poverty, Amnesty International warned on Wednesday.

In a new report looking at how to strengthen the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs], the organization highlights how key targets fall short of existing international human rights standards.                   

The report, From Promises to Delivery, outlines crucial steps governments can take to deliver meaningful progress on the MDGs over the next five years.

"The MDGs promised some of the worlds most impoverished and excluded a fairer future but it is now painfully obvious that unless urgent action is taken governments will fail the most vulnerable communities," said Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"The message for world leaders when they come together in September to review progress on the MDGs is clear:  they must act now to put human rights at the centre of efforts to improve the lives of those living in poverty."

The report calls on governments to ensure all MDG initiatives are consistent with human rights; address discrimination experienced by women; set national targets for delivery; fulfill the right of participation and strengthen mechanisms for accountability.

It was launched on Wednesday in New York, where representatives from governments, civil society and the UN are gathering at an Amnesty International and Realizing Rights conference to discuss the importance of human rights in achieving the MDGs. 

Three main issues – gender equality, maternal health and slums – are highlighted in the report to illustrate the gulf between the current MDGs framework and international human rights standards.

On gender equality the report shows how the MDGs fail to ensure that governments address women's human rights across all targets despite it being an essential element in tackling poverty. Where gender equality is listed in the MDGs it is limited to a single target to eliminate disparities in education.

It is estimated that 70 per cent of those living in poverty are women. The report documents how women and girls continue to suffer from gender discrimination, violence and further human rights violations in all societies.

Improving maternal health is an area that has seen far too little progress according to the report. The MDGs fail to take into account a variety of underlying factors that contribute to maternal deaths and injuries.

Human rights issues such as early or forced marriage, violence against women and girls prevents women from making decisions about their own lives.

The MDGs also do not pay sufficient attention to sexual and reproductive rights. From Peru to Sierra Leone, the report illustrates the barriers women in poverty face when trying to access maternal healthcare.

The MDG target to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers is described as "grossly inadequate and weak" given that an estimated 1.4 billion people will live in slums by 2020. The target also falls short of existing obligations on states under international human rights law.

Amnesty International has documented forced evictions of communities living in slums in all regions of the world. The effects of these forced evictions is catastrophic for people who were already living in poverty. The MDGs ignore the crucial obligations of states to prevent and protect people from these violations.

From Burkina Faso to the favelas in Brazil, the report shows how an accountability deficit exists which makes it hard for people living in poverty to access justice. Mechanisms to ensure accountability do not exist or are inaccessible to people living in poverty.

"Human rights are central to making the MDGs effective," said Claudio Cordone. "Governments must be held to account to ensure their efforts to achieve the MDGs are consistent with human rights."

This work is part of Amnesty International's Demand Dignity campaign which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign will mobilise people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights. For more information visit thewww.amnesty.org

Respect Us! Give Us Opportuniy, Not Charity

Fighting HIV/AIDS and other diseases like malaria is one the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) voted by the United Nation’s in the year 2000. Given that this fight seems to be slowing down and that more than 5% of Cameroonians are living with HIV/AIDS-60% of which are women and 40% falling in the youths category-there is a cause for concern on the strategy to be used for the achievement of MDGs.

Conscious that handicapped persons are also celebrated in December and given that living with HIV/AIDS is more and more considered a handicapped. This article is going to dwell on the inclusion of the handicapped in the achievement of MDGs.

Concerning the non-achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by most countries of the global south, much has been said and so much more left unsaid. But if there is one thing that has so often been ignored by policy makers, politicians and all those in charge of implementing policies that will lead to a timely  achievement of MDGs, it the absence of human rights in these goals. The non-inclusion of human rights in the MDGs means the exclusion of handicapped persons, indigenous people, and other minority groups in their achievement.

Given that handicapped persons constitute 10% of Cameroon’s population and are among the poorest people in the country, it is evident that talking of poverty, the fight against hunger, improvement of maternal health care and reduction of infant mortality child is pretentious if nothing is done to the more than 85% of these handicapped persons aged14-64 years who are jobless and the other 15% of them who are confined to shoe mending, shoe shinning and other informal sector activities.

Also, talking about achieving universal access to education without paying particular attention to the fact that less than 5% of handicapped children in Cameroon can afford to

go to school with only 2% of these handicapped children completing secondary school, is wishful thinking.  What about the  ever increasing number of albino children who because of their sight defect and the inability of their parents to buy them glasses drop out daily from school?

The government of Cameroon recruited 25000 certificate holders in 2011 under a special recruitment scheme. But none of them was an handicapped person and as if this was not enough, a good number of handicapped persons were sent away from public schools because they could not afford to pay the required fees.This despite the fact that they are officially exempt from the payment of school fees in public schools in Cameroon. To protest against the above acts, the handicapped organized a protest march in front of the prime minister’s office in October 2011 but were violently dispersed by the police and military forces.

Can we say of a country whose government carries out such horrible acts against its own very population, even if it achieves all the MDGs, that it is developed? Can MDGs be achieved if the strategy to achieve them is not inclusive? Can the achievement of MDGs, as they are now, lead to sustainable development?

My answer to the above questions is ‘NO’. Because I am intimately convinced that, unless inclusive and people-centered, no development plan can produce any sustainable results. It is high time for our government and civil society to listen to and amplify the voices of the handicapped so that they are heard and acted upon by policy making and implementing structures because like all poor people, “they long to belong to, and participate in their communities on equal footing with others. Most of all, they do not want charity. They want opportunity”, as former world bank President James Wolfehnson once put it.  Anything short of this will make the achievement of MDGs in Cameroon, even by 2035, a far-fetched dream.

How can one expect a country like Cameroon to achieve the MDGs related to literacy, health, and economic empowerment when it does not take the handicapped into consideration when designing and constructing public buildings and other infrastructure like roads, hospitals, universities, and schools?

How can one expect Cameroon to be democratic,united,and emerging by 2025,as exposed in its vision 2035,when more 10% of its population(handicapped persons) are disenfranchised due to their non-consideration when designing and producing electoral material(especially ballots) and situating polling stations(Most being inaccessible to the handicapped)?

Realizing that the above is impossible without respect for human rights, we, at the Education 4Development Foundation (E4DF) have made human rights the 9^th MDG and therefore one of the elements of our advocacy and awareness creation campaign on a participative,timely, and inclusive achievement of MDGs in our community. Through our MDGs participative achievement programme, we reached out to more than 1000 pupils and students in 2011 and look forward to reaching out to a greater number in 2012.

Accelerating progress on the Millennium Development Goals