8 Goals

In September 2000, the international community pledged its commitment towards the eradication of world poverty by 2015 by ratifying the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Political leaders from around the world identified eight major measurable objectives for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Amidst a deepening financial crisis and with only six years remaining until the 2015 deadline, now is an important time to ensure that achievement of the MDGs remains at the top of political and public agendas worldwide. Uniterra’s projects and campaigns mobilize citizens from Africa, Asia and the Americas to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

MDG # 1 – Reduce Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Food insecurity and malnutrition constitute priority sectors for Uniterra’s partners in the following countries: Bolivia, Botswana, Guatemala, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nepal, Senegal and Vietnam. Overall, reducing extreme poverty is Uniterra’s primary area of concern.

MDG # 2 – Ensure Primary Education for All
In many countries, boys and girls do not have equal access to education. In Ghana, Senegal, and Niger, Uniterra’s partners are carrying out projects to promote school accessibility and enrolment. In addition, they are enhancing education by supporting non-formal education and literacy training networks.

MDG # 3 – Promote Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
Gender issues are at the heart of every project executed by Uniterra’s partners. Whether it’s in education, agriculture or any other sector, we devote particular attention to gender equity and incorporate the narrowing of gender-based gaps into the actual execution of activities on the ground. Programming in Africa has particular focus on gender equality.

MDG # 4 – Reduce Infant Mortality
Uniterra’s partners in Bolivia and Mali have chosen to act in the areas of child nutrition and the development of community health services.

MDG # 5 – Improve Maternal Health
In Mali and Bolivia, Uniterra’s partners seek to increase women’s access to health care in community clinics. Moreover, they carry out projects to increase women’s participation in decision-making and management in relation to community health centres.

MDG # 6 – Fight HIV and AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases
HIV and AIDS affect a major proportion of the population in many of the countries where Uniterra’s partners work. In Botswana, Burkina Faso and Malawi, we hope to expand the health services available to persons with HIV and AIDS and those affected by the virus (i.e. orphans). In addition, informing and sensitizing local populations is a major component of all community health projects.

MDG # 7 – Ensure a Sustainable Environment
In many countries, environmental degradation has a very negative impact on the expansion of agriculture and the sustainable development of rural populations. We work with rural and urban communities in Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru on questions of sustainable development and on communities’ involvement in water and sanitation management.

MDG # 8 – Institute a World Partnership for Development
Uniterra subscribes to the international ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign, which seeks to eliminate Third World debt, increase development assistance, promote fair trade and reduce child poverty. For more information go to: www.makepovertyhistory.ca .


What you can do
We have passed the halfway mark to 2015, the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. There has been some progress, but there is still a long way to go. We need to take urgent and inspired action now. The 8 Goals campaign is the Local Committee campaign to end poverty by 2015. Local Committees have an important role to play in bringing attention to these goals, by getting their university/college to support them and engaging in dialogue with policy-makers to get Canada to live up to its Millennium promises. Join forces with other groups on campus to mobilize your community in support of the MDGs. There is power in numbers!

Join the 8 Goals campaign to hold a ‘Stand Up and Take Action’ event, champion the goals on campus, and call for policies to achieve them:
• Organize a Stand Up and Take Action between October 16-18, 2009. Last year, almost 117 million people stood up worldwide.
• Organize a Symposium or Make Poverty History events during International Development Week (Feb. 7-13) or during the Journées québécoises de la solidarité internationale.
• Learn more about WUSC and Uniterra programs through the online discussions for Local Committees in the last week of September, 2009.

Hold a workshop – Educate your peers on Canada’s role in the achievement of the MDGs using the 8 Goals workshop “Meeting Our Targets”.

Create a visual representation of 0.7% - Raise awareness about the need to increase Canadian support for more and better aid by creating a visual representation of 0.7%, the percentage of our Gross National Income (GNI) that we have promised to allocate to foreign aid by 2015. We are currently at 0.33%.

Wrap it in White - Groups around the world have been wrapping buildings in white. It’s a fun, effective awareness strategy and a great way to get media attention.

Stand Up and Take Action - For the fourth straight year, we are encouraging all WUSC Local Committees to join millions of people around the world and participate in ‘Stand Up. Take Action. End Poverty Now’ around October 17th, the international day for the eradication of poverty. You can raise awareness and encourage governments and individuals to take action to end extreme poverty. Visit the Stand up website http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/ to find out how to register your event, network with people in your community, and browse through the multitude of actions you can take on October 16-18. If you would like to participate in a city-wide action, get in touch with your regional officer and they will put you in touch with the organizers in your city.

*Don’t forget to input the results of your actions on both the Stand Up website and on My Committee.

Want to participate?
Check out the 8 Goals resources and get in touch with your regional liaison officer! Sign your committee up for this campaign on your My Committee account.