THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND MORE

SOME VIEWS ON THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

By Raúl Viñas, Gonzalo Rivero and Óscar Sola

      The Millennium Goals appeared when the world leaders came together at The United Nations Headquarters in New York and created the Millennium Declaration. Since then, The United Nations have been working hard to get all the goals done.  This document, the Millennium Declaration, had a deadline of 2015 , our year, when all the goals had to be achieved. As we have mentioned before, there are specifically eight objectives for the European development:

1.   ERRADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER.

2.   ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION

3.   PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN

4.   REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY

5.   IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH

6.   COMBAT HIV / AIDS , MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES

7.   ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

8.   GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT

         We think they are very good and can improve the world where we live by eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality… But we also know that all of them have not been completely achieved, so we hope that in a few years all the Millennium Development Goals will be accomplished and other objectives will be started!

And now, as the deadline for The Millennium Development Goals is finishing, we  have been reflecting on which goals should continue been the same and which should change or should be expanded in one way or  the other. One we propose to be expanded, is the right of childhood. In the Millennium Development Goals there are three goals referring to childhood: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education and reduce child mortality. Instead of these three goals we propose to include all in one, being this “ensuring children’s rights”

Ensuring children’s right would encompass all the rights that children should have. From education to nourishment, including freedom and as much happiness as possible.

Lots of children are being used to work in mines and textile mills and they also used for war, turning them into soldiers since they are six or seven years old, we would like to define a new goal that would protect the children's rights to the full.. 
We propose "ensuring children's rights", but we also wanted to listen to adult people, some of us interviewed our parents.

What do you  think about the Millennium Goals? Would you like to redefine them  in any way or would you like to add new ones?

We have interviewed some parents and here is a summary of what they have answered.

Well, most of them think the EU is doing a great job. All the countries are part of a greater Community which is stronger, for trading, politically, etc. Although it is true that some countries have had problems after the euro, as Spain, Portugal, Greece, etc.

When we asked if they considered it was a good idea including other countries, they definitely agreed. For example, some mentioned including Turkey would be a good idea.  80.000 million inhabitants and new trading possibilities with the Middle East! In addition to showing our Community is diverse, different cultures and religions too, but willing to live peacefully. However, we also had some answers saying they were not so sure about it.

Finally, all the people we interviewed thought the Millennium Development Goals were great. In order to create a new, peaceful world, it’s essential to eradicate poverty and hunger, empower gender equality, reduce child mortality and of course ensure environmental sustainability.