At the Millennium Summit in September 2000 the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals.
Quantifiable, time-bound goals for ending extreme poverty. Today, we are at the mid-way point in achieving these goals, yet progress has been far too slow in many parts of the world. From their site, the MDG Project says that "The crisis is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa where, despite some successes such as increased primary school enrollment, the majority of countries are not on track to achieving the MDGs."
Today, with the United States economy in crisis, with fuel costs at astronomical rates, with food shortages and food costs soaring, with AIDS still unsolved, the question arises: what can I do, as an individual, to contribute to end world poverty? What can I do, currently self-employed and with an uneven income, do to end world poverty?
Well, actually, there are plenty of things I can do. Slow Food supports good, clean and fair food, with a focus on local growers. I can support businesses that are green. I can recycle. If I focus on small, local actions, and put these actions out into the world, that energy spreads.
The cost of poverty is high - wasted minds, wasted potential, wasted lives. We can do better.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
I hate when my food is slow. I'm hungry! Cook already!
Randal, I'm on clear liquids today, so I have to stop talking about food.
I've always been a big fan of "Grow Your Own" too.
Remind me sometime to haul out the Food Bank post/movie I made last year.
Diva, I'm with you on all those changes in my personal, very small way.
And as you no doubt know, I'll follow you anywhere.
Utah is so right when she says "everything is political." All our choices, every single expenditure...it all makes a difference.
Yes, indeed. We can do better.
I'm thirsty.
I'd support my local growers, but they've long since gone from Long Island with most if the land sold to local developers.
We have one farm stand near my home that grows their own vegetables. The best corn ever and tomatoes that are to die for...I always buy from them in the summer. Every year I say I'm going to buy more and do some canning, but I never do. Maybe next year. I'm also getting rid of the big ol' wood swing set with the fort in my backyard next year (neighbor with a new baby taking it) and planting a vegetable garden next spring. My brother is a great gardener and gave me lots of tips on successful gardening this summer.
Oh...and my daughter, bless her heart, bought one of those hand pushed mowers, no gas or electricity, to cut her lawn. She said her neighbors kept offering to lend her their lawnmowers. They were surprised that she actually wanted to use the thing, not a gas lawnmower.
They are building an office building across the street from me that's state of the art environmentally- solar cells worked into every window, a wind turbine and rainwater collector on the roof - it's actually going to put more power on the grid than it takes off.
More of that.
We have a corner lot, so we use the power mower, but to save the planet we only mow it when it when we have time, or it becomes junglesque. We are doing our part to save the planet. If anyone tells me my lawn looks shabby, I shall give them a lecture on global warming & how much I love polar bears.
We have a farmer's market for small growers close to my home...there is a huge difference in quality of the produce. Poverty impacts almost every issue in this world.
Post a Comment