The strength of signatures
Positive Foundations collects signatures to promote Millennium Development goals
by Rebecca Klein
Features editor
Features | 5/25/10
Posted online at 11:19 AM EST on 5/24/10
/ Last updated at 12:23 AM EST on 5/24/10
From April 19 through April 23, Allyson Goldsmith '10, the former executive director of Positive Foundations, eagerly approached various groups of people in the Usdan Student Center and asked them, "Would you like to help end world poverty? If so, then please sign this petition to demonstrate your support for the Millennium Development Goals as part of the Commit in September Campaign." By the end of the week, Goldsmith and other members of Positive Foundations, an on-campus group that promotes extra sustainable development, had collected over 650 signatures.
The MDGs are eight international goals that were outlined in the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September 2000. The goals aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, and according to Goldsmith, they include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and creating a global partnership for development.
According to its website, the Commit in September Campaign aims to demonstrate young Americans' grassroots commitment to the MDGs ahead of this September's United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit. At the summit, world leaders will come together to enhance efforts to achieve the MDGs.
Goldsmith says, "The Millennium Development Goals are up for review [at the summit], which means that they're going to extend the timeline to complete them. The timeline to complete them by was 2015, and most countries are not on track to complete the goals, so hopefully they're going to renew the goals so each country has to review their commitment to them."
For example, while some members of the U.N. have committed to giving 0.07 percent of their Gross National Product to help achieve development goals, some countries, like the United States have not fulfilled that commitment, says Goldsmith. This, among many other factors, has helped impede the completion of the development goals.
The MDGs are eight international goals that were outlined in the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September 2000. The goals aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, and according to Goldsmith, they include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and creating a global partnership for development.
According to its website, the Commit in September Campaign aims to demonstrate young Americans' grassroots commitment to the MDGs ahead of this September's United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit. At the summit, world leaders will come together to enhance efforts to achieve the MDGs.
Goldsmith says, "The Millennium Development Goals are up for review [at the summit], which means that they're going to extend the timeline to complete them. The timeline to complete them by was 2015, and most countries are not on track to complete the goals, so hopefully they're going to renew the goals so each country has to review their commitment to them."
For example, while some members of the U.N. have committed to giving 0.07 percent of their Gross National Product to help achieve development goals, some countries, like the United States have not fulfilled that commitment, says Goldsmith. This, among many other factors, has helped impede the completion of the development goals.
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