By IANS,
New Delhi: To remind world leaders that the deadline to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is drawing near, the civil society and individuals across the world, including in India, began a three-day ‘Stand up, Take action’ campaign Friday.
A set of eight goals on global development challenges, the MDGs have a 2015 deadline. It was signed by 147 heads of nations, including India, at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000.
However, the civil society fears that work towards the goals have been slow and in some cases almost negligible.
The eight MDGs are: eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and women empowerment, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.
“To remind our leaders that the deadline is near, we are doing a whole range of things – from candle light vigils to workshops and seminars – on the MDGs. In terms of health especially India is way behind achieving its goal within the stipulated time,” Rakshita, an activist told IANS.
In Delhi, a candle light vigil is being held at India Gate Friday evening to symbolize the dispersal of the darkness of poverty and illiteracy, against the backdrop of Diwali that will be celebrated Saturday.
In the vigil, members of the National Confederation of Dalit Organizations, intellectuals, civil society and youth groups will also demand implementation of the Urban Employment Guarantee Act. This Act will provide livelihood opportunities to the millions living in poverty in urban slums across the country.
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Don’t break your promise), a campaign group, will also launch the second phase of the “9 is Mine” campaign across more than 100 parliamentary constituencies, demanding functional health centres and schools in every village, town and city of the country.
Also joining these efforts will be religious factions of the community. Whether it’s at the mosques or in the churches, worshippers will be urged to stand up and remind leaders of the MDGs.
The National Federation of Indian Women will also submit memorandums to district officials across Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, to demand equal wages and jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), better health facilities under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and a check on child mortality and maternal deaths.
In Delhi, stalls will be set up in public places such as markets, railway stations, bus stands and outside hospitals by volunteers, whereby activists will request passersby to fill in a questionnaire on health and education services available in their neighbourhood.
“Findings from this citizen’s audit will be published in the form of state level and national level report cards which will then be shared with respective ministers and politicians as a direct feedback from people,” said Salil Shetty, director of the Millennium Campaign.
Last year, more than 116 million people participated in the ‘Stand Up, Take action’ campaign, entering the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest mobilization of human beings in recorded history.