Sukuma: Background

Introduction

In September 2000, 189 United Nations member states passed the eight international development goals of the United Nations (Millennium Development Goals, MDG). The international community aims to achieve these goals by the year 2015. But any progress isn’t possible without people supporting these goals in their everyday life. The former UN-Secretary General Kofi Annan says: “On this crucial point in history, we have to benefit from the fact that there is an unprecedented consensus about how economic and social development should be supported. It is not in the United Nations that the Goals will be achieved. They have to be achieved in each country by the joint efforts of the Governments and people.” Here you can learn more about those global goals and what you can do!

The current situation: Abstract from the UN and WHO development reports

"Worldwide wealth has grown as a whole, but there is rising inequality in its distribution. More than a billion people – sixth part of world’s population – have to live from less than one Dollar a day, which is not enough for them to survive. In other words, it is a kind of poverty that leads to death.” “Every day over 300 million children have to go to bed hungry.” “Each year, more than 3 million babies are stillborn and far more than 6 million children are dying each year before they turn five years old." But not only malnourishment is a huge problem, also the lack in medical treatment: every 30 seconds, a child in Africa is dying from malaria. “In some countries, less than a half of all children attend primary school and less than 20 percent attend secondary schools. A total number of 114 million children all over the world don’t even receive primary education and 584 women are illiterates.”

The 8 United Nations Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015:

Goal 8:

> Develop a global partnership for development (The goal regarding fair trade)

> Video

Fair Trade is the > topic of the "2. Sukuma Millennium Award"!

What can I do in everyday life?

You already made a step in the right direction: You informed yourself about the UN-goals! Take part in the “Sukuma Millennium Award” and inform also other people with your commercial! The current topic “You buy more than you expect…!” shows concrete possibilities, how to implement the UN-goals number eight and one in everyday life. > Raise the curtain for your commercial!

Further Steps: If you are interested in supporting the UN Millennium Goals in the long term, learn more about concrete possibilities by the UN Millennium Campaign in your own country! Every supporter counts! > The UN-Millennium Campaign (GB)

> Support Sukuma!

Background – the United Nations Millennium Development Goals