NGO "ANOTHER WAY" (STICHTING BAKENS VERZET), NETHERLANDS, SUSTAINABLE INTEGRATED SELF-FINANCING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGIES

In section 2 of the second block the problems to be resolved the Millennium Goals were linked to the services basic to a good quality of life Integrated Development Projects provide to all of the inhabitants in a a given project areas. These files were :.

01. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

02. Achieve universal primary education.

03. Promote gender equality and empower women.

04. Reduce child mortality.

05. Improve maternal health.

06. Combat HIV/aids, malaria and other diseases.

07. Target 09 : Ensure environmental sustainability.

08. Targets 10 and 11 : Water, sanitation and slums.

09. Develop a global partnership for development.

Progress actually made on achieving the Millennium Goals 1-4 is now analysed.

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010 United Nations, New York, 2010 has recently been published. The following text refers to the 2009 edition. Relevant variations in the 2010 edition have been inserted in the text. The 2010 edition parrots the 2009 edition and indicates a general worsening of the situation except in sectors involving pharmaceuticals applications which have been more adequately financed.

Critically analyse the The Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, United Nations, New York, 2009.

On page 54 of the report, mention is made of the method used for the data collection. :

“Data are typically drawn from official statistics provided by governments to the international agencies responsible for the indicator. This is accomplished through periodic data collection from ministries and national statistical offices around the globe. To fill gaps in data, which occur frequently, many of the indicators are supplemented by or derived exclusively from data collected through surveys sponsored and carried out by international agencies.” (p.54)

Countries are grouped in regions, for example Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean etc.

You can compare the figures for your country with those given for the region group it belongs to.

1. Opinion.

On the basis of this data, give a one-page opinion on the precision of the information the report is based on..

In relation to goal 1 «eradication of extreme poverty and hunger » (pages 6-13 of the report) the main headings are :

Target: « Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day” :

Heading « The global economic crisis derails progress against poverty (p.6) »

Comment : [Because of the economic crisis] «In sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, both the number of poor and the poverty rate are expected to increase further in some of the more vulnerable and low-growth economies.” (p. 7)

Comment : « Prior to the economic crisis and higher food prices, the number of people in developing regions living in extreme poverty — on less than $1.25 a day in 2005 prices — fell from 1.8 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2005. » (p. 7)

Heading « Prior to the crisis, the depth of poverty had been reduced in almost every region (p. 7) »

Target (new target subsequently added separately from Goal 8 to the list) « Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people”.

Heading « Prospects darken for the working poor (p.8) »

Comment : « These are people who are employed, but who do not earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the $1.25 a day poverty line. The encouraging trends that were evident until 2007 may have reversed or, at best, stagnated in 2008. The International Labour Organization (ILO) sees three scenarios, with the worst one showing an increase in the percentage of working poor in developing regions — from 24 per cent of the labour force in 2007 to 28 per cent in 2008.» (p. 9)

Heading « Economic turmoil pushes tens of millions of people into vulnerable employment (p. 9)

Comment : The number of people in developing regions engaged in vulnerable employment may be 77 million more in 2008 than in 2007, reversing encouraging trends over the previous decade.(p. 9)

[ 2010 Report : Since the economic crisis, more workers find themselves and their families living in extreme poverty.]

Heading : « Labour productivity has remained low in developing regions – a bad sign for future job creation. » (p. 10)

Target « Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. »

Heading : « Steep food prices set back progress on ending hunger. » (p. 11)

Comment : «Rapidly rising food prices caused the proportion of people going hungry in Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania to increase in 2008. » (p.11)

[ 2010 Report : Progress to end hunger has been stymied in most regions.]

Heading : « A decrease in international food prices fails to translate into more affordable food at local markets. » (p.11)

Heading : « Scant progress on child nutrition is likely to be eroded by high food prices and the state of the global economy.(p. 12)

2. Opinion.

Make a one-page analysis of the report in relation to Millennium Goal 1 Many questions arise. The «economic crisis » seems to get the blame for lack of progress in achieving Goal 1. An increase in poverty in some areas seems to be expected, as is the number of «poor workers » ,which is a euphemism for legalised slavery. A structured approach towards integrated development appears to be far away.

For Millennium Goal 2 «achieve universal primary education » (pages 14-17 of the report) the major headings for the target :

Target : «Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling .».

Heading : « The world is edging closer to universal primary education, but too slowly to meet the 2015 target » (p.14)

The statistic is limited to school inscriptions.

Heading : « Half of the 72 million children out of school have never been inside a classroom. » (p.15)

Heading : « Inequality undermines education opportunities for millions of children. » (p. 16)

[ 2010 Report : Inequality thwarts progress towards universal education.]

This is a reference to the position of girls and minority populations.

Comment : «Some progress has been made : in 2007, almost 137 million children stepped into classrooms for the first time- 7 million more than in 1999.» (p. 16)

3. Research.

Make a one page analysis on the situation in relation to Millennium Goal 2 in your chosen area and in your country and make a comparison with the potential offered by integrated development projects.

Millennium Goal 3 refers to the promotion of « gender equal and the empower[ment] of women» (pages 18-23 of the report). The main Headings on target :

Target : Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferable by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015. » are :

Heading : « Four years after the target date, gender parity in education has yet to be achieved (p. 18) »

Comment : «The target of eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 was missed. » (p. 18)

Heading : « The gender gap is more evident in secondary school enrolment. (p. 19) »

Comment : « [in] sub-Saharan Africa, where the ratio of girls’ to boys’ enrolment in secondary education fell from 82 in 1999 to 79 in 2007. » (p.19)

Heading : « Girls outnumber boys in higher education, except in poorer regions. (p. 19) »

Comment : « Far fewer female students than males have advanced to tertiary education in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Oceania.» (p.19)

Heading : « Progress in development and girls’ education go hand in hand. (p. 20) »

Heading : « Girls from poor and rural households face higher barriers to education. (p. 20) »

Comment : «Building schools close to remote communities and recruiting local teachers can also narrow the gender gap in rural areas. »

Heading : « Paid employment for women continues to expand slowly and remains meagre in many regions. (p. 20) »

Heading : « Women remain more vulnerable on the job front, assuming the largest share of unpaid work. (p. 21) »

Heading : « The global financial crisis is creating new hurdles to women’s employment. (p. 22) »

Heading : « Although men were hit hardest by the financial shock, women may be more profoundly affected over the long term..(p. 22) »

Comment : « ...in December 2008, there were 12,8 per cent more unemployed men and 6.7 per cent more unemployed women in the world than in December 2007.» (p.22).

Heading : « Women’s political representation is slowly growing, with Latin America and the Caribbean leading the way among developing nations.» (p.23)

Comment : « one quarter of all parliamentary chambers still have less than 10 per cent women members. » (p.23)

4. Research.

On one page , state the situation in relation to Millennium Goal 3 in your chosen area and country compare it with the potential offered by integrated development projects.

Millennium goal 4 is to «reduce child mortality» (pages 24-25 du rapport). The main report headings on this are :

Target : Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate.

Heading : « Child survival efforts are intensifying in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. » (p. 24).

[ 2010 Report : Child deaths are falling, but not quickly enough to reach the target.]

Comment : « Across sub-Saharan Africa, recent survey data show remarkable improvements in several key child-survival interventions that are expected to yield further declines in under-five mortality over the next few years. These include vitamin A supplementation, the use of insecticide-treated bed nets (to prevent malaria), exclusive breastfeeding and immunization. In addition, there has been wider coverage of critical HIV interventions in most sub-Saharan countries where HIV prevalence is high. This includes antiretroviral treatment for pregnant mothers who are HIV-positive, to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies.” (p.25)

Heading : « Major inroads are being made in the fight against measles. (p. 25) »

Comment : «Globally, there were an estimated 197 000 measles-related deaths in 2007, down from 750 000 in 2000. » (p. 25)

Comment : « Progress has been attributed to a combination if improved routine immunization coverage and the provision of a second opportunity for immunization. » (p. 25)

Do you remember the text in 04. Reduce the mortality rate of children under 5 in your analysis of the Millennium Goals. ?

In their article (register to obtain free access) «Where and why are 10 million children dying every year » (The Lancet, Vol. 361, edition 9376, pp 2226-2234, June 2003) authors Black R.E., Morris S.S. and Bryce J. point the consequences of under-nourishment out, including the lack of vitamin A and/or zinc, on child mortality.

«We used a prediction model to estimate the distribution of deaths in children younger than 5 years by cause for the 42 countries with 90% of all such deaths in 2000.[32 ] Estimates and uncertainty bounds were: 22% of deaths attributed to diarrhoea (14-30%), 21% to pneumonia (14-24%), 9% to malaria (6-13%), 1% to measles (1-9%), 3% to AIDS, 33% to neonatal causes (29-36%), 9% to other causes, and fewer than 1% to unknown causes (figure 3). “

5. Opinion.

On one page give your opinion on why more success appears to have been obtained with Millennium Goal 4 than with the three preceding Goals. Do you think the results presented represent reality on the ground ?

◄ ►

◄ Fifth block : Section 8: The Millennium Goals.

◄ Fifth block : How fourth block structures solve specific problems.

◄ Main index for the Diploma in Integrated Development (Dip.Int.Dev..

◄ List of key words.

◄ List of references.

"Money is not the key that opens the gates of the market but the bolt that bars them.

Gesell, Silvio, The Natural Economic Order, revised English edition, Peter Owen, London 1958, page 228.

“Poverty is created scarcity.”

Wahu Kaara, point 8 of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, 58^th annual NGO Conference, United Nations, New York 7^th September 2005.

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