Can We Afford To Save The World?
In 2000, every member state of the UN signed up to the Millennium Declaration in which they promised to adhere to an ambitious (to say the least) set of goals, known as MDG’s: Millennium Development Goals. Each goal incorporates political attitudes, the availability of aid and a reaching out to governments to focus on human development. However, several of these goals, even eleven years down the line, seem to be unattainable, unrealistic, and, quite frankly, in these times of crisis, simply unaffordable.
The Guardian Global Development website supports these goals, and aims to increase awareness about the campaign by means of a blog, daily features and comments through Twitter and Facebook. Recently, these articles have pointed towards a growing inequality across the world and increasing population in less developed countries means that even maintaining a continuum on goals such as reducing infant mortality or access to clean water is a struggle and, therefore, progression and development becomes very difficult.
As their goal of 2015 approaches ever nearer, and the economic belt tightens around the entire globe, is this the time when humanity can afford to eradicate poverty? As a Western country we should be crying out, “Yes! Of course!” When Premiership footballers are being traded for £50 million, surely £2 a month to ensure clean water in Kenya is not too much to ask? However, we are living in a country where ‘cuts’ is the latest buzzword in newspapers, on the radio, in coffee shops. If we cannot afford to educate our own country, how can we afford to buy textbooks for pupils in Tanzania?
A better question might be, where is the justice that one man running around after a ball for 90 minutes can earn such stratospheric sums, whilst some struggle to survive on a daily basis without basic resources? At the review of these goals in September 2010, the results that appeared were a sobering reminder of failure. At this rate more than a billion of the world’s population will still be living in extreme poverty in 2015, half of all children in India are malnourished, in sub-Saharan Africa one in seven children die before their fifth birthday. The economic crisis means that millions of people are struggling to rise above the poverty line, and a new issue not dealt with in 2000 has reared its ugly head in global development over the last eleven years – climate change.
However, even in a time of cynicism, the fear of total economic ruin and the unravelling of social ties, hope and a glimpse of a better side to humanity remain not only intact but also invigorated. Africa is undoubtedly in a better condition than ten years previously. The majority of its continent wars have scaled down or ended, child mortality rates are gradually falling, and a large part of the continent is enjoying economic growth. These successes have come about despite the economic recession in Europe and the USA. Technology, business, and bureaucracy seem to be the three major factors behind this success. More and more people are benefiting from technological advances in medicine, agriculture, and transportation. Furthermore, major companies are beginning to recognise the business potential in Africa and are therefore investing in mining, agriculture and social investments, such as education and health. Lastly, because of these MDGs more and more countries are observing themselves with the view of an outsider, checking rankings and chances of achieving these goals.
Nevertheless, is this enough? Can the capitalist advantages of our 21st century society change the world? Can we not still believe that benevolence, human empathy and basic moral responsibility will save the day? Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, points out that we are in “An age when we should be celebrating our unprecedented affluence and productivity has become an age of fear and even loathing, when basic values of social solidarity, compassion, succour for the poor and mutual responsibility are under unprecedented threat.”
Can these goals remain the common thread of humanity and shared responsibility across the globe, driving us as one world towards the achievement of these seemingly impossible tasks? Can these goals save us all, rich and poor?
The goals set out by the UN in 2000 are as follows:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce Child Mortality Rate
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
