Millennium Development Goals

What is an MDG? The United Nations adopted a Millennium Declaration at its summit in 2000 at which it set 8 Millennium Development Goals.  The then General Secretary, Kofi Annan, stressed, in his speech, the 'remarkable convergence of views on the challenge that faces us.' The goals are striking in their similarity to the principles underlying the Beatitudes and the 'Last Judgement' teachings of Jesus, particularly the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25 and parables like Lazarus and Dives. Jesus teaches that the way to enter God's kingdom is through transformation. Unlike the kingdoms of this world whose authority is characterized by wealth and power, the kingdom of God is characterized by compassion, generosity and a strenuous activity that shows concern for justice and social responsibility. I have always been struck by the fact that, though Jesus seldom mentions judgement or hell, when He does, it is in the context of the parables that tell the story of people who walk by when others are in obvious need.

So, the goals themselves?

• Eradicate extreme poverty
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

Much of the work of NGOs, charities like Christian Aid and Cafod and movements like the Transition Movement (which I have previously blogged about) is bound up with these goals. The aim was to achieve them by 2015 but, although significant progress has been made, the world will fall far short of this good intention. Nevertheless the setting of these goals has provided a very positive starting point for changing attitudes and for bringing governments together to try to work on ways to preserve the environment. Perhaps the most important thing is for more and more people to understand what is meant by poverty. It is a lack of opportunity, a lack of power over one's own life and prospects, a lack of human dignity, a lack of flourishing, a degrading of the natural world. Ending such poverty means enabling individuals, families and communities to make fundamental choices about economic, political, social and personal aspects of their own lives. Simply treating the symptoms of poverty such as hunger and homelessness, while important, will not end true poverty or provide a long term solution to the balances of power that cause extreme poverty. The systemic and structural causes of poverty need to be understood and removed.

Did you know that in 2008, if you had any money at all in a bank account, you were probably among the 8% of the world's richest people? As we prepare for Lent, you might like to consider ordering and working through Christian Aid's Ten Bible Studies inspired by the Millennium Goals. Called Working Together, they are short and pithy and provide excellent material for groups or indeed for you to use on your own to help you understand what your priorities might be in getting involved with the fight against extreme poverty. I think we often feel overwhelmed, helpless and guilty when faced by the scale of problems but these studies help us to have more insight and to choose simple but effective ways that we can all get involved to help and, indeed, to work together to combat poverty. Do not be put off doing anything by the fact that what you can do seems so little.

Contributors include Rowan Williams, Janet Morley, and Kathy Galloway (Head of Christian Aid in Scotland) as well as bishops from around the Anglican communion.  

You can order copies from churches@christian-aid.org

In this diocese every member of the clergy has been sent a copy in the Resources for Mission mialing for Winter 2012.

Businesses Working With Christian Aid

Perhaps we don't expect organisations like Christian Aid to have a connection with the private sector? We tend to pigeon-hole charities with the voluntary sector. So I was interested to come across the Good Little Company which makes sausages and has, as one of its stated aims, an ongoing commitment to improving the ability of people in the developing world to grow food. The company's sausages are produced from ethically grown materials and it partners with Christian Aid, making a donation of 7p for every packet of sausages sold. The claim is that each packet provides one family in the developing world with enough seeds to grow staple foods to feed their family for one week. Apparently, the company worked with Christian Aid from its inception in 2009 and is now in a position to look at expanding its product range beyond sausages and meatballs.

Read their own story at http://goodlittlecompany.com/

Or find out how your business can work with Christian Aid to help end poverty by e mailing bbrosnan@christian-aid.org  

Christian Aid has produced an excellent way of marking Lent 2012. Count Your Blessings invites us to do just that everyday - give thanks for running water, free healthcare, light at the flick of a switch, benefits, jobs, pensions, a choice of what to eat, opportunity to travel. Each day we are encouraged to focus on one particular blessing and then make a small response of gratitude by praying, giving or acting. There's a version for children, too. Download copies from http://www.christianaid.org.uk/lent 

Sadly, Christian Aid are now drawing our attention to the fact that there has been a severe drought in parts of West Africa. This has led to food shortages in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania. They are asking for urgent donations.
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/areas-of-concern/west-africa-food-shortages.aspx

Horn of Africa

The plight of many populations in the Horn of Africa looks set to degenerate into a full scale famine. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, asked for 'massive support' from the world for these countries suffering the worst drought for 60 years. There has been a lot of coverage of the situation in NE Kenya and Ethiopia; the drought has also affected Sudan, Djibouti and Uganda. Guterres is reported as saying that currently, 'Somalia represents the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.'  The lack of rain this year has led to the failure of crops, the death of animals (even animals such as camels that normally survive in arid conditions) and serious malnutrition, so that families are now going without food altogether and begging on the roadside for water. As ever, these conditions are causing displacement across the region, with the accute suffering that brings, particularly to the very elderly and the very young; it is reported that elderly relatives are staying behind to face starvation as the younger members of families migrate. Schools and hospitals are closing due to lack of water. Organisations like Christian Aid, UNICEF, the Disasters Emergency Committee and Oxfam are appealing for £10m to

• supply water by providing water tanks in villages
• construct additional water points
• get food to families who are not already on food programmes
• provide extra nutrition for infants and pregnant mothers
• distribute animal feed
• help communities to become more resilient to face further droughts

If your church would like to hold a collection, you can obtain envelopes from orders@christian-aid.org (ref. no. F1952E) or you can gift aid contributions through the Disasters Emergency Committee at most high street banks.

For more information go to http://http://www.riponleeds.anglican.org// and click on the Horn of Africa appeal on the home page.