[chia-pet]

I was just wondering if many people are even aware of the Millenium Development Goals. I just recently started to familiarize myself with it and couldn't resist getting involved. I just started interning for The Borgen Project, which is a non-profit organization that is lobbying congress, political leaders and the community to support the United Nations Millenium Development Goals. The Millenium Goal is trying to halve global poverty by 2015 and eventually eliminate poverty, provide education, erradicate disease and empower women (among many things). Please get involved in this movement! President Bush pledged his support in 2000 at a UN conference in New York but has not followed through. Our leaders need to focus on ending terrorism and genocide by tackling the underlying issue: poverty. Experts say that this is a very doable task to undertake, otherwise the UN wouldn't have even proposed it. I think it's crazy and amazing at the same time that poverty can be eliminated.

To see what you can do, please visit Borgenproject.org and check out the shocking information, such as it takes only $19 billion to end starvation yet America has spent $340 billion on the war in Iraq to "fight terrorism" and currently have a $522 billion military budget. Although we are one of the largest economies in the world, we contribute the least amount of aid to foreign countries. That is a numerical fact. While we are putting so much money into the war, our government is debating on cutting healthcare for seniors or if children deserve universal heath care. Speak up, make your voices heard by your ELECTED leaders and make a real difference in the world. It is a moral obligation for those who can to help those who cannot help themselves. The most important thing is to let your local congressional leaders know how you feel. Go to congress.org to see who they are and give them a 10 second phone call and tell them to support H.R. 1302 the Global Poverty Act that is being voted on in Congress. We recently won a big battle in the fight against poverty by successfully lobbying congressmen and women to support the bill and to submit it for voting. This is the most crucial time to make your leaders aware of the bill and to approve it if the US is ever going to change our foreign policy and the path we are going in. Just one phone call; It's that easy to make a difference.

Why do you all think global poverty issues aren't as important in Congress and/or how do you think the messaging can be improved?

For a mound of interesting facts, figures and to see what you can do:
http://borgenproject.org/


Thanks for reading!

chia-pet

 

[Netminder]

i would take this down if i were you...the rules state that you cant talk about politics...Talking politics is very interesting and fun but you cant do it in these forums

 

[caramelsoul]

Quote:

empower women

Thats as far as i got....

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chia-pet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Our leaders need to focus on ending terrorism and genocide by tackling the underlying issue: poverty. Experts say that this is a very doable task to undertake, otherwise the UN wouldn't have even proposed it. I think it's crazy and amazing at the same time that poverty can be eliminated.

Middle Eastern poverty and terrorism is mostly caused by repressive governments that loot their own countries while deflecting their population's anger towards the US and the West. Short of frighteningly expensive military solutions, it's not going to be fixed. It's also arguable that regime change would even be desirable, Iraq being the leading example. Least the countries under repressive governments are mostly stable now.

Genocide isn't really a poverty issue either. It's more of a "historic tribal hatred aggravated by European colonial era policies" issue combined with the "corrupt murderous pillaging governments" issue. And, of course, the UN's record in this area is... poor. The biggest genocides in recent history have been non-starters for the UN, and they even funded part of Uganda's genocide under the auspices of "gun control". Oops. The US really did try in Somalia, but the anti-war, anti-interventionist crowd botched that attempt.

And really, there are lots of things that a body as corrupt as the UN proposes that are either horrific ideas or completely unworkable. While eliminating poverty/genocide/terrorism would be nice, it ain't going anywhere without the military muscle and strength of will required to break the governments responsible for these disasters. Judging from the world's political climate, it ain't happening.

 

[Spareribs]

Interesting stuff here but high quality audiophile sound and politics do not mix. That said, I still think the Vietnam war was a big mistake.

 

[Davesrose]

IBTL!!

 

[ken36]

I'd try the blogs, if I were you.

 

[vcoheda]

i don't read the news or pay attention to world events. i use to, but it would just make me worry/depressed/sad/ all the time. so now i just let things go on and don't care one way or another.

what a way to live.