Today, we live in a world where, despite all the advances in science, technology and the economic progress that many enjoy, more than 1.2 billion people on our planet continue to struggle to survive on less than $1 dollar a day, without enough to eat and without the chance of a decent livelihood. The development challenge has never been greater and the need to engage people in addressing the issues that can help tackle the global challenges we face, never more vital.
The Goals are ambitious, but they are achievable if we all ~ young and old, rich and poor, women and men ~ put them at the center of our national and global efforts.
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Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
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Find out more about what the UN is doing to make sure the MDGs are implemented.
Take me to this page>>>
 WFUNA is actively supporting the Global Millennium Campaign. Since the proclamation of the Millennium Declaration in 2000 by governments at the highest political level, WFUNA has regarded its implementation as core business of the United Nations system and has been actively mobilizing civil society to engage in partnerships for this purpose. The challenge this year is to ensure that the momentum for UN reform leads to real changes being agreed to by the Heads of State and Government when they meet in New York in September 2005 for the five-year review of the Millennium Development Goals and the Millennium Declaration. United Nations Associations around the world are well positioned to encourage their governments to support reforms needed to revitalize the United Nations system, and ensure it is better equipped to deal with the scale and complexity of globalization in the 21st century.
Please take the We the Peoples 2007 survey here:
https://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/18424/wtp2007.htm
Find out about our work:
What? Promotion of the global initiative to raise awareness of, motivation for, and harness interest in the Millennium Development Goals.
How? Our goal is to link UNA projects relating to the MDGs with GCAP national coalitions with a special focus on incorporating the interests and voices of young people around the globe through WFUNA-youth. WFUNA's newsletter, UN Connections highlights the dialogue and action on the MDGs in relation to both the UN and civil society in every issue, and draws attention to the Action Against Poverty Campaign each year. The MDGs and the Least Developed Countries were the theme of the July 2007 issue.
Track record? Millions of people across the globe have joined GCAP and have partnered with UNAs in committing to the MDGs through this campaign. WFUNA would like to contribute to the effort to double the campaign's supporters this year.
When, where? Globally, leading up to 16 and 17 October 2007
Partners: UNAs, GCAP, WFUNA-youth, Global Youth Action Network, North-South Institute, Millennium project
What? The World Federation's Regional Model UN program has three phases leading to direct action on the MDGs:
How? Phase One: Preparation and on-line networking - the students research their assigned countries, inform themselves in depth about the MDGs and the UN system, develop position papers, and discuss the issues on-line with other teams in the region.
Phase Two: The Conference - delegations from over 20 countries in the region will come together for four days to discuss solutions to the challenges presented by the MDGs, and share their ideas and visions for the future of their region. They participate in the Stand Up Against Poverty campaign, and a workshop on implementing MDG projects.
Phase Three: Action - After the conference, each team goes back to their countries, and uses the skills and knowledge practiced in the first two phases to develop their own project on the MDGs which they will implement in their communities within a year, with the support of their national United Nations Association.
Track record? We have successfully run the Asia Pacific and African Model UN programs that resulted in over 20 grassroots projects on the MDGs led by students.
When, where?
First WFUNA Latin American and Caribbean Regional Model UN Conference For info click here>>
Hosted by UNA-Dominican Republic, 10-14 October 2007
Third Asia and pacific Model UN
Hosted by UNA-Republic of Korea, 2008
Partners: Host and Regional UNAs, Friends of WFUNA, UN Regional Commissions, UNICs, UNDP, The Economist, WFUNA-Youth, Global Youth Action Network, TakingITGlobal
What? The "Global Youth MDG Summit - Mumbai 2008" will be a five-phase process focused on empowering young people to take action on helping to achieve the MDGs through the use of new communications technologies.
How? During a four-day event in India that will bring together more then 200 young people from around the world, the participants will learn about the UN and the MDGs and attend workshops on communications, filmmaking and project development. In he second phase, they will form eight multidisciplinary teams that will each focus on one of the eight MDGs. Each team will have two days to discuss their issues, develop a creative community service project relating to their topic that can be implemented by young people, and document their discussions on film. After the conference, each group will spend time observing an NGO that is working on an MDG. These experiences will be documented, and in the end there will be one short film created by each team. The 8 MDG films will be featured in a film festival at the United Nations in October 2008 in New York, and made available online.
Track record? All three of the organizing partners have held successful events in India.
When, where? Mumbai, India - 7th-11th of November 2008
Partners: Primary Organizations involved:
1) World Federation of United Nations Associations
2) Indian Federation of United Nations Associations and IFUNA Youth
3) The Indian Youth Conclave
Other partners so far: National UNAs, WFUNA-Youth, North-South Institute, Millennium Project, Global Youth Action Network, TakingITGlobal, Global Alliance for ICT and Development and Youth Forum on ICT and Development
What? We the Peoples 2007, a survey on Youth and the MDGs
How? We the Peoples is an annual report which analyzes and reports on global civil society activities, achievements and views regarding the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs.
Track record? The North-South Institute and the World Federation have been partners in the annual We the Peoples reports since 2002.
When, where? The 2007 survey was focused on youth respondents from over 100 countries.
Partners: The North-South Institute, the World Federation of UN Associations, surveyed NGOs
What? WFUNA attended the 2007 Civil Society Development Forum and the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review in Geneva.
How? We conducted a textual analysis of the drafting process of ECOSOC's Ministerial Declaration with respect to the Civil Society Development Forum's recommendations, as well as statements from other bodies.
When, where? Ongoing
Track record? Since 2004, we have engaged and initiated discussion on the reforms of ECOSOC with a focus on its effectiveness in successfully implementing the MDGs.
Partners: North-South Institute
WFUNA MDG Fund
What? MDG Fund for UNA Projects
How? Reflecting the high priority that the World Federation's Plenary Assembly gave to the MDGs, funds generated from sales at the WFUNA kiosk at UN Headquarters, New York, are to be dedicated to a special MDG fund to support innovative and effective activities by UNAs to achieve each of the 8 goals. Recognized artists have created visual images of the MDGs that have been displayed at the kiosk. The Stand Up Against Poverty Campaign is promoted at the WFUNA kiosk.
Track record? Since 2000, UNAs around the world have made the MDGs a priority, and have successfully implemented awareness and direct action projects in their countries.
When, where? WFUNA kiosk, ongoing
Past Initiatives:
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"We the Peoples 2005:
The UN Millennium Declaration and Beyond
Mobilizing for Change: Message from Civil Society
For the last four years, the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and the North-South Institute (NSI) have conducted annual global online surveys of civil society engagement with the implementation of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In 2005, civil society organizations around the world are reviewing the lessons learned and, the progress made, over the past five years. Through our most recent global survey, more than 400 groups provided a wealth of information about their work on the MDGs and their assessment of progress on Declaration objectives.
Take me to the 2005 report >> (pdf)
Take me to the preview of the 2005 report >> (pdf)
Take me to the 2004 report >> (pdf)
Take me to the 2003 report >> (pdf)
Take me to the 2002 report >> (pdf)
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Global Call to Action Against Poverty
GCAP is a worldwide alliance of non-governmental organizations focused on poverty alleviation and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The GCAP campaign unites around a broad agenda calling for a more just trading system, increases in debt alleviation, improvements in the quantity and quality of aid, and further commitment to poverty alleviation from governments globally. WFUNA has signed on to the global campaign encourages United Nations Associations around the world to become involved in their respective national campaigns. To join the call, please visit www.whiteband.org.
United Nations Associations around the world have contributed in various different ways to the achievement of the MDGs. Many UNAs have translated the Millennium Declaration and its Goals into local languages. Others have embarked on public awareness campaigns, including writing op-ed pieces to national newspapers or producing commericals on the MDGs for national television. Some UNAs have targeted parliamentarians, producing and circulating information materials on the MDGs to all candidates for parliamentary election. Many have launched campaigns on specific issues, such as children's health, freshwater or HIV/AIDS.
UNAs active in the MDG Campaign give a high priority to engaging youth through their Model UN activities. The MDGs are often incorporated into the agenda's for Model UN conferences and teaching materials. WFUNA-Youth, a global youth network that is affiliated with WFUNA has pledged to raise awareness of the UN among youth, with special attention to the MDGs.
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