OWYP Youth Declarations about the UN Millennium development Goals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MDG AWARENESS

DAY

2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary:

 

Introduction……………………………………………………………………….. 3

MDG 1: Eradicate extreme…………………………………………………. 4

MDG 2: Achieve universal primary……………………………………… 5

MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women……. 6

MDG4: Reduce child mortality………………………………………….... 7

 MDG5: Improve maternal health……………………………………..... 8

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases……….. 9

MDG7: Ensure environmental sustainability ........................ 11

MDG 8: Develop a global partnership for development.......12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

One World Youth Project (OWYP) is a unique sister-school program for middle and high school students, linking schools & youth groups around the world together in learning partnerships for the purpose of cultural exchange and collaborative community service toward the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals.  Unlike other cultural exchange programs, One World Youth Project is free of charge, does not require that students physically travel beyond their classroom, and provides consistent staff support to youth leaders and teachers. OWYP was founded by youth and remains entirely managed and operated by a volunteer staff, ages 16 to 26.  Most importantly, OWYP offers youth the opportunity to not only learn about global challenges, but also take tangible action to help meet these challenges in collaboration with their sister-school. In order to provide useful and quality education, secondary schools worldwide must step up their efforts to prepare the next generation for an increasingly globalized society and economy. Easily incorporated into existing curriculum and state-requirements, One World Youth Project is a cost-free way to inspire global awareness, teach 21st century skills, and empower youth through positive agency.

Each year OWYP organizes the MDG Awareness Day.  This day is an opportunity for all OWYP participants to work together, share their experiences and act to help achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. One of the major activities of this day is the Youth Declaration: Each OWYP youth participants group writes one declaration about one of the 8 UN Millennium Development Goals. These declarations were compiled to create the:

OWYP YOUTH DECLARATION ABOUT MDGs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young people have a critical role to play in promoting civic participation and democratic governance in today’s global order. Yet they are too often been dismissed in debates on these issues, when they should be recognized as those with the largest stake in promoting democratic values, and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Young people all over the world are making a difference, but we need more to get involved. The youth have to be part of the global movement against poverty, because it’s our world and our future. A look at the MDGs and the time frame left for its realization shows that there must be more action and more youth participation. Indirectly or directly, the youth are affected by the first seven goals of the MDGs and as such the onus is on the youth to take actions that are geared at augmenting what our leaders are doing. There is no age limit to making one’s voice to be heard. Young people should use their age to the advantage of their colleagues for “being young is an advantage! You have the inside “scoop” on your generation .You know what concerns youth, which programs work well and which don’t, and how policies and services impact people in your group. Consider yourself an expert! .Also, your frank and direct approach will win respect. It only requires that you will be innovative and creative and they will be on their way to a making a difference”, as Wendy Schaetzel Lesko recommended in his literature.

 

“The Millennium Development Goals take some of the greatest problems on this planet and challenge the world populous to make them disappear.  That is a breathtaking proposition.   The MDGs are bold.  They are innovative.  And yet, they are not new.  For years we have seen these same 8 goals manifest in various forms in communities worldwide.  However, never before has there been a cohesive effort of this magnitude to actually meet these large goals.  The best part is-- we can reach the MDGs.  That's why they are important --because they are achievable.  Every single person on this earth is affected in one way or another by the challenges identified in the MDGs.  Therefore, the goals act as global call for collaboration to meet some of the greatest challenges of our era.  We can think of nothing more important.” Jessica Rimington, OWYP President and Founder – USA-

 

 

 

 

“The beauty of the MDGs is their synergy: we cannot achieve any of them unless we work on all of them at the same time.           

Young people under 25 are half the population of the world. Without us, how can the world end poverty by 2015?

We the young people of today believe in the MDGs because it best opportunity to stamp out the dehumanizing face of poverty and also make our future and that of life of generations to come a better one. We think that the world can achieve the MDGs with the resources at its disposal-the technology, finance, etc” Michael Boampong OWYP Project Ambassador –Ghana-

 

 

MDG1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

 

 

 

“Poverty is one such goal that is interconnected with each of the other goals. It has its own vicious circle and it is known that once one gets into this circle, it is difficult to find a way out. The farmers in India are often stuck in this circle and then fall into the fatal debt trap.

Each day, millions of people, go to sleep with an empty stomach. Children around the world are unable to get the minimum amount of nutrition required by their bodies to grow.

It is worrying and sad to see children who are barely 10 years old, begging to make their livelihood. They have hopes of a better future too. We should not forget that they dream of a better life and facilities that are available to other kids of their age.

 

The one world youth project brings together children from around the world to share their experiences, their lives, their dreams and hopes and this proves that all children around the world are the same. We dream of a world where the people do not have to worry about paying for the school fees of their child, where no one dies of starvation, no one suffers from malnutrition, where adults don’t force children to work to earn for their families and where it is not a crime to dream of a secure life.”

                                   Ashima BHARDWAJ

Vice President   -India-

 

 

 

 

 

MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education                                                                                  

 

“In the year 2000, 189 Heads of State and Governments pledged to work together to make a better world for all by 2015. On behalf of their people, they signed the Millennium Declaration which promises to free men, women and children from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty and make the right to development a reality for everyone.

                                                      

Many countries have signed on and great progress has been made, but there is still more work to be done.  Only together can we meet these goals.  With One World Youth Project and other youth groups, we have an opportunity to help make these 8 UN Millennium Development Goals a reality!

 

Knowing the importance of education, every child should be educated at the level of gender equality. Leaving no child out must be work on sincerely and impartially to achieve this universal primary education, regardless the race, sex, age, etc. Each goal of the UN Millennium Development Goals is very significant to our daily lives and together we can make a reality by the year 2015.

 

To achieve this goal 2, activists, philanthropic organizations and individuals, donors, communities, youth organizations, international organizations, schools, universities, governments, and concern citizens must use both the human and natural resources to  facilitate worthy actions in helping to minimize illiteracy at the rate of 98% world wide.

 

We the officials and members of YHRL, urge donors and governments of every nation to practically with a compulsory measure to ensure that every private and government schools to prioritize the “Universal Primary Education” for every child. Great impacts have been made, but more need to be done to accomplish the above goals including the other goals by 2015.  

                                                                          Youth for Human Rights International,

Liberia Chapter

Paynesville, Liberia

 

 

MDG3: Promote gender equality and empower women        

 

“Women are very important in our society today. Their efforts, hard works and contributions they have made in societies should be recognized. Likewise other should be indentified and praised. One may ask what is meant by "Women Empowerment" ?

Is it to engage women in challenging exercise such as lifting of heavy duties or objects in order to build up their muscles and bodies? Not as such, but rather to educate and teach them a vocation that will improve their skills and talents towards their goals. Although women are considered low achievers but education will enhance their success into their own hands. All they need is encouragement and support. Not just education but a higher education that will help gain admission of qualified and higher positions in societies such as ministerial positions and much more. Men are to support women in their endeavors so that they can strike more on what they are doing. As being supportive will encourage them more to be determined and serious and their determination is going to assist them to achieve their aims and produce effectively for nation development such as our Excellency Ellen Johnson Sir leaf of Liberia who has struggled so hard to reach where she is now. Her experience and determination can be an example for all women to follow. She is a role model for every woman of today. Empowering women with all these abilities will prevent them from involving in social vices such as being a prostitute and even doing sex as a trade that are not of societies expectations thus bringing disgrace. As the saying goes if you teach a man, you teach only a person but, if you teach women, you teach the whole nation. So let us put on the attitude of women.”

Patience Baker

RESPECT Intellectual Club

Buduburam Refugee Camp

Accra, Ghana   

 

 

 

 

MDG4: Reduce child mortality

 

  

 

“We know many who died before they fifth birthday as we had been Interviewing the Women about their Children Causes and we get that they are died due to the Diseases Problem such as:-

1. Limonia.

2. Malaria.

3. Lack of Diet.

 

By estimation is about 10 children for the year which is the big Problem cause we don’t need anyone to die .we think that this is caused by lack of good care from their mothers as you can find that there is girls who get deliver before their bodies become well matured so also is the source of lack of good care for  a baby from mother and also Malaria and limonia are the big causes of this Problem.

 

Its real the great Problem in our community since we lost the children who will come to grown up one day as they are the Generation of Tomorrow and they will be the One to make the Changes on this World as we will be Old so they will take our changes and be the Revolutionaries of their community so if we will loose them means we have No someone to make the Progress of what we are doing now for bringing the Changes cause we will be Older and they will take the Part for the Progress.

 

Its just our responsibility to Educate the community as the Pregnant Women should be get the Education early before they deliver so that they can have easy Caring of their Children cause Education is the big Weapon to solve this Problem. So as we will be able to do this we will be helping UN Millennium Development Goal 4 as we did for our community Women .

 

W e think that the Nice project for helping  this Goal is by Using  Arts as the Project cause in Arts we will be able to Entertain and Educate  our community also will be able to bring the Income for our Group which will use them for helping people who are the Victims of these Problems cause if will not be Creative will Never Change this Problem.”

PERFECT YOUTH GROUP

 In Dr.Herman Wrice Youth Empowerment Village

MCWT ARUSHA TANZANIA

 

 

  

 

MDG 5: Improve maternal health 

 

“We think it is important to achieve MDG 5 because every child needs his/her mother.

We think it is important to achieve MDG 5 because it’s unfair that you die just because you belong to this or that  area of the world and because you are poor and do not have access to medicine.

We think it’s important to achieve MDG 5 because mothers are important for their children’s education and help them grow up well.

We think it’s important to achieve MDG 5 because no one should die of curable disease.

Some of us think it is important to achieve MDG 5 because women, before being mothers,  are women and it’s unfair that just because they are pregnant their lofes should be more up hazard than men’s life.

 

But we are also wondering wither we will be able to achieve it by 2015 and how?

We do think we can achieve it and as youth we can help doing it by lobbying our governments about its importance and make them allot a budget to hospitals building in poor areas and also improve the infrastructures like the roads to make places where live these women more accessible for ambulance. We can also lobby to a better dispatch of Medical doctor between cities and countries.”

Jeanne D’Arc school

Rabat, Morocco

 

 

 

MDG6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

“We believe combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other often fatal diseases is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.   These diseases most often affect people in developing nations where resources to solve the problem are hard to come by.  Our class has focused particularly on these issues in Africa where the climate, cultural norms, the health care systems, funding and unstable governments all make the problem harder to solve.  Because developed nations are not challenged in these areas it is our responsibility to give help and support to those who need it.

 

We have chosen to design projects that take advantage of the resources we have.  We have supported our sister group in Lagos, Nigeria by providing them with materials to enhance their awareness day.   One of our classmates has organized a two-month fundraiser among her friends and family to buy bed nets for African families through the organization Malaria No More.  One bed net costs $10 and can help prevent three people from contracting the disease.   In our own community we wanted to raise awareness of how HIV/AIDS affects youth and families.  We are organizing a fundraiser to send affected/infected children to Camp Heartland.  There they can escape the pressures of the disease in their family for a week and interact with other kids who are in the same situation.  Above all we believe prevention through education and awareness is the best way to address MDG 6.  We are grateful for our experience with OWYP because now we are aware and can go forward to educate others.”

 

Riverside School

Lyndonville, Vermont,

United States

 

 

 

“We believe that education can hardly take place in an environment that is lacking the essential health conditions such as a cleanness, medical care, etc

We know that as female students in the rural area of Morocco, we are given an opportunity that not many other girls of our age have, but there is still a lot to be done.

We study in poor conditions, with no suitable equipment; we are missing the most essential conditions in which students of our age in other regions have. Can you imagine yourself studying in a very cold environment in which sometimes the temperature goes below 0 °C, with no heater, no warm water to take shower, and sometimes no electricity? Our school does not have a health center that we can go to in case of emergencies.

Despite this, we have a lot of ideas to make things better, but there is no one in our high school that is willing to listen to us. We have much talent in different fields, but we don’t have the opportunity to show it and to develop it.

In the regions we come from, there is poverty, much pollution, much prostitution, and no education to fight all what is threatening our comfort of living.

We want to be optimistic about our future, but the current situation does not give us any hope for a better world.

The One World youth Project gave us the chance to express our selves, to expose our problems and to see the feasibility of our ideas. We got to know other students in the other side of the world. More than this, The OWYP helped us show our talents in acting, singing, writing poetry and encouraged us to continue to fight to realize our dreams. We got the chance to meet other girls in other regions around Morocco, living in the same conditions, and we discussed a lot of our shared vision about our future.

We met Doctors who helped us be aware about efficient means to protect our health from cold and other common diseases in our region.

We have much will and hope to become the leaders of tomorrow. All we need is someone to show us the path to success. The One World Youth Project is our hope for the future!”

Allal EL Fassi high school

 Ifrane, Morocco.

 

 

MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability 

           

 

“As a group  of  youths we have always believed the world is not good enough in some aspects, poverty, injustice, inequality among others are now making our lives difficul and harming us. It is needed the force to promote the change we all want and the Milenium Development Goals offer us some of bigger problems that most be solved as soon as posible.

             

Our Goal, the number 7, is as important as all the other seven, if one of them wouldn´t be there to be the guideline to improve our life, the others will quickly lose their value. Take care of nature can sounds like no exactly as significant as hunger, poverty, or death, but if you don´t have a planet to live in , then you can exist. When your aisland disappears, you hopeless drown in the sea. That´s where the importance of this MDG lays, if we continue killing our planet, our nature, we continue condemning ourselves to a horrible future with no plants no animals, no water no life. We can achieve everything we propose when we do it with passion. Our project to make true and change reality is give environmental education to children and youths especially, but also all persons we can. We try to conscience all people of the damages we have done to our planet and to our local regions that apparently are OK but in fact are as harmed as every region of Asia of India. We are sowing the seed so the fruits can give us better citizens that cared about nature issues. We know is not easy, is never easy changing minds, but we put our heart when we give a workshop or a conference, we hold our hopes in the kids that have listened to us, and most important we encourage us by motivating people to change all problems by proposing solutions, not by crossing their arms.”

RED AMBIENTAL NAYARIT

TEPIC, MÉXICO

 

 

 

“There are many reasons why Environmental Sustainability is important. It's, I think, the most important M.D.G. because with out a clean earth to work on we can't really work on any of the other M.D.G's. Another reason is we want to live and we want future generations to live as well, but that won't really happen unless we take care of the earth. We only have one earth, and unless some scientist found a new place for us to live we better take care of this planet we live on.

     We can do so many things to help the earth. We could cut back on non-environmental activities/using items (reduce), we could keep our plastic tupper wear to use again, and again (reuse), and we could recycle plastic and paper. Another thing we could do is ride our bikes, walk, or carpool to places. We could even take public transportation to reduce the amount of pollution we put into the air with vehicles. There are many things we can do to help the earth and these are just a few. How many can you think of???”

 

Jaspreet Shahi,

Trail Ridge Middle School,

Longmont Colorado

 

 

MDG8: Develop a global partnership for development

              “854 million people across the world are hungry each day and do nhave enough to eat.  Among them are children who do not have access to education, women denied equality, victims suffering from diseases that could have and should have been prevented. Around the world, one child dies in every five seconds. Across continents we find polluted rivers and lakes, diminishing forests, and contaminated air. These are not remote concepts. These are global problems that pay no heed to country borders. We cannot ignore that our world is broken and needs mending and that these problems effect us all. There are six billion people on this earth. Every last one of us has a responsibility to this earth and to one another. We need to join efforts and develop a partnership for global development. We need to reclaim our earth, recognize our common humanity and common responsibility, and together begin repairing the world. We must become global partners as we each pledge to take big strides to achieve a healthy, sustainable, peaceful, inclusive world for all. .

Developing a partnership for global development sounds overwhelming. However, partnerships at every level, big and small, build the global network and contribute to solving our common problems. Students can reach out to their peers within their own community and outside to share problems and collaborate on solutions. Neighbors can join efforts with neighbors to better their local environment. Governments can work with their citizens while non-governmental organizations which focus on the similar issues can team up to share resources and ideas instead of duplicating efforts. Media and internet communication technologies can further be effective disseminator of critical information on problems and solutions locally and internationally and serve to keep both civil society actors and governments accountable for their commitments to food security, environmental sustainability, health resources, and educational opportunities among many others.  Additionally, government officials around the world must cooperate. These problems are bigger than politics. The MDGs are lofty goals, but they are achievable with enough cooperation.

 We pledge to build the partnership for global development. We pledge to exchange apathy for action and to join efforts with the rest of our world to better this earth. This is not a choice per se but a duty. We owe it to ourselves and the earth. We hope that in the future, the very near future, we will see more hands joined within communities and across country borders. We want to see collaboration, concern, and action. We must develop a partnership for global development that is truly global that allows our common humanity to take precedent over our differences. The world is calling for our cooperation and we are prepared and committed to answer that call.”

 

Jillian SLUTZKER

Project Ambassador –USA-