Doesn’t it sound like a ringing bell? Or, if you are a bookworm, you might recollect Suzy Welch’s 0.10.10 on Decision Making. If you are good at remembering the dates of birth, someone dear to you may dawn on your mind. (If you are a male, don’t grumble; remembering dates of birth is not the cup of tea of males, normally.) For Filipinos (natives of the Philippines), 10.10.10 reminds the momentous event on 10th October 2010 when 101010 runners rally for Pasig river’s restoration. Feeling like caught in a cobweb of information? Sorry, if you were bothered. Please follow the lines below.
The Christian world has something special to offer to the world on 10 Oct. ’10. In fact, it is not just that day alone, but every day. Would you like to be part of it? In fact you ought to be. There is no choice. Hmmmmmm? Yes, it is so. Because prophet Micah said so – “He has told O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God?” Micah 6.8.
As the World was conceptualizing MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), the Christendom (churches and Christian organizations) prompted by what God said to Israel through prophet Micah, joined hands with respective Governments and other national and international agencies to implement the MDGs.
What are MDGs? MDGS are 8 goals –
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve Universal Education
3. Promote Gender Equality and empower women
4. Reduce Child mortality
5. Improve Maternal Health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability, and
8. Develop a Global partnership for development.
In 2000, 189 Heads of Government signed the Millennium Declaration and agreed to “free our fellow men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing conditions of poverty to which more than I billion of them are currently subjected to.” Please mind it, India is one of the signatories. The year 2015 was set as target year for the achievement of most of the goals. With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.
Why is UESI drawn into the picture?
And what I am to do with the MDGs? Probably the best way to put the question is ‘Should not UESI be
drawn into it? As the vision statement of UESI talksabout transformation of the society, the objective to
address the issues of the globe and of the people is in built in them. Some argued that the MDGs are elitist ideas unatt ainable in reality while others contend that the MDGs can be used to address socio-economic problems. Some others said - ''It is just about a group of rich people from rich countries having fun romanticizing the woes of the poor. These could be pessimistic ways of looking at the plans. But the fact is that Brazil and China are acclaimed for their innovative ways of reducing poverty to a considerable magnitude after they took up the MDG challenge. The main reasons for that were the optimistic and determined eff ort and implementing innovative ideas.
As children of God and as members of a university movement working among the intelligentsia, let us
also bind ourselves to extend the fullest cooperation possible to the Government and the agencies that are involved in implementing the Millennium Development Goals under the campaign called ‘Micah Challenge.’
On 10 October 2010 (10. 10. 10), many churches and Christian organizations are gathering for special prayers and innovative deeds and to contemplate practical steps for future to ameliorate poverty and address the identify ed issues. As EUS and EGFs, let us join together and along withother Christian organizations and churches to pray to God and commit ourselves as individuals and fellowships to join this world-wide action.
Dr. David Jayakumar
The Christian world has something special to offer to the world on 10 Oct. ’10. In fact, it is not just that day alone, but every day. Would you like to be part of it? In fact you ought to be. There is no choice. Hmmmmmm? Yes, it is so. Because prophet Micah said so – “He has told O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God?” Micah 6.8.
As the World was conceptualizing MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), the Christendom (churches and Christian organizations) prompted by what God said to Israel through prophet Micah, joined hands with respective Governments and other national and international agencies to implement the MDGs.
What are MDGs? MDGS are 8 goals –
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve Universal Education
3. Promote Gender Equality and empower women
4. Reduce Child mortality
5. Improve Maternal Health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability, and
8. Develop a Global partnership for development.
In 2000, 189 Heads of Government signed the Millennium Declaration and agreed to “free our fellow men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing conditions of poverty to which more than I billion of them are currently subjected to.” Please mind it, India is one of the signatories. The year 2015 was set as target year for the achievement of most of the goals. With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend a summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.
Why is UESI drawn into the picture?
And what I am to do with the MDGs? Probably the best way to put the question is ‘Should not UESI be
drawn into it? As the vision statement of UESI talksabout transformation of the society, the objective to
address the issues of the globe and of the people is in built in them. Some argued that the MDGs are elitist ideas unatt ainable in reality while others contend that the MDGs can be used to address socio-economic problems. Some others said - ''It is just about a group of rich people from rich countries having fun romanticizing the woes of the poor. These could be pessimistic ways of looking at the plans. But the fact is that Brazil and China are acclaimed for their innovative ways of reducing poverty to a considerable magnitude after they took up the MDG challenge. The main reasons for that were the optimistic and determined eff ort and implementing innovative ideas.
As children of God and as members of a university movement working among the intelligentsia, let us
also bind ourselves to extend the fullest cooperation possible to the Government and the agencies that are involved in implementing the Millennium Development Goals under the campaign called ‘Micah Challenge.’
On 10 October 2010 (10. 10. 10), many churches and Christian organizations are gathering for special prayers and innovative deeds and to contemplate practical steps for future to ameliorate poverty and address the identify ed issues. As EUS and EGFs, let us join together and along withother Christian organizations and churches to pray to God and commit ourselves as individuals and fellowships to join this world-wide action.
Dr. David Jayakumar
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prateep.philip@gmail.com
Dr Prateep V Philip IPS
Inspector General of Police TN