November 13, 2006 – Halve extreme poverty and hunger in the world by 2015? We are still far from achieving the Millennium Development Goals, set in 2000 by the United Nations. But it can still be achieved if citizens, businesses and governments act in this direction.
This was reaffirmed by various personalities, including former US President Bill Clinton, a few days ago in Montreal, as part of a conference entitled The Millennium Promise.
The event, which was organized by the founder of the Quebec Breakfast Club, Daniel Germain1, attracted over 3,000 people.
This initiative, which saw the light of day in 1994, received good words from Bill Clinton. “What you are doing here in Canada with the breakfast clubs is a model of what should be done in poor countries,” he said.
According to Bill Clinton, the eradication of poverty depends, among other things, on a better education of children – who are 130 million in the world not attending school. “For children in developing countries, each additional year of study translates into a 10% improvement in their standard of living later,” revealed the former president.
The financing of education is, moreover, an important key to the challenge to be met. This is why he advocates for the elimination of tuition fees that poor countries impose on students, even in so-called public schools. “This measure would have a major impact on primary school attendance, since parents simply do not have the money to send their children there,” he said.
In fact, among the world’s population, as many as 40% of people live on less than two dollars a day, which is considered a state of extreme poverty.
“The good news is that unlike 30 years ago, we know how to solve the problem of poverty,” said Bill Clinton. We have both the means and the moral obligation to act! “
To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations expects developed states to allocate 0.7% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to development assistance. So far, only five countries have reached this target: Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden. By offering only 0.34% of its GDP, Canada is still far from the mark.
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The eight goals set by the United Nations2
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Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. Daniel Germain has expanded the development of the Quebec Breakfast Club across Canada and is working with the United Nations to implement the concept in other countries. For more information: www.clubdejeuners.org (Quebec) or www.breakfastclubscanada.org (Canada) [consultés le 13 novembre 2006].
2. To learn more about the Millennium Development Goals, set by the United Nations: www.un.org/english/millenniumgoals [consulté le 13 novembre 2006].
3. To consult the Millennium Promise conference website: www.mmpc.ca [consulté le 10 novembre 2006].
