November 12, 2007 – Reducing poverty in the world also means combating it around you. This is one of the messages that came from the 2e edition of the Montreal Millennium Summit, aimed in particular at halving extreme global poverty by 2015.
The event, organized by Daniel Germain1, the founder of the Quebec Breakfast Club, brought together prestigious speakers from here and elsewhere to discuss the eight “Millennium Development Goals” defined in 2000 by the United Nations.
Start at home
“It’s not just the kids from elsewhere who need us: those around us too,” said Cherie Booth Blair, lawyer and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
According to her, a better work-family balance as well as pay equity between men and women are important milestones in the fight against poverty. “Women, especially single parents, suffer from this imbalance, in addition to often having part-time jobs. This problem affects children a lot, ”she lamented.
Against poverty in the world, Chérie Booth Blair believes that it is possible to do your part, every day: “All small gestures count: fair purchases are a good example. “
Prejudices to fight
For his part, the Quebec comedian Vincent Graton, in a fiery speech, shattered certain stubborn prejudices which, according to him, hinder mutual aid towards the destitute here and around the world.
Using harsh words, he said he was fed up with those who question the relevance of volunteering or contributing to charity under the pretext that “it doesn’t work”.
“There are more than a million children in Canada who are poor and there are 10,000 volunteers who work every day in Quebec so that the world eats: I have my trip to hear that if people are poor , it’s because they looked for it, ”he said, exasperated.
“We are not more or less poor depending on whether we live in Montreal or in Africa: poverty is always hard for those who live it,” insisted Vincent Graton.
Less war and more education
For songwriter and performer Dan Bigras, educating children living in poverty must be a priority. “We must clean our own kitchen, cutting military spending, and give more for the education of our poor children. “
Uneducated youth are more likely to be recruited to go to war, he said. “And the war can only be dirty,” let fall the one who has already witnessed for himself the horrors of war by filming a documentary in Bosnia.
Actress Mia Farrow, who has helped publicize the situation of refugees in Darfur, Sudan, lamented Canada’s abandonment of peace missions in favor of the war in Afghanistan. “In Darfur, we are also dying of hunger and despair: children are victims of our indifference,” lamented the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
Finally, Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu, concluded on a note of hope: “A fraction of global defense budgets could allow everyone to have food and be able to fall asleep without being hungry, underlined the South African cleric. This is why God created us: for love, kindness, sharing and caring for one another. “
Still far from the objectives
In 2000, the 191 countries that signed the Millennium Development Goals, defined by the UN, pledged to allocate 0.7% of their GDP per year (about $ 200 billion) to development aid in the world. Halfway through the 2015 deadline, they’re barely spending half. For its part, Canada is spending half as much as it had promised, or $ 4.6 billion (0.34% of its GDP).
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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 12 novembre 2007].
2. To learn more about the Millennium Development Goals, developed by the United Nations: www.un.org/english/millenniumgoals [consulté le 12 novembre 2007].
