[b e s ty - // u p d a t e s]

I've been watching the past 2 weeks with quite a lot of interest, especially the Australian Government's attempts at withdrawing Australian citizens out of southern Lebanon.

In the media, it hag been portrayed that the government had failed Australian citizens inthe area, when the first ship we were expecting to pick up citizens was double booked with Canada, and a succession of failures after this point. however, in the last few days, the government has been quite successful, getting 700 or 800 people out at a time to Cyprus.

Today was the last day of Australian government assistance in fleeing southern Lebanon for Australian citizens or dual-citizens, and the government has now sdaid that anyone else in Lebanon, and especially Beirut, that wishes to get out, they are on their own.

Just wondering if the government should take this stand, or if they should provide assistance to anyone still wanting out. Have people had enough time? Will be interesting to see how many people are "left behind," to put it that way.

With 25,000 Australian citizens or dual-citizens living in Lebanon, the govwernment always knew it was near impossible to get every one out. It was said that there were 4,000 citizens that wanted to get out as quick as possible to avoid the conflict, and this has been, so far as the media has portrayed it, successful in the end.

Should the government stick around?

And that brings up another question: should the Aust. government provide oldiers for a peace keeping force in southern Lebanon?

So, the 24th of July wasn't a great day for development world-wide. The WTO has decided to stop the current Doha Development Round and suspended talks, citing the "lack of political will" of WTO nations.

In effect, the Dohsa round will not be complete by the end of 2006, and this could be potentially disasterous for developing countries.

Below is a press release from the International Chamber of Commerce
PanAfrica: ICC Calls For Doha Round to Be Resumed as Quickly as Possible

"The International Chamber of Commerce is extremely disappointed by the suspension of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations announced by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy yesterday.

"The lack of political will on the part of WTO members to resolve differences on agricultural subsidies and market access has put the entire round and the multilateral trading system in peril," said ICC Chairman Marcus Wallenberg. Mr Wallenberg is also the Chairman of Saab and the Chairman of SEB, the Swedish banking group.

"The suspension of negotiations means that the Doha Round will not be concluded by the end of 2006, as expected, and could take years to complete," said Mr Wallenberg. "Resumption of these negotiations will require changes in entrenched positions in order to make progress possible.

"Until then, a major opportunity to generate economic growth, create jobs and raise living standards across the world has been put on hold. All WTO member countries will lose from this missed opportunity, especially developing countries that stood to benefit most from these negotiations."

Furthermore, the inability of WTO members to make the compromises necessary to successfully conclude the Doha Round this year means that the positive results already achieved in various areas of the negotiations stand to be lost.

Perhaps most importantly, failure to reach an agreement creates a systemic risk - opening the door to a resurgence in protectionism, a greater number of trade disputes and even more bilateral trade agreements - weakening the effectiveness and authority of the WTO. ICC firmly believes there is no substitute for a strong rules-based, non-discriminatory multilateral trading system.

ICC and its leadership remain fully committed to the WTO system and to an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive outcome of the Doha Round that creates new and meaningful business opportunities through greater multilateral trade liberalization.

"Historically, it has been the multilateral trading system that has generated global economic growth. We will continue to fight for that system," said Mr Wallenberg.

The ICC Chairmanship calls on WTO members to reaffirm in a concrete way their own commitment to the WTO system by avoiding new protectionist measures, and by seeking fresh approaches to resume the Doha Round negotiations as soon as possible and on the basis of the progress already achieved."

(accessed at http://allafrica.com/stories/200607251056.html)

Will follow developments!

'Damp Squib' Summit Blasted for Failure on Poverty
Verdict on 2006 G8 summit

ActionAid condemns G8 for taking a year off from fighting global poverty

On the G8 summit outcome:

"The G8 can take a year off, but poverty doesn't'', said Moussa Faye, Director of ActionAid Senegal, as the St. Petersburg summit closed without making the progress that's urgently needed on Africa, health or education.

"After G8 leaders promised to make poverty history last year, this summit has been a damp squib", said Patrick Watt, policy coordinator with ActionAid UK. "It now falls to Germany to get the G8 back on track to double aid for Africa and provide AIDS treatment. It's good news that Chancellor Merkel is putting Africa on the agenda, but without immediate action, there will be little progress worth discussing."

On trade:

"Millions of poor people risk becoming even poorer under the trade deal currently on the table from the G8. Rich countries are still demanding that poor countries open their markets in return for small concessions that should have been delivered years ago. The aid for trade package is less ambitious than what was offered last December at the WTO in Hong Kong," said Moussa Faye.

On Africa:

"We welcome the fact that UK and French pressure has led the G8 to agree a review of progress on Africa when they meet again in Germany in 2007. However, it is less clear how much progress we can expect on the back of today's announcements. The G8 has ignored the fact they're off track on aid, and stalling on education and HIV and AIDS."
Moussa Faye, ActionAid Senegal director

On the fight against infectious diseases:

"Despite a lack of support from Germany and Japan, it's positive news that other G8 members are taking forward the Advanced Market Commitments initiative, creating incentives for the development of life-saving drugs.
"However, the G8 has fallen short on HIV and AIDS, by repeating existing promises and - with the exception of Russia - not pledging money to bridge a $10 billion financing gap. Having made political capital last year by pledging universal access to treatment, the G8 is now slipping on implementation."
Patrick Watt, ActionAid UK policy coordinator

On education:

"Four years on from the establishment of the Education Fast Track Initiative to get the world's poorest children into school, the G8 has failed the test by simplyrecycling last year's language. A Fast Track financing gap of over $400m is preventing some of the poorest countries from implementing carefully prepared plans, while 100 million children remain out of school. This summit has done next to nothing to address this crisis."
Patrick Watt, ActionAid UK policy coordinator

As a 17 year old, I never know if I should be commenting on social issues that i see around me. Sure, I know that many encourage the participation of youth in various levels of decision-making, policy formulation and such, but sometimes i still feel as if I need to know more, or experience more, before I can comment on society and politics.

But then again, who makes anyone else more 'qualified,' to use a better term, than another person? At any rate, there’s something that I have noticed recently, and has perhaps been playing itself out for quite some time. To me, the real politics of our time seems to be played out by the public; by lobby groups, action groups, opinion articles in established newspapers, through the media and through the general public voice. Politicians, on the other hand, have found themselves tangled in bureaucratic red tape, forced to shake hands, commit to various projects, but rarely follow through. At a domestic level, the extent to which this carries itself out may vary incredibly, as I am only speaking from personal experience and my own views and context. However, in the area of international politics, red tape seems to trip many a politician up, while lobby groups and the public are left standing, waiting for definitive action, while receiving watered-down pledges and communiqués which amount to, well, not much. Or rather, nothing that the international public wants, or in fact needs.

I realise that this is a generalisation. However, in my opinion, it is time to stop advocating political correct solutions, and is time to start pushing for right and effective solutions to international problems. I am personally very passionate about the global campaign to end poverty, and I see the Millennium Development Goals as the definitive document on hw to halve global poverty by 2015. Yet time is running out, fast. There is less than 10 years left, and the OECD nations, as a whole, haven't even pledged to give 0.5% of their GNI, let alone 0.7%. Political correct dealings often lead to inadequate responses to pressing problems, and in the 21st century, this needs to stop. Is it really that hard for a government to pledge 0.7% of its GNI to international aid and development programs? Does the EU and the USA need to continue with its trade policies, which are crippling many developing countries? Will a relaxation on unfair trade policies really hurt these developed countries economies to the extent where they will loose vast amounts of money?

I recently read that in a survey of a sample group of Americans, they thought that the American government gave somewhere between 10% and 25% of its GNI to international aid programs and initiatives. Only a very small percentage estimated correctly that the US government gives below 1% of its GNI towards aid programs.

For the global movement against poverty, 2005 was a year in which many pledges were made. Many were incredible and much-appreciated, while others were less than what was expected. For 2006 and beyond, it is up to the international public to keep our governments accountable, and let them know how we want them to tackles issues such as poverty. The Global Call to Action Against Poverty recently renewed their call for the eradication of extreme poverty by 2015 in a recent international planning meeting in Beirut. In the "Beirut declaration," GCAP demands four things, which the developed and developing world must take into account. They are:
• Public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights
• Trade justice
• A major increase in the quantity and quality of aid and financing for development
• Debt cancellation

Are these demands too much? No. Can the world afford it? Yes. Is there enough political will in our governments to enact the changes needed? Not yet.

The politics of social justice has been given the international platform it needs. It is not just the movement against poverty that can experience massive changes, but any movement that focuses on social justice (and this encompasses many varied and different movements) and equality can come out and make a difference.

The politics I see played out by many of the politicians involved in government is not the politics that i see when I look at the world's movements against injustice. That politics is a 'politics' that has passion and energy, and an unbreakable will behind it. It transcends the boundaries between the Left and Right, and resonates with the core of humanity.

Yet, it seems as if many governments are fearful of enacting change. Nelson Mandela said that "it sometimes fall upon a generation to be great." He also said that that generation can be us.

No, I'm not calling for a "worldwide revolution," or for some revolutionary generation to be raised up in order to enact change themselves. No. What I do wish for, however, is the realisation that the 21st Century calls for a new type of politics. It calls for a new type of involvement from the average citizen, from you and from me. It calls for an involvement that will heal the scars that the world has from the 20th century, where the most people die in war than in any other time period preceding it in human history. It is crying for help, and crying out for a generation that will step up to the plate. The world saw the beginnings of such a movement in 2005, but for the movement to continue, it must go beyond the celebrities, and fall into the back pockets of the average citizen worldwide.

Perhaps in 20 years, politics will have a new meaning.

I've just begun reading through Jeffrey Sachs' book 'The End Of Poverty: How We Can Make It Happen In Our Lifetime' and have stumbled upon a part whic argues that development economics should be like clinical medicine. Sachs argues that for too long, institutions like the IMF and World Bank have been diagnosing issues that impeed development with a narrow view, and should be opening up to "differential diagnosis" so they are able to prescribe the right solutions for each different country affected by extreme poverty. Here is an excerpt from the book:

"Third, clinical economics, like clinical medicine, should view treatment in 'family' terms, not jus individual terms. It is not enough to tell Ghana to get its act together if Ghana faces trade barriers in international markets that prevent it from selling its goods and services to world maekets; if Ghana is burdened by an unpayable mountain of debt inherited from previous decades; if Ghana requires urgent investments in basic infrastructure as a precondition for attracting new investors; if Ghana is burdened by refugee movements and disorders emanating from neighbouring countries. In short, for the IMF and World Bank to tell Ghana to liberalize its trade, balance its budget, and attract foreign investors may be fine and good, but it will be ineffectual if not combined with trade reforms in rich countries, debt cancellation, increased foreign financial assistance for investments in basic infrastructure, and support to the West African region as a whole to maintain peace.In the case of a country, the entire world community is part of the family. This is an assumption of the Millennium Development Goals, and especially the concept of a global partnership to achieve the goals, but it is not yet part of real clinical practice."

One of the biggest barriers to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is the realisation that every country is part of this global family. The EU and America need to break don its barriers in trade, to give the poorer countries of the world a chance to develop and get their feet on the economic ladder. It takes the OECD nations to cncel the debt owed to them, and invest in basic infrastructure, for the poorest of the poor to gain a lifestyle above their current conditions. It takes, as the MDGs have outlined, a global partnership for extreme poverty t b eradicated by 2015, and potentially have poverty eradicated by 2025.

On November 18 and 19, 2006, the Group of 20, comprising of both developed and developing nations, along with an representative from the EU, will meet in Melbourne, Australia. The agenda? "Building and Sustaining Properity."

Of the 5 agenda items, Aid Effectiveness is the fifth. This is what the Work Agenda states on Aid Efefctiveness:

"Dialogue on aid and poverty reduction has been a major strength of the G-20, deriving in particular from its unique representation of developed and developing economies. The equitable distribution of the benefits of globalisation and poverty reduction have been, and remain, core issues for the G-20 since 2000. Further discussions on aid effectiveness may include identifying the preconditions for successful aid delivery and capacity building in developing countries, with specific focus on absorptive capacity, understanding the effects of increased aid supports on resource allocation, domestic institutions, and macroeconomic performance, and ensuring that financial management and fiscal systems reflect development priorities."

While this doesnt specifically address the Milennium Development Goals, it is up the the public and ther NGO community to make sure that the MDG's must be put onto the agenda, and that aid and development are the presing issues of our times. The G20 has the opportunity to make sure the G8 are accountable and keeping within their promises made at the G8 meeting in 2005.

It is the developed countries duty to make sure that aid and sustainable development take a leap forward in 2006. 2005 was the year for mobilisation. 2006 and beyond is the period for action.

Yes, the makepovertyhistory coalition in Australia will be continuing its campaign in 2006, and three key dates for 2006 have already been identified for Australia. They are:

- April 9: One month out from the Federal Budget, which will show how the committment to increasing the investment in overseas aid will be realised.
- October 17: World Anti-Poverty Da
- November 18: for the G20 meetin gof Inetrnational Finance Ministers in Melbourne

makepovertyhistory will be back in '06, so be sure to have an awesoem festive seasons, and be ready to tackle poverty head on in 2006.

makepovertyhistory Australia

2005 Outcomes
Aid

- Global annual increase in aid by 2010, compared to 2004: US$48 billion
- Committment by the Australian Government to aid increase by 2010: A$4 billion ; welcomed, but still short of the MDG targets.
Debt

- Promised cancellation of debts owed by worlds poorest 18 countries (with 20 more on in the pipeline): 200 percent

Trade
- Poor countries power to decide on pace and extent of market liberalisation of agricultural trade reforms at home was recognised in final WTO declaration but we still need to see final WTO agreement for detail.
- The WTO meeting failed to deliver the trade justice deal needed in 2005 to make poverty history. The intransigence of rich countries means the agreement reached is far from just for the poor of the world.

HIV/AIDS
- a date has been set when all AIDS patients will have access to near universal lifesaving medicine ('as far as possible').

There is much to be done if the MDG's are to be met, and the makepovertyhistory campaign must continue.

So, how did all this happen this year? It is all because of you. 2006, here we come!

______________________________________________________

Between the 29th November and the 1st December, 200 young people from across Australia converged on Canberra to take the message of the makepovertyhistory campaign to the 'powerbrokers' of our country. Representing the Oaktree Foundation, World Vision's Vision Generation, UNYA and other organisations, these young people attended over 15 meetings with senators and over 30 meetings with MP's from across the country, including a meeting with Treasurer Peter Costello.

Why do this? We believe that the framework for development contained within the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) is one in which the Australian government should fully commit to, along with all targets contained within the MDG's. We also believe that the MDG's contain a framework in which development at a global scale can be effectively measured, with the ultimate goal of the eradication of extreme poverty.

Day 1 - Tuesday Nov 29
With buses driving from NSW< VIC and QLD, and plane flying in from TAS and SA, excitement was high. With the Victorian delgation having a brief appearance on 'Sunrise' on Channel 7 before departure, the QLD delegation enduring a 20 hour bus ride, and the NSW delegation having perhaps the easiest ride down, it didnt tae long for enthusiasm to kick in upon arrival at the Australian National University (ANU). The NSW delegation arrived first, with the QLD delegation not far behind, and as such, we faced our first round of meetings with various MP's.

For many, it was the first time that they had met with politicians, so this provided many with a crash course in negotiation skills and the skills needed to lobby politicians effectively. All action groups that saw various MP's definately learnt a lot, with many groups having siccessful meetings, while others faced interesting but difficult meetings.

After these meetings, and a dinner consisting of over 100 boxes of Pizza Hut pizza, all action groups, along with the VIC delegation and all from SA and TAS, gathered for a workhop on how to meet effectively with our politicians, as well as strategies to tackle difficult questions, ranging from crruption to debt relief.

Day 2 - Wednesday 30th Nov
With a wake up time of 7am, many sleep-deprived yet enthusiastic faces greeted breakfast. After our initial wake-up session (also known as brekkie)) the first buses were ready to leave for Parliament House. Meetings started at 9am, with workshops for those who did not have a particular scheduled meeting.

Meetings for the 2nd day of campaigning lasted until a little after 5pm, with a meeting with Kevin Rudd back at ANU in the middle of the day. After 5, all on the Road Trip were driven up to the war memorial, where we started a makepovertyhistory march down to Lake Burley Griffin.

Following this march, we held an 8 minute vigil at Commonwealth Place, reflecting on the 8 MDG's. After, two local bands provided some entertainment for us, as the night began to wind down. However, once back at ANU, many were not asleep until the earlier hours of the morning.

Day 3 - Thursday 1st December
The first day of summer provided us with more great opportunities, with meetings with Peter Costello and other prominant politicians. As this was also the final day pf campaigning, many than you and good bye's had to be said. So, did we achieve anything?

What we achieved
Each meeting brought succersses in different areas, and all sides of the political spectrum gave support for our campaign. Some of thee exmples include;
- Steve Georganas offering his electoral office for use by Oaktree within SA. He also offered some advise on how to proceed within the democratic process of our nation.
- Peter Costello, when asked by Hugh Evans whether he would accompany him on a trip to Africa, said he is already going next year to view development projects on the ground. He has alos offered to review our committment in the area of Aid and Developmentand how we can, as a nation, further committ to the MDG's.
- Peter Garrett has offered to present a 90 second speech on the makepovertyhistory campaign, as well as the Road Trip, to parliament during question time.
- and a lot of advances in the makepovertyhistory campaign were also made.

Where To From Here?
We know that we have made some great breakthroughs, but we also know that it is only teh beginning. The challenge for us now is to take the makepovertyhistory message, and a call to action, back to our local communities. We must gatehr local support within our electorates, and maybe then, our representatives will make the committment to makepovertyhistory. It is only the beginning, but it is an essential step. The abolition of slavery came about through ordinary people daring to step out and make a difference. The elimination of poverty can come about in the same way.

"Sometimes is falls upon a generation to be great ... You can be that generation." Nelson Mandela, 2005

Tak a step, dive deep, be daring. Dae to makepovertyhistory!

Next Tuesday, a busloads of young, entusiastic people from NSW, VIC and WLD are heading to Canberra for three days, with one goal in mind: more and betetr aid from our Government.

As a lead up to the third and final makepovertyhistory White Band day on December 10, and the WTO Ministerial meeting between December 13 to 18, the MPH campaign along with the Oaktree Foundation, UNYA< World Vision Vision Generation, and the Micah Challenge, are calling for the government to increase aid, put in place fairer trade rules, and forgve debt to the poorest countrie sthat owe the Aust. government money.

Over ther course of the three days, we will be meeting with politicians, ranging from Malcolm Turnbull to Peter Costello, meeting with AusAID representatives and advising on the 2006 White Paper on Australia's Aid committments for the next year (where weare hoping to include an MDG framework), along with a meeting with the HR Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The major point of the three days is to work a MDG Framework into Australian government aid activities, and we are very excitied about the weekend!

The Oaktree NSW delegation leaves Sydney on Tuesday at 9am. As we travel down, we hope that this trip will leave a lasting impresion on our government After all, all participants are under 25!

More info during and after the Road Trip!

Go to a newsagent today, and pick up any magazine aimed at young people. When you pick it up, you'll pobably see that the magazine is based around body image, the latest and greatest fashion that no-one can afford, and celebrity scoops of the week or month.

But what if there was a magazine that wasn't like this? What if there was a magazine that addressed issues that young people really face, and a magazine that wasn't based solely on an individual's body image?

For my Majord Design Project for Year 12 Design and Technology, that is what I'm endeavouring to create. Entitled "Tribe Magazine, this magazine will take on a street-style apporoach, and address issues that affect young people in Sydney, Australia, to issues that affect young people on a global scale. Of course, the magazine will have enough appeal so that it taregts young people (aged between 15 and 25) but the main difference is that the content within the magazine will include articles that really affect and are important to young people.

At the moment, it is still only in planning stages, and initial design stages. It will take just under a year to complete, but after that, look out for it in the streets of Sydney!

The magazine will have a Chistian influence to it, and will also highlight music festivals, gigs and events which young people (primarily under 18) can attend around Sydney, and around Australia more generally.

Some of the content already lined up for the magazine includes:
- Feature on the Crusader Union of Australia, and its summer and winter camps.
- Features on local Sydney bands, such as Perfect Miistake and The View
- Cover page article on the band Day of Fire and lead singer, Josh Brown
- Gig guides
- Album reviews
- Movie reviews
- and a whole lot more!

More nfo as I complete more of my project!

Besty

PS Woo!!! 200 TIGBlog posts! :)

A lot of you may have heard about this, but here goes anyway.

In the UK, a man has tested negative to HIV, while a year ago, he tested Positive to HIV. Over the period of a year, this man's own body has managed to fight off the HIV virus, and he now tests negative to the virus. Researchers in the UK still don't know why this man has been able to fight off HIV, but it does give a sliver of hope to researchers, because it signals that the human body may in fact be able to fight of the HIV virus by itself. If this can be harnessed, it may be a turning point in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

A hope for HIV sufferers worldwide? Definately

In Australia, there continues to be a rising number of young people that are willing to take up the challenge set forth for our generation. In Nelson Mandela's words, "Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation."

Today, 24th October 2005, hundreds of young people chose to take a stand against poverty. Today, the Oaktree Foundation's "STAND" advocacy campaign took place. In Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane, young people all took a stand against poverty, took a stand to have their voice heard, and took a stand to see the MDGs put into action.

In Sydney, approximately 150 young people gathered in Darling Harbour to hear 8 young school students talk about the eight Millennium Development Goals and why they are so important. After that, we all stood in silence for 8 mintutes, in light (which turned out to be the light emitted from mobile phones, unfortunately we weren't allowed to use candles), to mark recognition of the eight MDGs.

The night concluded with a challege to us all: to accept that poverty is the problem that our generation has to address. In the 60's there was the civil rights movement. In the 70's there were the peace demonstrations all around the world opposing the Vietnam war. This decade, we musn't ignore the opportunity to be known as the generation that eradicated extreme poverty. It is within our grasp. We only need to reach out and grab it.

Year 12, Exams, and other Ramblings...
Well, sitting in my school library, waiting for my last 2 assessments of year 11 isn't really the best thing to be doing. I have a Business Studies speech to do, along with a Legal Studies 2 hour assessment (from 2pm to 4pm) and then year 11, basically, is over.

It's not that I want Year 11 to finish, but I think my last year of school, Year 12, is going to be an interesting one. Not to mention stressful.But I'm looking forward to getting out of school, not because its "freedom" as such, but because it'll let me pursue all things I really want to do .. without the hinderance of school committments.

But, I've still got to pass Year 11 (which is basically a definate) and go through three sets of exam periods before the end of Year 12. And that also involves getting my UAI University Admissions Index), which hopefully will be high enough to alow me into the courses that I want to do.

But then again, I know that Uni isn't everything. But, it would be very helpful for the area's im interested in. (If you're wondering, I'm interested in doing a Bachelor of International Studies at Sydney Uni.)

In other news...
Beginning to talk about the Global Youth Development Network and Summit concept with the Oaktree Foundation within NSW. Getting under way very well, but its still in very early stages!

Talking about the Oaktree Foundation, if you live in Australia, take a look www.juststand.com
This is Oaktree's major advocacy campaign for this year, partnering with makepovertyhistory.
(The website isn't up fully yuet, but don't worry, it's coming soon!!!)

Other than that, all I can do is prepare for my Legal exam!

Besty

bestyslife, bestyslife

Article from the GCAP site. Let's just hope that the UN Millenium + 5 Summit doesn't fail.

Less than three weeks away from the UN World Summit, the world’s largest ever anti-poverty campaign is gravely concerned that countries including the United States are undermining the Summit outcome, and ensuring its failure.
Powerful countries set to betray hopes of millions at UN World Summit

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) warns that by cutting agreed wording designed to end poverty, governments are trying to edit away the future of the world’s poorest people.

The current draft of the Summit outcome declaration contains strong statements on fighting poverty. However, the United States has proposed deleting key wording on tackling global poverty and disease. The proposed US changes include cutting all references to the Millennium Development Goals - the internationally agreed targets for halving world poverty. The US also wants to cut all references to small arms controls and weaken wording on all governments’ responsibility to protect civilians in cases of mass killing such as the Rwandan genocide.

The United States is the main culprit in trying to water down the proposals, with the tacit approval of many other governments. Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder are even threatening not to attend the crucial Summit.

If the declaration is so substantially weakened, the largest gathering of world leaders in history will result in failure.

Currently, 1.2 billion people around the globe live on less than one dollar a day and half the world's population - three billion people - live on under two dollars every day.

“The World Summit could go down in history as the meeting where the most powerful people in the world turned their backs on the poorest,” said Kumi Naidoo, chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. “If leaders refuse to even mention the commitments they made at the millennium summit, they will leave no doubt about their intentions towards the world’s poor.” “Importantly,” Naidoo continued, “a growing number of citizens in these rich countries are showing greater commitment to fighting global poverty than their governments, who are, in fact, betraying their citizens’ sense of a common global humanity.”

Millions of people across the world as part of the Global Call to Action against Poverty are calling on their leaders to honor their word and keep their commitments. United by the campaign’s global symbol, the white band, world leaders will be ‘woken up’ to poverty on 10 September, just before leaving for New York, by alarm bells, marches and iconic buildings wrapped with the white band.

(Source: http://www.whiteband.org/PressCenter/PressRelease/gcappressrelease.2005-08-29.1822568864/en)

millenniumdevelopmentgoals, millenniumdevelopmentgoals

In 1999, British director Jeremy Gilley produced a documentary that documented andinspiried the established ment of the United Nations International Peace Day. Nowe fixed in the calander as the 21st September each year, Gilley and the UN call for a global ceasefire. While many recognize that this is im[possible, it doesnt stop them from trying. Lastyear, over 15 conflict areas called a ceasefire, and more areas that are in conflict are expected to join in the ceasefire this year. For more info on the day and the video go to

www.peaceoneday.org
Besty

Hey hey all!!

Well, after over an year with really no activity within TakingITGlobal (but dont worry, ive still been watching what has been happening!) Lewis Best (myself) is returning to get back into it all!

Why am I coming back? Well, I've really got a renewed interest in many areas, and I really just needed a break. It was never a permanent thing :)

But after saying that, I would like to congratulate Sir Bob Geldof, Bono and all the others that organised the Live 8 concerts and the whole campaign! While the G8 didnt deliver what the world was expecting, Live8 certainly rose enough awareness needed to put pressure on the G8, and the rest of the world. We now look to the UN 2005 World Summit, September 14, and to the WTO meeting in December, and ask the world leaders to pledge to reach the goals of the Millenium Summit in 2000(The MDG's). As one, we can all makepovertyhistory.

Until next tme, stay trendy!
Besty
(and sorry for the colour scheme, it will change, i promise!)

Hey All!

Just to inform you all, a new project and group, the World Foundation for Youth, has been added! Check out the Project Page to find out more info and see the draft proposal, and check out the Groups page to subscribe to the e-mailing list etc.

Cheers

Besty
Founder, World Foundation for Youth