“Responsibility for managing worldwide economic and social development, as well as threats to international peace and security, must be shared among the nations of the world adn should be exercised multilaterally. as teh most universal and most representative organizatin of the world the United Nations must play the central role” UN 200. P2
Shared Responsibility
Respect for Nature
The declaration suggests we exercise prudence in the management of all living species and natural resources. This must be in accordance with the precepts of sustainable development. The declaration recognises that immeasurable riches provided by nature be preserved. Most importantly passsed on to our decendents.
The present pattern of production and consumption is not sustainable and thus need some form of change. A change that is in the interest of our future welfare and that of our descendents.
Tolerance
All faiths all cultures together
The UN Declaration states on Tolerance that
Human beings must respect one another, in all their diversity of belief, culture and language. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset of himanity. A culture of peace and dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted.
The tolerance needs to be in all directions inclusive of all cultures. This can not be a one way goal. There needs to be a recognition that some cultural practices have evolved in a particular geographical region because it is sound and right for that region. This may be the best way of living in that area of the world. The problems occur when the practices are taken out of the region they evolved in and become seen to mis match into another region. All cultures are perhaps common in behaviour of taking their culture and country norms with them where ever they go in the world. This became apparent in colonial days where one accepted form of civilization was transplanted into another world community. What is dangerous to tolerance is that then this can be used as measure to assess other ways of life against?
We get examples of British holiday makers to Spain still expecting fish and chips; roast beef and yorkshire puddings for a meal – yet this may well not be suited to the climate there. But equally having been married to an Indian in the past when he came to the UK he thought nothing was food unless it had generous helpings of chilli and lots of rice.
Religious tolerance is an area we all have to tread carefully with. The essence of all religions is that of peace, love and harmony look after your fellow man in need. So all religions should in effect not have any problem achieving the goals set out by the UN Declaration. But lack of tolerance from the lack of understanding can be an hinderance to this. With understanding and good sharing communication this can lead to a major step further than tolerance – that of acceptance.
Where we do have problems in acheiving tolerance and acceptance; is when a culture or religion or practice does not lead to the other requirements. These being that of Freedom from oppression and injustice and the lack of dignity and equality for citizens. These are basic needs and rights of citizens and thus to be part of any cultural practice.
The key is to dispel ignorance with knowledge to lead to the wealth of understanding which leads to harmony and peace. This then leads to the tolerance and acceptance.
image from http://www.theharmonyinstitute.org/
Solidarity
World Helping together
The Declaration states that
Global challenges must be managed in a way that distributes the costs and burdens fairly in accordance with basic principles of equity and social justice. Those who suffer or who benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most.
The key is for those that are stronger to help those that are weaker. This has to be done with a committment to world solidarity and a enacted in a fair way. The committment cannot be based on greed, or cruption or resentment. The soldarity can only be based on a pure hearted committment to the declaration in order for the goals to be achieved. So this can only be enacted with a Global consciousness and the drive to benefit all in need and eliminate poverty.
Equality
The Declaration states that:
Equal Rights
No individual and no nation must be denied the opportunity to benefit from development. The equal rights and opportunities of women and men must be assured.
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Happy with dignity
Ideal family life
This makes for a better image than rows upon rows of thrown together slum shacks. This may seem an ideal and not acheivable by all. But with the declaration is what we should all be striving for. Every nation should ensure the dignity of its citizens. If we are committed to measures in £ & $ and euros then this lifestyle is much more cost effective.
The economy would be stronger, there would be less crime, less ill health from the stress of poverty and malnutrition.
But it may need more committment to a limited family size and this would prove to be a challenge to some cultures where larger families are the norm and expectation. But the availability of contraception and family planning is a key to achieving more control over the world population. But it immediately strikes issues on the freedom of choice to have a larger family - where the family unit feel that they have the financial resources to ensure dignity to that family. So the word dignity is a fundamental key to the decisions being made on an individual and wider community scale.
Freedom & Dignity
Freedom from oppression
Essential to the Millennium Declaration is that there should be Freedom!
Men and women have the right to live their lives in dignity.
Free from hunger.
Free from violence.
Free from oppression.
Free from injustice.
To achieve this the Declaration suggests that this can only occur with democratic and participatory governments, based on the will of people to assure these rights.
image from http://affirmativethinking.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/freedom/
Finding the Key
The World is falling short on the goals set by the the UN Millenium Development compact but not all bad news as some countries are on track. The most important point is to keep on track as the moment that there is a loss of progress to eradicate poverty then this leads to a worsened situation and a harder challenge.
The goals then run away and become far reaching instead of contained.
The facts from the summary report of 2003 is that more than 50 nations over the preceding decade of the report grew poorer.
The issues that lead to this worsening poverty are:-
1. in areas of high incidence of HIV/AIDS then life expectency reduces.
2. Worst performers are the result of conflict.
This second point is the most destructive as of course the whole infrastructure and the society is affected. Spin off problems are how to achieve education when the schools have been lost or children are unable to go safely to school in these areas of conflict? Immediate survival is the priority.
The key here is to for a the Word to prevent conflict and find resolution to problems that lead to conflict. So a world counsel to negiotiate in areas that have major conflicting issues is paramount to success. There needs to be an halt on situations that can lead to an escalation of anger into destructive wars out of a Global consciousness. Wars are the ultimate creator of poverty by the utter devastation of the infrastructure. But it can be the poverty that leads to anger and challenges as the divide between the haves and the have nots creates friction. The countries and parties involved in conflict need to carry a wider global consciousness to the issues they are in disagreement over. Clearly the Israeli/ Palestine needs the most healing iniatives to prevent more unnecessary pain and hardship.
The goals provide a framework that demands action to achieve the results. But they are not the instrument to achieve the goals.
In order to achieve the goals each nation needs to own the responsibility of the problem, the poverty and set ways to erradicate the suffering for its citizens that are affected by the poverty.
For the poorest countries it may be that the goals need to be more manageable; That full eradication may not be possible! For those countries then they may need to redefine the goal to lessen poverty rather than eradication.
But the overall Key is: Each country owning the pledge of the Development Goals.
Information taken from the un 2003 Human Development summary report.
Millennium Declaration Goals
A compact among nations to end poverty by 2015.
What are the goals?
Goal 1 Eradicate extreme povery and hunger.
Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education.
Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women.
Goal 4 Reduce Child mortality
Goal 5 Improve maternal health
Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development
