Achieving the Goals
In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,
the targets must be quantifiable, identify specific countries
or areas, and target ways in which to proceed. In addition
to the donors and development partners, the leaders of the
countries themselves must all contribute to advancing the
plight of the impoverished. To this end, although the eight
goals are very broad, individual targets must be quite specific.
Hence, hundreds, if not thousands of organizations around
the world are involved in the accomplishment of the specific
directives.
And while many of these same organizations such as Plan
International, Inc (formerly Foster Parents Plan), the IRC
(International Water and Sanitation Centre), and Doctors
Without Borders, to name a few examples, have been around
for a long time, the goals are the same and the efforts
of the groups are focused. Each plays its own part, an integral
piece of the larger picture. Each group has its own mandates
and milestones which aid the Millennium Development Goals
in achieving their targets.
Further to organizations, individual programs that micro-manage
one aspect of the established goals contribute to achieving
the end goals. For example, NERICA (the New Rice for Africa),
a crossbreed of Asian and African rice varieties, allows
many farmers to feed their own families while at the same
time sell their crops at market to earn a living. By teaching
and helping to lay a foundation, the people will become
self-sustaining instead of relying on charity that may or
may not arrive.
Even smaller organizations led by everyday, caring people
will help in the achievement of the goals. ASAP Africa started
as a husband and wife team who were bothered by what they
saw in South Africa. To do their part, they formed A Self-Help
Assistance Program which “is a small non-profit organization
that works for sustainable development in Southern Africa.
We focus on helping communities to become self-reliant by
sharing knowledge through rural savings clubs, support for
education, health and nutrition training, and agricultural
improvements”.
Working closely with the United Nations, The MDG Africa
Steering Group was convened in September 2007 to identify
a path of verifiable and practical steps to meet their objectives.
They have created a chart whereby the objective is stated,
the coordinating organization is identified, and other development
partners who will assist in seeing the objective to fruition
are named.
When speaking about the goals in small terms, it appears
as though the achievements are possible, as groups have
made a considerable impact, but when looking at the total
requirements of the goals and the obstacles posed by some
of the nations involved, the task does seem insurmountable
indeed. Monetarily, aid would have to increase by at least
double each year, and policies within separate nations would
need to be established. Lastly, for the plan to work, both
the rich and poor countries must aspire to the end goals.