What can you do in 1000 days? It’s a little less than 3 years. Do you think you can change the world in that time?
Well, this past Friday (05 April) marked the final push for the Millennium Development Goals, the “most successful global anti-poverty push in history.” (un.org/millenniumgoals/) We now have just under 1000 days to change the world for the better by the intended deadline of 2015. And we’re now called to increased action for the final 1000 days, to continue the MDG Momentum.
The eight goals are ambitious: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and global partnership for development.
There IS progress. There are successes. And people of faith are part of that. We Anglicans are involved in a number of ways; the Primate has joined other religious leaders to encourage G8 governments to meet their existing commitment of spending 0.7% on aid. (See article: http://news.anglican.ca/news/stories/2586)
For the purpose of this blog I want to highlight some of our success stories as Canadian Anglicans. There is always more work to be done, but we can celebrate that good work has commenced and is making a real difference in the world. The PWRDF created a series of posters for just this purpose and shared them on socmed last Friday. From assisting families to grow their own food, to provision of medications, empowering women and feeding hungry students, supporting environmentally sustainable practices and community health workers and training midwives.
We should definitely recognise the progress that has been made. And we should also be aware of the work that is on going. And we can challenge ourselves to be active in the work for the future – another world IS possible, and we can be a part of it. The MDGs are a great place to start – let’s be grateful for our living conditions that are favourable, let’s pray for those (both here in Canada and around the world) whose conditions are challenging. Let’s support those who are working toward the fulfillment of the MDGs, through political activism or education or financial contribution. Let’s delight in knowing that we have an accessible outlet to make these goals a reality, and to see them as a way to live out our baptismal vows. Especially in this season of Easter, where we celebrate the promise of new life, let’s do our best to glimpse new life in this world.
There are 1000 days to go. Do you think you can change the world in that time? I do – with God’s help.
