Mindanao CSOs and the Millenium Development Goals

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require the ingenuity, solidarity and creativity of millions of ordinary people through voluntary action. Efforts on the part of national governments, supported by the international community, can only complement what ultimately will depend on the full involvement of people worldwide. Six billion people have something to contribute to these efforts. This section highlights how Civil Societies in Mindanao are contributing to the achievement of each of the MDG goals.
	Over the years, we've been inundated with the statistics and the pictures of poverty around the world-so much so that many people in both the North and South have come to accept it as an unfortunate but unalterable state of affairs. The truth, however, is that things have changed in recent years. The world today is more prosperous than it ever has been. The technological advances we have seen in recent years have created encouraging new opportunities to improve economies and reduce hunger. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 1 in Mindanao.
	Every human being should have the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, too many children in the world today grow up without this chance, because they are denied their basic right to even attend primary school. A sustainable end to world poverty as we know it, as well as the path to peace and security, require that citizens in every country are empowered to make positive choices and provide for themselves and their families. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 2 in Mindanao.
	Poverty has a woman's face. Global prosperity and peace will only be achieved once all the world's people are empowered to order their own lives and provide for themselves and their families. Societies where women are more equal stand a much greater chance of achieving the Millennium Goals by 2015. Every single Goal is directly related to women's rights, and societies were women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 3 in Mindanao.
	One of the darkest characteristics of poverty is that is seems to prey on the vulnerable and defenceless. In low-income countries, one out of every 10 children dies before the age of five. In wealthier nations, this number is only one out of 143. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 4 in Mindanao.
	Many people consider the day their child was born the happiest day in their life. In the world's wealthier countries, that is. In poorer countries, the day a child born is all too often the day its mother dies. In high-fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa, women have a one in 16 chance of dying in childbirth. In low-fertility countries in Europe, this number is one in 2,000 and in North America it's one in 3,500. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 5 in Mindanao.
	Malaria, together with HIV/AIDS and TB, is one of the major public health challenges undermining development in the poorest countries in the world. Malaria kills an African child every 30 seconds. Many children who survive an episode of severe malaria may suffer from learning impairments or brain damage. Pregnant women and their unborn children are also particularly vulnerable to malaria, which is a major cause of perinatal mortality, low birth weight and maternal anaemia. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 6 in Mindanao.
	Reducing poverty and achieving sustained development must be done in conjunction with a healthy planet. The Millennium Goals recognize that environmental sustainability is part of global economic and social well-being. Unfortunately exploitation of natural resources such as forests, land, water, and fisheries-often by the powerful few-have caused alarming changes in our natural world in recent decades, often harming the most vulnerable people in the world who depend on natural resources for their livelihood. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 7 in Mindanao.
	The Millennium Goals represent a global partnership for development. The deal makes clear that it is the primary responsibility of poor countries to work towards achieving the first seven Goals. They must do their part to ensure greater accountability to citizens and efficient use of resources. But for poor countries to achieve the first seven Goals, it is absolutely critical that rich countries deliver on their end of the bargain with more and more effective aid, more sustainable debt relief and fairer trade rules, well in advance of 2015. Read about Civil Society Initiatives in the achievement of MDG 8 in Mindanao.