A New Year's Resolution for Fanshawe College
Over seven years ago the United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration, which outlined the international community's commitment to development around the world. This monumental declaration created eight goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These ambitious goals called for the peoples of the United Nations (this includes you) to cut the rate of extreme poverty in half, extend universal education and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria by 2015, just to name a few.
Now that we are nearly halfway to our target date for the MDGs, we must assess our progress and re-establish our commitment to achieving the MDGs. So far, progress has been significant in a number of areas. For example, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty (on less than $1 a day) in the developing world has decreased from almost a third to less than one-in-five since 1990. The enrolment rate of children in primary school has increased from 80 per cent to 88 per cent and the global child mortality rate has decreased.
However, despite overall progress for some goals, other goals have stagnated or will likely not reach their 2015 target. Income inequality is growing even though the global rate of extreme poverty has dropped; the global environmental crisis is expanding with CO2 emissions increasing by 26 per cent since 1990, and the number of people who died from HIV/AIDS increased to 2.9 million in 2006.
In addition, overall statistics mask the disparity between different developing regions, as well as the rural/urban and gender divide within specific countries. In sub-Saharan Africa one-in-16 women will die from preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth, whereas in the developed world the maternal mortality rate is one-in-3800. Also, girls account for 57 per cent of children who are not attending primary school. This rate increases for girls who are poor and live in rural areas. Finally, women account for more than half of all new HIV cases and represent only 17 per cent of legislative seats globally (this includes developed countries).
Without a doubling of our efforts, many developing countries will continue to suffer the negative effects of poverty, poor health, a degraded environment, lack of education and gender inequality. But as an educational institution with a great breadth and depth in resources and expertise, Fanshawe has a tremendous amount to offer towards international development and achieving the MDGs. The solutions are out there; we just need to take action.
In particular, by partnering with educational institutions in developing countries we can contribute to development through education. By sharing knowledge in health and human services, environmental technology and business programs, we can build capacity and sustainability. Projects of this nature can make significant gains within a developing community in the long-term, as well as provide fantastic personal and professional development opportunities for students and staff at Fanshawe.
Establishing a greater commitment to international development and the MDGs is in line with Fanshawe's mission statement and continues our tradition as a socially responsible institution. As an institution that strives to ‘enrich the lives of individuals and meet the changing needs of our diverse communities,' most certainly this includes communities outside London, Ontario and Canada, especially in an increasingly interdependent world.
In the New Year, Fanshawe's International Department will create a Global Fanshawe Committee to promote international development activities and international experiences for students, faculty and staff. This initiative will build and expand on current international activities at the College, like those in Costa Rica and Rwanda. However, such a committee will require a high level of support college-wide and greater cooperation between involved departments. This is necessary to ensure the successful implementation of a larger international development project.
This year, let's make a resolution as a college to do our part in achieving the MDGs and resolve to create a college culture that cares about the developing world and is compassionate towards its concerns and challenges.
Data from the “The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007.”
Now that we are nearly halfway to our target date for the MDGs, we must assess our progress and re-establish our commitment to achieving the MDGs. So far, progress has been significant in a number of areas. For example, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty (on less than $1 a day) in the developing world has decreased from almost a third to less than one-in-five since 1990. The enrolment rate of children in primary school has increased from 80 per cent to 88 per cent and the global child mortality rate has decreased.
However, despite overall progress for some goals, other goals have stagnated or will likely not reach their 2015 target. Income inequality is growing even though the global rate of extreme poverty has dropped; the global environmental crisis is expanding with CO2 emissions increasing by 26 per cent since 1990, and the number of people who died from HIV/AIDS increased to 2.9 million in 2006.
In addition, overall statistics mask the disparity between different developing regions, as well as the rural/urban and gender divide within specific countries. In sub-Saharan Africa one-in-16 women will die from preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth, whereas in the developed world the maternal mortality rate is one-in-3800. Also, girls account for 57 per cent of children who are not attending primary school. This rate increases for girls who are poor and live in rural areas. Finally, women account for more than half of all new HIV cases and represent only 17 per cent of legislative seats globally (this includes developed countries).
Without a doubling of our efforts, many developing countries will continue to suffer the negative effects of poverty, poor health, a degraded environment, lack of education and gender inequality. But as an educational institution with a great breadth and depth in resources and expertise, Fanshawe has a tremendous amount to offer towards international development and achieving the MDGs. The solutions are out there; we just need to take action.
In particular, by partnering with educational institutions in developing countries we can contribute to development through education. By sharing knowledge in health and human services, environmental technology and business programs, we can build capacity and sustainability. Projects of this nature can make significant gains within a developing community in the long-term, as well as provide fantastic personal and professional development opportunities for students and staff at Fanshawe.
Establishing a greater commitment to international development and the MDGs is in line with Fanshawe's mission statement and continues our tradition as a socially responsible institution. As an institution that strives to ‘enrich the lives of individuals and meet the changing needs of our diverse communities,' most certainly this includes communities outside London, Ontario and Canada, especially in an increasingly interdependent world.
In the New Year, Fanshawe's International Department will create a Global Fanshawe Committee to promote international development activities and international experiences for students, faculty and staff. This initiative will build and expand on current international activities at the College, like those in Costa Rica and Rwanda. However, such a committee will require a high level of support college-wide and greater cooperation between involved departments. This is necessary to ensure the successful implementation of a larger international development project.
This year, let's make a resolution as a college to do our part in achieving the MDGs and resolve to create a college culture that cares about the developing world and is compassionate towards its concerns and challenges.
Data from the “The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007.”
