The Millennium Development Goals
What are the Millennium Development Goals?
There are eight of them, developed by the United Nations and committed to by the United States. The first is to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. Surprising though it may seem, studies have shown that this is an absolutely achievable goal. Click here for more information on the MDG's and current progress towards them.
Why Must Churches Respond to Extreme Poverty?
Briefly stated, we see this as an essential response to Christ's crucial message "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40). Click here for a downloadable .pdf file on this topic; respond to mdg@standrews-yardley.org.
What Can One Church Do?
As the One Episcopalian Campaign has developed at the national level, much thought has been given to this question and we have identified many ways in which we can fulfill our responsibilities as a "ONE Episcopalian" parish. We have already taken several actions and are planning more for the fall of 2008 and onwards through 2015. Click here to join more actively in this work !
What Can One Person Do?
The Micah Group is developing a "shower of suggestions" to help us. Continue reading for more information how you can contribute.
A Shower of Suggestions
There are many ways for people of faith to be involved in the campaign to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Here are a few suggestions.
Pray -- Join a prayer group that is going around the world by praying each day for one country for one minute in light of the Millennium Development Goals. Call or e-mail Bob Anderson (215-968-6216 or anderbobsox@gmail.com) for more information.
Study -- Learn about the MDGs by joining a book group discussing What Can One Person Do? Faith to Heal A broken World. Call or e-mail Bob Anderson for more information. Another excellent book to read is The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs, an economist. Two organizations with excellent web sites are Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation at www.e4gr.org and Bread for the World at www.bread.org. Get current MDG news direct from the United Nations (click here), or download the most recent reports from the United Nations website as a .pdf file to save and study at your leisure.
Go -- Members of St. Andrew's traveled to Honduras in the summer of 2009 on a work/study trip for Heifer International. These trips are deeply moving and at the same time joyous. Call or e-mail Joe Royal (215-493-4413 or joe_royal@hmroyal.com) for more information. Or go on an Epiphany Medical Mission trip to Guatemala. Call or e-mail Bob Anderson for information.
Give -- Several organizations tackle extreme poverty in effective ways that bring long-range and sustainable transformation in the lives of individuals and committees. KIVA is one such organization.
See www.kiva.org. Monies are used for micro-loans for individuals getting small businesses going in developing countries; loans are repaid more than 90% of the time. Heifer International is another such organization and St. Andrew's has a Living Gift Market in December to raise money for it. Another idea is to buy mosquito nets to combat malaria. One net purchased through Episcopal Relief and Development costs $12. To buy a net, go on the ERD web site at www.er-d.org
Advocate -- The Episcopal Public Policy Network issues policy alerts on MDG-related legislation and developments to its e-mail subscribers and then asks those who are so moved to contact their representatives through phone calls, letters, or petitions. You can sign up for these alerts by going to the EPPN web page at www.episcopalchurch.org/EPPN
Bread for the World offers similar alerts and opportunities. St. Andrew's also organizes offerings of letters and trips to Washington D.C. for advocacy purposes -- call or e-mail Bob Anderson for more information.
Suggest -- We welcome your suggestions about what one individual can do. The more ideas the merrier. Call or e-mail Jean Baur (215-493-4257 or jeanbaur@yahoo.com) with your ideas!