MANILA STANDARD EDITORIAL: STANDING UNITED
MANILA, OCTOBER 19, 2009 (MANILA STANDARD) In 2000, 189 world leaders signed a pact where they committed to attaining eight developmental targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals, by the year 2015.Foremost among these goals is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, even as the other goals—especially those pertaining to education, health and environmental sustainability—are not independent of the aim to reduce, if not eradicate, poverty in the world.
There are six remaining years before reckoning time and the development goals appear to remain mere aspirations. Here at home, for instance, millions of Filipinos—one in three, some estimates say—live on less than a dollar a day. More than five million children are out of school. The devastation caused by recent storms have displaced more families and aggravated the problem. Amid these local woes, the global economic crunch has also taken a toll on jobs and incomes. Indeed a better quality of life for all Filipinos appears elusive.
Today marks the beginning of a three-day campaign for people, rich and poor alike, all over the world to remind our leaders of the commitments they made nine years ago when they signed the millennium pact. Part of the campaign is “Stand United and Take Action” where people symbolically stand up at a given hour to drive home the point that so much more needs to be done to improve the lives, and restore the dignity, of many.
Last year, more than 35 million Filipinos took part in the Stand United event and set the Guinness World Record for having the largest number of people participating in an event. Filipinos have a penchant for setting records—sometimes inconsequential ones —but this is one instance when such a preoccupation actually does have a use.
Of course, we can’t keep standing up forever. Nor can we be mindful of the millennium goals only once a year. We also cannot rely solely on the government to achieve these aims. Our role is not just to stand up—we must take action as well, in our respective spheres. Most importantly, we must see these actions through.
The message should be loud and clear, but it must be resounding as well. The fervor must not fade. Poverty and the erratic distribution of resources in this country is not something to be taken sitting down.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2009
by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved