UN Millennium Development Goals

Ten years ago, world leaders developed a blueprint for improving the social and economic situation in the world's poorest countries. To ensure progress, United Nations member states agreed to adopt a set of targets called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The deadline for achieving these eight goals is 2015.

With only five years to go, world leaders are currently attending a United Nations Summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 to discuss how to accelerate global poverty reduction. On Twitter, you can follow these Global Voices bloggers who are there in person: @SonamOngmo @bhumikaghimire @andrea_arzaba and @lastoadri

Worldwide, we are still a long way off from achieving the 2015 goals, but many countries have made progress. On Global Voices, we often tell stories of serious social and economic injustice, but we also focus on people who are doing good work to promote change — often by using citizen media or other technologies. Below, are some Global Voices stories that show how citizens themselves are contributing to development goals worldwide.

Kids lining up to receive health care along the border of the Amazon river in Brazil. Photo by Deborah Icamiaba (CC-BY)

Together with our friends at the UNFPA blog Conversations for a Better World (On Twitter, @_conversations_) we would love to hear more examples and ideas from bloggers worldwide.

Reactions to MDG Summit on Global Voices

08 Oct – Can We Halve Global Hunger by 2015?
25 Sep – Bhutan: ‘Happiness’ as a Millennium Development Goal
22 Sep – Australia: MDG Summit Lying Low Down Under
22 Sep – Global Voices Bloggers at UN Millennium Development Goals Summit

Global Voices Development Stories

The eight headlines below represent the eight Millennium Development Goals followed by stories of positive developments, projects, or commentary highlighted by Global Voices bloggers.

* End Poverty and Hunger

Philippines: Storytelling for Hunger Awareness
Bangladesh: Uncultured Project and Clean Water
Africa's Hunger Hardships Spur Biotech Debate
Niger: The Silent Famine
Bangladesh: Visitors Share Their Thoughts On Grameen Ventures

* Universal Education

India: Video Giving A Voice To Marginalised Communities
Video: Mobile Libraries of the World
ICTs and the spread of indigenous knowledge
Ghanaian students contribute to virtual media library
Video: Kids News Network turns to web

* Gender Equality

Venezuela: Allies in Technology, Women Who are Not Afraid of Mice
Togo: Women and Adolescents Embrace Technology for Development
Jamaica: High Teen Pregnancy and Sexual Violence Rates

* Child Health

Brazil: Blogging from riverside communities in the Amazon
Ethiopia: What a Difference Water Makes
Philippines: Bloggers’ Views on Sex Education
Video: Worldwide youth express themselves in 60 seconds
Poland: Put a smile on a child's face – it's easy!

* Maternal Health

Serbia: “Mother Courage”
Videos on how Maternal Mortality Affects Communities
Pregnancy and Prisons: Women's Health and Rights Behind Bars

* Combat HIV/AIDS

Sierra Leone: Sex and STD Awareness through Video
Global Health: Mobile Phones to Boost Healthcare
China: Tian Xi Deserves Happiness
Africa: Marking World AIDS Day Poetically
Online Campaigns To Combat Spread Of HIV/AIDS
A Guide to Blogging about Life with HIV/AIDS