Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Keepers of the Earth in Chiapas



The Maya indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico are "pueblos de Mais", peoples of the corn. Their existence, struggle for a life with dignity and their ancient message to balance our communities with Mather Earth is clearly linked to their land. The economic, political, social and cultural rights as indigenous people cannot be recognized or fully understood without the recognition of their rights to their land.

Watch this clip for the work in progress documentary Keepers of the Earth. Keepers of the Earth is an inside look at the battle over transforming the earth’s dwindling biodiversity into sustainable development. As the threat of environmental catastrophe mounts, biodiversity gains more and more traction as a hot commodity. Mexico is a mega-diverse country and keenly aware of the potential to turn green plants into green dollars.

Keepers of the Earth uncovers the battle between environmentalists and indigenous tribes for Mexico's greatest natural wonder, the Lacandon Jungle. At the upcoming 2010 UN Climate Talks, will the rainforest be saved or will people fighting for survival win back their land.

Read more here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1674707503/keepers-of-the-earth-a-feature-documentary

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Refocus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)



There has been lots of speculations, research, achievements and setbacks in the Millennium Campaign and the MDGs. These simple goals and their specific targets are a simple road map for poverty reduction and sustainable development worldwide.

They are a reminder that this generation can (and should) end poverty. We know what it works. We have the technical capacity, intellectual knowledge and the financial resources to make it possible having a world without extreme poverty. We need to realize that, as U2’s Bono observes “The destinies of the halves are intrinsically linked to the fates of the have-nothing-at-alls.” Dr. Jeffrey Sachs reminds us that our generation can choose to end extreme poverty by 2025. Every year, eight million people die because they are too poor to survive. Every morning, more than 20,000 people perish because of extreme poverty.1 Every three seconds a child dies of extreme poverty. The poor themselves can create a poverty-free world – all be have to do is to free them from the chains that we put around them and create partnerships for global solidarity. The MDGs are one of those concrete steps that we can talk to make a difference for the future of our world.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been very active in the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for Development.

"Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. They provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy." (UNDP)

The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators.

GET INVOLVED HERE:



United Nations Millennium Campaign | Facebook
Millennium Campaign - White Bands
STAND UP 2010 | Stand Against Poverty
Millennium Campaign - White Bands
DePaul University and the MDGs

Useful International Development Links



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Action Without Borders (Idealist.org)

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

Arab Gulf Programs for UN Development Organizations (AGFUND)

Asian Development Bank

Associates for International Resources and Development (AIRD)

Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

Black Sea Trade and Development Bank

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

CARE

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Center for Global Development

CIA World Factbook

Computers & Networks in International Development

Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest (CGAP)

Country Studies / Country Profiles (Library of Congress)

Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)

Demography & Population Studies

Devex - News and Analysis

Development Economics

Development Links by Topics/Subject Area

Development Research Reporting Service (ID21)

Directory of Development Organizations

ECHO Humanitarian Aid Office

Eldis

Electronic Embassy

Enterprise Development Website (ENTERWeb)

European Human Rights Centre

Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

French Agency for Development (Agence française de développement)

Frontline of Digital Development

Gender Resources

Geneva International Forum: Development

German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)

Global Development Gateway

Global Volunteer Network

Glossary of International Development Terms

Grameen Bank

Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA)

Information Systems for International Development

Institute of Development Studies

InterAction - Coalition of Relief, Development & Refugee Agencies

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

International Agencies and Information on the Web

International Center for Research on Women

International Executive Service Corps (IESC)

International Food Policy Research Institute

International Institute for Sustainable Development

International Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

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Journal of Humanitarian Assistance

Latin America Development Resources

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Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)

Millennium Development Goals (MDG)

Millennium Development Goals Indicators

New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID)

NGO Cafe

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NGO Research Guide

NGO Worldline

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)

Official Sites of Foreign Governments

Oneworld.net - Guides, Topics and Regions

Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD)

Overseas Development Institute

Palestinian Refugee ResearchNet

Peace Corps

PovertyNet

PRAXIS: Resources for Social & Economic Development

Relief Web

Robinson Rojas Archive - Globalization, Poverty, Development, Sustainability

Saudi Fund for Development

Society for International Development (SID)

Sustainable Development Gateway

Swedish International Development Coorperation Agency (SIDA)

Swiss Alliance of Development Organizations (Alliance Sud)

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

U.S. State Department Background Notes

U.S. Trade and Development Agency

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UNICEF

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United Nations System

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Virtual Library on International Development

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Women in Development Network (WIDNET)

World Bank

World Bank Development Forum

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World Bank Foreign Direct Investment (FDI.net)

World Health Organization

Yahoo! Global Development Organizations