The Commission to Promote Systemic Change presents:

MDGs and Systemic Change Strategies

A VINCENTIAN FAMILY PRESENCE IN A GLOBAL FORUM

Belleville, Ill November 6, 2010

Millennium Development Goals

Outline The 2010 Review of the MDGs The Gaps Systemic Change Strategies

Millennium Summit, 2000

I am struck by the remarkable convergence of views on the challenge that faces us. And by the urgency of your call to action. You have said that your first priority is the eradication of extreme poverty. You have set specific targets in relation to the goals. And you have set measures in relation to those targets. If the measures are taken, the targets will be reached.

For ten years the MDGs have kept the eyes of the world focused on poverty eradication. The Goals have driven welcome and significant progress for some people living in poverty.

The MDGs are critically important because they represent an international commitment at the highest level to eradicate extreme poverty.

For the religious community, globally, the MDGs provide a unique opportunity to bring together our faith, our commitment to justice and our ability to hold governments to account all 189 signers of the MDGs.

Yet, despite some hugely significant achievements, it appears unlikely that by 2015 any of the Goals will be met.

What happened?

MDG Review September 2010

Recent history shows that the prospect of poverty eradication has deteriorated due to several interrelated crises: the food crisis, the fuel crisis and the global financial crisis. - Constraints on government spending: revenue, debt - Economies languishing Unemployment, worldwide The failure to reach a fair and binding agreement on climate change is further eroding the ability to meet the Goals.

The prospects for meeting the MDGs were severely diminished by the lack of political will to deal with the structural and systemic causes of poverty. More fundamentally, the failure to achieve sufficient progress on the MDG targets is anchored to the lack of a shared understanding of the meaning and the causes of poverty.

euqti r C GD M i

As you know, poverty is not primarily a lack of income, or other material resources such as housing, food, access to fresh water or other consumer goods. (These are symptoms of what it is like to be poor.) Poverty is far wider: a lack of opportunity, a lack of power over ones life and prospects, a lack of human dignity. Poverty eradication goals cannot limit themselves to treating symptoms, as important as these are.

euqti r C GD M i

For real progress to be made the systemic and structural causes of poverty must be identified and challenged and changed. Those in poverty must be supported to take power over the constraints they face; those in power must be held accountable.

euqti r C GD M i

MDGs the Critique

The Millennium Declaration's important emphasis on inequality, including gender inequality, on sustainability and on democratic and participatory governance are effectively missing from the MDGs, the Declarations plan of action. Taken together, the Millennium Declaration and the MDG's framework would constitute a great step forward for those who live in poverty.

Inequality: Take living on $1.00 a day - twice as many women as men have to live on a $1.00 (US) a day. This is not by chance, but is the result of known and predictable dynamics. Sustainability: Here the MDGs are a product of their time, not taking into account, climate change and unsustainable use of natural resources as well as unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. Democratic and participatory governance: The Millennium Declaration emphasizes the need for citizens to be engaged and have power in the development process - a step leading to transparency, participatory policy making, and political accountability.

MDGs the Critique

Poverty Eradication strategies must include such elements as: Personal power: (including health, education, decent work and leisure conditions, and household relations). Economic power: (income, freedom from extreme inequality, economic security and access to or control over resources). Social power: (community wellbeing, social relations and social inclusion, environmental conditions) Political power: (political freedom, political security and active citizenship).

Civil society believes that these powers are essential if poverty is to be eradicated and the structures and systems that favor the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalized are to be challenged and changed. [USA/world ]

MDGs the Critique

Systemic Change Strategies

Social thinking and social practice inspired by the Gospel must always be marked by a special sensitivity towards those who are most in distress, those who are extremely poor, those suffering from hunger, neglect, unemployment and despair. You will also want to seek out the structural reasons which foster or cause the different forms of poverty in the world and in your own country, so that you can apply the appropriate remedies.
Pope John Paul 11

In the light of the critique of the MDGs, take a final look at the Systemic Change Strategies

Systemic Change Strategies: An approach to changing the unjust structures that oppress and marginalize

Mission Orientation (motivation and direction) Consider poverty not as the inevitable result of circumstances, but as the product of unjust situations that can be changed, focusing on actions that will break the circle of poverty

People Orientation: focusing on the poor as the persons who are most capable of changing their own situation

Listen carefully and seek to understand the needs and aspirations of the people, creating an atmosphere of respect and mutual confidence and fostering self-esteem Involve the people themselves, including the young and women, at all stages: identification of needs, planning, implementation, evaluation and revision

People Orientation: focusing on the poor as the persons who are most capable of changing their own situation

Promote engagement in political processes, through civic education of individuals and communities Support and respect the mechanisms for promoting solidarity that exist among the community members

Task Orientation: Organization Start with a serious analysis of the local reality, flowing from concrete data, and tailor all projects to this reality Have a holistic vision, addressing a series of basic human needs -- individual and social, spiritual and physical, especially jobs, health care, housing, education, spiritual growth using an integral approach so as to foster sustainable development Implement coherent strategies, starting modestly, delegating tasks and responsibilities, and providing quality services respectful of human dignity Make the project self-sustaining by guaranteeing that it will have the human and economic resources needed for it to last Be transparent, inviting participation in the preparing budgets and in commenting on financial reports. Maintain careful controls over money management.

Co-responsibility, networking and political action: participation and solidarity

Promote social co-responsibility and networking, sensitizing society at all levels --- local, national and international --- about the need to change the unjust conditions that affect people living in poverty Construct a shared vision with diverse stakeholders: poor communities, interested individuals, donors, churches, governments, the private sector, unions, the media, international organizations and networks, etc.

Co-responsibility, networking and political action participation and solidarity

Struggle to transform unjust situations and to have a positive impact, through political action, on public policy and laws Have a prophetic attitude: announce, denounce, and, by networking with others, engage in actions that exert pressure for bringing about change

Our systemic strategies are congruent with the vision of our Founders and with the vision of the Millennium Declaration. The sc strategies have a holistic understanding of poverty; they are people centered/driven; they look to root causes, inequality and social exclusion; they emphasizes the importance of sustainability and they foster transparency, education and political action to promote democratic governance, good policy and laws to advance positive systemic change.
To me, it is a tragedy to propose a plan (of action) that is inadequate to the goal to be accomplished. To me bringing a systemic change framework to any enterprise makes any of us very valuable partners. To me this also means, that in our effort to promote change, we have a host of potential partners.

The Present Situation

Ratio Missionum

Two thirds of the world live in poverty and hunger. Millions are chronically undernourished. Most of the world still has no access to adequate medical attention, education and potable water. Underneath all this are real individuals and families that suffer.

The Present Situation

Ratio Missionum

But there are signs of hope: the growing awareness in the world of the value of the human person. We see this in the formation of groups promoting human rights, civil liberties and political participation. ..individuals and groups and whole populations are endeavoring to create just economic and political structures which permit the development of the human person. These are all signs of a new world struggling to emerge.

Beyond 2015

Thank you