Today the world is 1,000 days out from the target date to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight goals embraced by governments and the UN to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, including poverty, hunger, access to education, and child and maternal deaths.
To mark this milestone, the UN Foundation is joining the global development community for a 1,000-minute digital rally starting at 8:30 am ET.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the amazing improvements that we’ve made and inspire action to keep the momentum going in the next 1,000 days and beyond. You can check out the schedule of events here and join the conversation by following @Momentum1000 and the hashtag #MDGmomentum.
Since 2000, governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and grassroots activists have mobilized around the MDGs and driven significant progress.
For example:
- According to a UN report released last year, the number of people living in extreme poverty fell from over 2 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2008.
- The number of children who died before their 5th birthday dropped by 41 percent between 1990 and 2011. Maternal deaths dropped by 47 percent in about the same time period.
- And more children than ever are in primary school, including as many girls as boys.
These statistics are more than numbers – they represent millions of people around the world who have new opportunities and a brighter future.
But we still have more work to do to end poverty, save lives, and create a more just world. Today is a chance for all of us who care about these issues to renew our commitment and to enlist more people in the movement. Join the rally and together we can keep the #MDGmomentum going!
Tweet this: Help us build #MDGmomentum. Join the countdown for the deadline of the #MDGs & #post2015 global #development policy: http://ht.ly/jmKXT