Africa-Asia civil society exchange on MDGs
An African delegation of civil society leaders is on a visit to India to share their experiences, challenges and success in advocacy on MDGs. Organised by the UN Millennium Campaign, the visit's first day was marked by a meeting with a union cabinet minster and the release of MDGs Status Reports for two Indian states.
New Delhi: An African delegation comprising of various civil society leaders, politicians and UN Officials from Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and Kenya are visiting India to take back lessons on how Indian citizens engage with their politicians and lawmakers to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are on track.
- African CSO representatives with Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay/ Photo credit: UNMC
On day one of this south-south learning mission organized by the UN Millennium Campaign, the African team attended the release of the MDGs Status Reports in Jharkhand and Bihar, particularly in relation to Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims. Minister for Food Processing Industries and MP from Jharkhand, Shri Subodh Kant Sahay, released the reports and called upon the leaders of the state to draw out a roadmap, keeping in mind the 2015 goal.
“There is no time to be lost,” he said. “It makes me restless when I go back to Jharkhand and see the amount of unutilized funds under the employment generation and poverty alleviation schemes. The policies are in place but we have too often failed to implement them. The state has to wake up from its torpor and without losing an hour begin its work to fulfil the MDGs.”
The delegation led by Thomas Deve, Policy Analyst, of the Millennium Campaign, Africa will take several field trips around India to learn more about the MDG awareness programme and activities at the grassroots.
