(STRASBOURG, November 15th) More than 1 million Europeans mobilized on October 17th --the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty -- under the Stand Up and Take Action initiative, to ask their Governments to keep their commitments on increasing aid quantity and quality, debt relief, and trade opportunities that will help poor countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Acting Spanish President, Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, cited the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the key focus of his governments development and cooperation policies, while giving his inaugural speech in the Spanish Parliament yesterday.
Under the heading “Deepening local democratic governance to eradicate poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals," the delegates to the Forum discussed potential ways of strengthening the role of Local Authorities both in the North and the South in the achievement of the MDGs.
I feel very much at home here, and in tune with the purpose of your meeting.
I have been among the first women in several positions, which was not always easy, including certain minor inconveniences: when I became a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands in 1981, there was only one toilet – for the men – near the Plenary. When I became a member of the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in 1991, it was the same: One labeled “Gentlemen” in the antechamber of the Board Room – I had to walk a corridor to the “Women”…
I feel very much at home here, and in tune with the purpose of your meeting.
I have been among the first women in several positions, which was not always easy, including certain minor inconveniences: when I became a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands in 1981, there was only one toilet – for the men – near the Plenary. When I became a member of the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in 1991, it was the same: One labeled “Gentlemen” in the antechamber of the Board Room – I had to walk a corridor to the “Women”…
Madrid, February 25, 2010 – Marina Ponti, UN Millennium Campaign Deputy Director for Europe, and Falu Njie, the Campaign’s Deputy Director for Policy, participated this Thursday and Friday in the seminar “Parliament and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Context of the Changing Aid Architecture: Prioritizing South-South Cooperation,” organized by the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) and the Spanish Senate in Madrid, as part of the Spanish European Union Presidency.
Rome, July 7, 2009: On the eve of the G-8 Summit, the United Nations Millennium Campaign and Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in Italy organized a stunt in Piazza del Popolo in Rome in order to grab the attention of G-8 leaders. The stunt was part of the “Press the 8” campaign which encourages citizens to pressure G-8 leaders to deliver on their promises at this week’s summit.
Rome, June 12, 2009: On the occasion of the G-8 Development Minister’s Meeting that took place at the Foreign Ministry in Rome on June 11-12, GCAP Italy organized a stunt in Piazza del Popolo in order to grab the attention of G-8 leaders. A huge weight with the word “crisis” crushed southern poor people while representations of G-8 leaders remained indifferent and kept on drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. The stunt occurred as development ministers met to discuss the impact of the financial crisis on developing countries and sustainable development.
Rome, May 29, 2009: The award ceremony for the creative competition “Little authors of great thoughts: G-8 children write to the big leaders” today took place at Villa Wolkonsky, residence of the British Ambassador in Italy, in the presence of British Ambassador Edward Chaplin, actor Colin Firth, Italian Millennium Campaign Coordinator Marta Guglielmetti and Tavola della Pace Coordinator Flavio Lotti. Even the President of the Republic of Italy sent a message to the young authors.
Rome, May 4-5, 2009: The City of Rome today hosted 260 delegates from over 40 countries at the Civil G-8, the forum where representatives of civil society and the most industrialized countries have gathered to tackle some of the most important issues on the agenda for the upcoming G-8 summit. Issues on the agenda include global governance, climate change and the environment, funding for development, health, education, employment, gender equality and the fight against poverty.
