For when the sounds of the ‘vuvuzela’ start blurring across four South African cities, MDG campaigners will also stand up to make a point in order to be heard.

A few days ago, the clock chimed a 100 days left before the global curtain is raised on the first-ever World Cup on African soil and for a continent where the poverty situation has almost adorned a lifestyle status, the soccer balls that will be kicked around in Johannesburg’s Soccer City and other stadiums during the World Cup in South Africa will not be far-off from this sad reality.

A group of experts discussed three major crises facing the world over the past year: Afghanistan, the Global Economy, and Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and 2010 Members’ Day.

Our traditions and social protection networks have cushioned Samoa from the impact of poverty, a senior United Nations (UN) official said. Minar Pimple, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific on the UN Millennium Campaign, said while poverty affects all countries, it’s not that bad in Samoa. “I don’t see malnutrition in Samoa,” he said.

In honor of International Women’s Day, Anita Sharma, North American Coordinator for the UN Millennium Campaign, spoke during the BBC program World News Today. Sharma indicated that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for women (including, but not limited to, Goal 3: Gender Equality and Goal 5: Maternal Health) are the linchpin to achieving all of the MDGs. Although progress has been made, poverty still has a female face with women and children making up 70% of the world's poor.

Barcelona, March 8, 2010- 2010 is a key year in the fight against poverty. As one of the four European Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Committed Cities, Barcelona has redoubled its efforts to raise awareness among its citizens of the importance of the MDGs and the need for both rich and poor countries to achieve them.