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Kaiti Kagaraki - PhD,
Political Sciences and Law Stylist, writer,
Athens, Greece

Global Development Goals of Humanity in the 21st century
and ways to achieve them

    At the beginning of the new millennium, the 139 members of the United Nations, aided by nongovernmental organizations, met and resolved to set developmental objectives in order to face the significant issues that had risen and troubled humanity.

    These objectives were the following:

1.     To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

2.     To achieve primary education for all.

3.     To promote equality between genders and to reinforce the part of women.

4.     To decrease child mortality.

5.     To improve mother health.

6.     To deal with Aids, drugs, malaria and other diseases.

7.     To ensure environmental sustainability.

8.     To build worldwide cooperation for development.

    We, UNESCO members, having studied the objectives and foundations of UNESCO’s ideas, easily recognize that, from the 16^th November 1945 when it was founded, the promotion and application of most of these objectives, resulting from the knowledge and implementation of philosophical sayings, was UNESCO’s primary goal. Thus, UNESCO constitutes a workshop of ideas and a catalyst for international collaboration and change, based on freedom, justice and human dignity.

   With the strategies it adopts, Unesco supports the meaning of Philosophy, knowing that philosophy’s highly regarded ideas can face the worldwide problems of modern society via dialogue, analysis, research and practical application. Furthermore, UNESCO embraces and supports in practice the fact that a philosopher must be ambitious, must be – as Kant said – the technician of Logic, contributing to the supreme objective of human speech, which is precisely the increase of effectiveness of the World Developmental Goals.

    Socrates said that “Philosophy is a daily practical endeavor”; Evangelos Papanoutsos, Professor of philosophy wrote that “To philosophize means to turn something into a problem, again; which means to re-think something from the beginning, because the philosopher is a man with critical disposition, numerous questions, a sensitive being, open minded and keen on dialogue”. UNESCO’s programmes are founded and urged by the ideas of the Norwegian philosopher Jostein Gaarder who wrote: “For the philosopher, the world is still something uncomprehended, mysterious, enigmatic. Therefore, something to be continuously studied and evolved.”

    Thus, UNESCO, based on these ideas, plays a regulatory part in order to promote international collaboration on diverse vital issues, by regulating transmission and exchange of cognitive information. The world requires immediate worldwide visions for a sustainable development with a philosophical foundation, based on human rights protection, world peace, solidarity and mutual equal respect, eradication of poverty and education, which, in Greece, as is widely known, is compulsory since the era of Pericles.

    Nowadays, if diffused enthusiasm on the possibilities of science and technology is combined with the idea of development of humanism, the practical receivers of Philosophical thinking, and if we fight for ethics and values, for the respect of human rights, for an open society and democracy, we will reach and accomplish the Worldwide developmental objectives of Humankind. The first and foremost step for a better millennium is nothing else than fighting against poverty and hunger. However, as our forefathers used to say “money is necessary and without it nothing can be done”…

    As a result, the primary objective must be saving money resources in order to achieve United Nations resolutions. Such an objective would play an important part in achieving universal primary education, in promoting equality and, in general, the position of women and motherhood, in increasing child mortality, in treating deadly diseases or habits, in securing the environment, in the frame of a worldwide collaboration for development.

     The United Nations General Secretary at the time, Mr. Kofi Annan, had said that no valuable time must be lost and that by 2015 unprecedented and persistent efforts had to be made, all states and the most important developmental organizations had to cooperate for this goal, for the developmental objectives to be achieved, by doubling – if possible – world help.

     The European Union also committed for official help, by inviting other international patrons as well, to contribute to achieve these goals. It achieved in doing so, as, until the present date, it managed to grant more than half of the developmental aid. Of course, all these efforts had to be coordinated and a progressive use of a common frame and planning had to begin, as well as the creation of an operative planning for aid effectiveness, task distribution, transparency and reports on financing, for other sponsors to be encouraged as well. The non-delay and promotion of all these schemes required, first of all, to be initiated in the countries with the greatest need of help, the underdeveloped and politically unstable countries which mainly were lacking in the sectors of health, education, nutrition and equality of genders.

    The lack of these basic goods combined with the basic sectors of commerce, economics, the consequences of climatic changes, immigration (uncontrolled, for its greatest part) and security of the people and the states, brought disarray to their life and progress. Therefore, only correct mobilization of this whole mechanism could result in the employment of the population, a fact that would secure a steady income, giving them an exit from absolute hunger, by acquiring, at the same time, human dignity forever; and dignity is unfortunately something that we set aside when we think about poor countries …

    And in these countries, the main need that must be supported is the right of all children, independently from their gender, to receive free, compulsory education. Side projects can be executed to this end. Action Aid non-governmental organization as well as UNICEF contributes for the objective, to a great extent. By securing funds for the health sector, child mortality will decrease, since the children will be vaccinated against rubella, will receive specially sprayed mosquito nets against malaria, will be given antiparasitic medication, Vitamin A complements for immunity, medication against tuberculosis, as well as information on breastfeeding for the first 6 months of their life.

    At the same time, however, violence against women must be eradicated as well as sexual abuse, human trafficking (it still exists, mainly in the sub-Saharan region); mother health must be supported, information must be given for contraceptives and family planning, specialized medical staff must be employed and equal labor rights should be promoted. Even though we are living in a century of progress and discoveries, the medications that would cure from cancer, Aids, addiction to drugs and other substances, have not yet been found. Therefore, efforts are made with special combined treatments, information on the use of condoms, elementary rules of hygiene etc.

    One of the most important developmental objectives is securing environmental sustainability; the success of these schemes will secure the economic resources that will help in achieving all other goals. By environmental sustainability we refer to development covering present human needs, without impeding future generations from applying them end evolving them, mainly in the sectors of the economy, society and the environment. It goes without saying that world cooperation is needed and the projects must be incorporated in national policies.

     In the sector of the economy, states must coordinate their economic policies, for monetary stability and in order to avoid deficits. Monetary funds must be available in order to face different international problems. In addition, the poorest countries should benefit from tax relief, facilitations, grace periods and long-term credit repayment.

    In contemporary societies the citizens’ human rights must be protected; these are: social justice, freedom, education, solidarity, Democracy, respect and acceptance of the other person’s being, improvement of life and living conditions, longevity of men and of the ecosystem. Thus, citizens will free themselves from poverty, hunger, social exclusion, violence, fear and diseases.

    In the sector of the environment, primary care should be given to the protection of the soil; healthy, edible products should be produced that will bring food security; this could be achieved by withdrawing fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, water reserves should be retained; thus, the use of agricultural land will become more effective; combined with technological means, the land’s productivity will increase.

    Unfortunately, the consequences from thoughtless use of energy sources pollute the atmosphere and water, striking a blow to ecosystems and affecting world climate.  We are threatened by deforestation, global warming and other relevant issues; technologies using low carbon dioxide emission energy sources should be used and attention should be given to the most economically interesting solutions. Sea pollution has consequences on fishing, the marine world and the coast areas.

    Developed countries are responsible for the implementation of the developmental, sustainable option, since they have their share of responsibility as to this situation. On the contrary, Third World countries, in view of elevating their standards of living and escape from poverty will do anything, unfortunately without thinking about the environmental cost. Another reason why specialized education is important for promoting adequate programmes in order to secure well-being on the whole planet, redefining the needs of the persons and of societies every single time. Nevertheless, it is many years since Greenpeace and other environmental organizations are indignated because of unfounded promises as to the problems; they say that the same developmental rhythm cannot go on.

    At the June 2012 Rio Convention, the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, when addressing the issue of the delay in the implementation of the projects, underlined that the common objectives from now on must be the creation of new jobs, the access to energy for all and the creation of new institutions at all levels. A new triple developmental objective is set again for the valorization of agriculture as the main way to face malnutrition, protect the oceans and stop treating them as the planet’s waste zone as well as renewable energy sources. It is noteworthy to underline that, among many other announcements reported in the last issues of the Official Journal  of the European Union, based in Brussels and signed by the Commission President, Mercedes Bresso, due to the world crises that have intervened, all the programmes in many parts of the works have delayed.

     In 2005 already, it had already been noted that illiteracy had not receded because children were unsupervised, worked and could not pay for fees since their parents did not have resources or because their parents were not alive due to Aids, or because the children helped their sick parents. In countries under state of war, the children were even enlisted. Girls come second in education. They live in poverty, in social exclusion, without access to health services, housing etc. The objective to decrease by half the percentage of people living in absolute poverty was not attained and 1 billion people are deprived of the necessary daily quantities of food or drinking water and do not have a sewage system. All these are the reasons why new ways of developing budgets should be defined in order to promote public health, with priority of needs, which means that Africa must be the priority, and new sources of funds should be searched for.

     The strategies of sponsors must be coordinated in order to improve quality and consistence of the aid and the results should be announced to everyone. The adoption of measures for the protection of the planet and for change in traditional modes of development must be urgently added to the agenda of the world’s most powerful people. Unfortunately, it does not look like the objectives will be put into practice soon and it is also clear that they need reviewing. Sensitive sectors such as social protection, health, education, justice, labor, the business environment, world markets, sustainable agriculture and energy have reached an alarming point.

     In his Philosophy, Plato said that man’s ethics and political substance was related to the organization of the natural world which had to have an ethical foundation, for its balance not to be disturbed. This is why the leaders should learn to cherish the value of the environment and nature! There is no other way to perceive what is going on; and they should take adequate action. Societies have to give young people THEIR FUTURE!....