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In 2000, 189 nations committed themselves to effectively respond to the world's main development challenges by 2015. They set themselves eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Halfway to the 2015 deadline, IPS Africa is examining progress towards these goals in Southern Africa. Through insightful reportage, commentary and analysis from throughout the SADC region, we are looking at successes and failures in the quest to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and women's empowerment, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a Global Partnership for Development. |
In South Africa, alcohol has become a socio-economic issue, woven into the very fabric of our social thinking, economic transactions and planning for the future health of our developing society. When used with care and responsibility, its presence is benign and often pleasurable. When used without consciousness, it becomes a personal and social scourge.
Macro-economic analysis confirms that the key driver to Africa’s solid economic growth over the last decade has been trade. But the impact of the global financial crisis has threatened trade. This has been shown by the impasse in the World Trade Organisation Development Round in Doha, Qatar, and fears of increased trade protectionism.
The most well-intentioned efforts to manage the HIV pandemic and lower HIV transmission rates cannot be addressed unless the role played by harmful cultural practices and gender-based violence, particularly violence against women, is being addressed. This is a growing realisation among those implementing programmers and providing services in the humanitarian and developmental sectors.
The prevailing trade paradigm presupposes the existence of equal power relations, of equal access to resources and equal voice in economic agenda setting. The ascendance of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995 as the overarching body has given rise to continued discussions, detailing the historical and structural inequities that prevail unfettered in the current global trading system.
Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) are a worthy list of what must be done in the world as a matter of urgency. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who does not support those goals. But are the indicators used to measure the MDGs real, or just political smoke and mirrors?
Responsible, committed and involved fatherhood is an essential component of any attempt to transform families and societies to better reflect gender equity, child rights and shared parenting responsibilities and enjoyment.
International research confirms that the first six years of life are a critical period of children's growth and development. They form the foundation for achievement of individual potential. To achieve this, we must meet young children's rights to survival, protection, development and participation. In sub-Saharan Africa, these rights are severely compromised by the twin scourges of poverty and HIV/AIDS.
Across the globe, women's rights defenders have been campaigning for an end to violence against women. South Africa is no exception. Workshops, launches, exhibitions, training events and celebrations take place across the country and the region, intensifying during national and global campaigns, such as the 16 Days of Activism to end Violence Against Women, an event taking place every December.
Namibia's subsidy programme, aimed at enhancing food security in the country, falls short of adequate and long-term planning. Agricultural interventions, such as these, are a challenging balancing act between protecting jobs in the sector and providing cheaper, imported food.
Two statements about the global economy released earlier this week -- from the World Economic Forum (WEF) and United Nations (UN) -- leave a strong impression that Millennium Development Goal (MDG) advocacy is just not working.
Southern Africa is often referred to as the 'epicentre' of the global HIV epidemic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that by the end of 2007, 33.2 million people were living with HIV, two thirds of whom were residing in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 1972, as global markets collapsed and the world fell into recession, humanitarian budgets fell by 15 percent. In the early nineties, as the world teetered on the brink of economic breakdown, aid fell into a five-year decline that saw 25 percent of development and emergency spending slashed across the board.
Four years ago, Malawi was in bad shape. The economy was shackled by international and domestic debt, with inflation peaking at 15.4 percent in 2005. Corruption was widespread. Food security was a major problem: the 2005/2005 harvest was bad, and in the following year, up to 5 million Malawians -- 40 percent of the population -- received food and other aid.