In Trinidad and Tobago, the Walk the World Committee of Rio Claro staged a Stand Up event in the Rio Claro town centre on Sunday September 19.
That morning, more than 850 people - including local government representatives, community organizers, cultural performers, school children, and other local residents - walked through the streets of Rio Claro carrying specially-designed banners to demonstrate their support for the Millennium Development Goals.
Colombia Stands Up for MDGs
The UN Information Centre in Bogota, along with the local Secretary of Education, organized awareness activities such as workshops, rallies and paintings exhibitions in 60 public schools, gathering more than 35,000 participants on September 17 as part of “Stand Up and Take Action.” One of the central acts in Bogota was held in one of the main public schools, Bogotá Enrique Olaya Herrera. The Mayor of Bogota and UNIC director attended the event with 3,000 students, joining activities including artistic and cultural exhibitions.
“To search for solutions to hunger means to act within the principle that the status of a citizen
surpasses that of a mere consumer.”
CITY OF BELO HORIZONTE,
BRAZIL
Brasília, January 28, 2009 – Brazilians can now monitor the status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the ‘Portal ODM’ (www.portalodm.org.br), which presents data related to the MDGs in each of the 5,564 Brazilian municipalities.
The global launch of the Portal will take place during the World Social Forum, which is being held in Belém, Brazil, from January 27 – February 1. However, the portal can be accessed as of today through www.portalodm.com.br/index.php.
Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or
childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another
10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or
disabilities.
“No woman should die giving life,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
“To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers.”
In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow.
In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years.
“Despite significant progress in the South, the pattern of cooperation has not been commensurate with the comprehensive nature of the commitments contained in the various declarations and other documents on South-South cooperation,” Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, told IPS. “The existing capabilities and capacities in the South have not been adequately acknowledged and utilised,” he added.
