MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A PENDING ISSUE

In September 2000, the UN set eight goals to eradicate or reduce the main social problems of the planet. The Millennium Development Goals were the first universal political program with the aim to improve overall living conditions by a specific date: 2015. The aim was to have the richer countries put forth more and better resources to end hunger, reduce poverty and gender inequality, ensure access to primary education for all children, curb disease and achieve sustainable environmental development.

Now, the UN faces the failure of the most ambitious project in its history and it is working to develop a political strategy to propose a time extension and setting new goals. “The tragedy is that the UN has no power to impose the common good to the true masters of the world, which are multinational corporations”, argues an adviser to the Human Rights Council. “The ones who make and enforce decisions are 500 private corporations that control more than half of the gross world product. The worst thing is that organizations within or associated with the United Nations act as mercenary entities for such multinational organizations, favoring the privatization of all public goods.”

The reports being drawn up by high UN officials will aim to create an atmosphere of ‘mobilizing optimism’ even though in 2015, half of the population on earth will suffer an acute shortage of drinking water and billions of people will have to make due with less than a dollar a day. Under such conditions, one would expect the UN to duly stimulate the exercise of responsibility on the part of the countries that have breached their social commitments.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO UP TO US

Source: elmundo.es

INDIA: WOMEN VOTERS

During the past 50 years, female voter turnout in India has been increasing while that of male voters has remained unchanged - a trend that, according to observers, cannot be ignored now that India is holding its 16th general election.

“Women are getting a clear sense that voting is something they have a say in”, says an anthropologist from the School London of Economics. It is anticipated that there will continue to be a high female participation, and that this could have a big impact on the outcome of the nine-phase election that began on April 7 and ends on May 12, 2014.

A study of the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad revealed that a massive female vote can make political parties shudder. By analyzing two local elections held in 2005 in the eastern state of Bihar, the study found that an increase in female turnout negatively affected the probability of re-election of a political party, while a high share of male voters increased the chances that a party would stay in power.

 “Appeals to women voters have always been more tokenist in nature," says a professor at the University of Pune's department of politics and public administration. “It's likely to stay that way for some time.” It may be so, but with women voting in increasing numbers, many think Indian politicians will have to start listening.

Source: bbc.com