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ZERO POINT SEVEN

By Michael Gottsegen

Next month a broad interreligio!s coalition "ill come together in s!##ort o$ the %N&s

Millenni!m 'e(elo#ment Goals) The range o$ #artici#ating religio!s organi*ations $rom liberal to e(angelical+ $rom re$orm to orthodox+ $rom eastern to "estern , is itsel$

stri-ing testimony to the moral clarity o$ the iss!es+ "hich ha(e $o!nd s!ch im#ortant

role in hel#ing .mericans to discern "here + e(en in the $ace o$ increasing #olari*ationand #olitici*ation+ to hel# .mericans to discern "here their moral res#onsibility lies) and

is "agering that they can mobili*e a large ma/ority o$ .mericans can be bro!ght together

a religio!sly in$lected conce#tion o$ h!man solidarity a large ma/ority o$ .mericans canbe mobili*ed on behal$ o$ a (ision o$ o!r moral res#onsibilities to the "ider "orld that

might other"ise lea(e them cold) 0itho!t denying in any "ay the #ositi(e signi$icance o$

religio!s di(ersity+ this interreligio!s mobili*ation aro!nd a common+ religio!sly

gro!nded commitment to a more e1!itable and more com#assionate global order reminds

!s that religion can also be a $orce that s!mmons !s to loo- #ast o!r di$$erences andstri(e on behal$ o$ a common moral (ision)

The %N&s Millenni!m 'e(elo#ment Goals 2M'Gs3 cam#aign aims to red!ce extreme

#o(erty and im#ro(e the li(es o$ those li(ing in the #oorest co!ntries by 4567) .do#tedin Se#tember 4555 at the Millenni!m S!mmit+ these eight goals ex#ress a commitment to

create a global order that honors the inestimable (al!e o$ e(ery #erson , a (al!ation that

8e"s+ 9hristians and M!slims a$$irm in common thro!gh their belie$ that the h!manbeing has been created in the image o$ God) The goals incl!de eradicating extreme

#o(erty and h!nger+ achie(ing !ni(ersal access to #rimary ed!cation+ #romoting gender

e1!ality and em#o"ering "omen+ red!cing child mortality+ im#ro(ing maternal health+

combating :IV;.I'S+ and ens!ring en(ironmental s!stainability)

More than the !s!al collection o$ $ine #hrases and noble as#irations+ the statement o$

goals has been s!##lemented by detailed #lans $or their reali*ation and care$!l b!dgeting)

O$ the eight goals+ the last alone s#ells o!t the actions that the most de(elo#ed co!ntries+incl!ding the %nited States and the members o$ the E!ro#ean %nion+ m!st ta-e "hich

"ill !ltimately determine "hether the Millenni!m 'e(elo#ment Goals cam#aign

s!cceeds or $ails) Goal eight commits them to #ro(ide s!bstantial debt relie$+ lo"er tradebarriers to ex#orts $rom the least de(elo#ed co!ntries+ and earmar- 5)orces ha(e bro!ghtthe goals& reali*ation "ithin o!r collecti(e reach , #ro(ided that the "ealthy nations

$ollo" thro!gh on their $inancial and #olicy commitments)

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I$ the %)S) "ere on trac- to meet its millenni!m commitments+ the religio!s comm!nities

in this co!ntry "o!ld not be mobili*ing to ens!re that it does so) .t #resent+ ho"e(er+ the

%)S) record in #ro(iding the de(elo#ment aid that it #romised is a most embarrassing5)6?= o$ G'P+ or abo!t one$i$th o$ the 5)

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there is little chance o$ the goals being reali*ed) In s!m+ then+ the $ate o$ the Millenni!m

'e(elo#ment Goals is a religio!s iss!e+ a moral iss!e+ and a matter o$ #r!dence)