9/9/2005
Children Call On World Leaders To Make The Millennium Development Goals Happen

Despite politicians and policy-makers preparing to discuss the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the future of the world’s poorest people, one child will die every three seconds as a result of extreme poverty, and 110 million children will not be in school, says Plan, a humanitarian child-centred organisation working in 61 countries.

The MDGs have so far failed children, whose opinions have not been taken into account. A new magazine 'Our future; our say,' written by children and produced by Plan, is calling on world leaders to make the MDGs a reality.

“There is still poverty, women are still less than men and there still isn’t enough water. There are so many world leaders; why isn’t one of them standing up and speaking? For a normal 16 year-old girl like me with no power, it’s hard to get people to listen. But a world leader with so much power – if they stand up the rest of the world will follow. It’s time the MDGs became real goals instead of guidelines.” Said Marjan, aged 16, one of the child authors from the Netherlands who travelled to the UN headquarters in New York this week to deliver a copy of the magazine to world leaders.

Children are among the most vulnerable members of society and are the most affected by poverty. Yet, today’s children are future leaders – whether at family, community, national or international level. If this scale of child poverty is not addressed now it will have a serious impact on the future of developing countries because poor, malnourished and uneducated children will grow up to be poor, unhealthy and uneducated adults.

“Children are demanding change and they are demanding action. Like them, Plan firmly believes that too little has been achieved so far. 2015 is just 10 years away, but there are genuine opportunities for progress," said Tom Miller, Chief Executive of Plan.

“We ask world leaders to listen to the children, involve them and earn their respect. It is often wrongly assumed that what is best for adults is also best for children, or that adults will always act in the best interests of children. Who better to tell the world what they need than the children themselves?”

Through articles, letters, drawings and poems, 'Our future; our say,' captures children’s thoughts, opinions, frustrations and hopes of the MDGs. Children know, through first hand experience, about poverty and its consequences. They know they deserve better and they are prepared to play their part in making a difference. Further information about Plan is at
www.plan-international.org