Micah Challenge Zambia Press Statement
On The Millennium Development High-Level Meeting in New York
The gathering in New York for the High-Level meeting on 25th September for the Heads of States to discuss the Millennium Development Goals will mark the eighth year since the 189 Heads of State signed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Declaration. At the first MDG summit in 2000 the Heads of States from the Global South and Global North promised to “free men, women and children from dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.” Micah Challenge Zambia is calling the 800 church coalition members in Zambia to intercede for the Heads of States that they come up with resolutions that will transform Africa and uplift its people out of extreme poverty by providing them with the basic things they need to live a decent life: nutritious food, clothes, clean water, a home and health care. Pastor Lawrence Temfwe the national facilitator of Micah Challenge Zambia announced that, “Churches serving in communities where people live on less than $1 per day from Kawambwa to Mufumbwe want their voices to be heard on matters that affect them especially on the following”:
Democracy and Free Market
We are cautiously encouraged by the progress being made in meeting the MDGs. We support the core principles of development policy that the government laid out in the Fifth National Development Plan, which is the vehicle Zambia is using to progress towards the MDGs. We are delighted to note that Zambia is showing strong commitment to promoting good governance that is allowing participatory approach for all key players and stakeholders based on transparency and rule of law, and broad based private sector-led growth. However, we are concerned that the free market we have embraced has largely created severely lopsided wealth in the hands of foreign minority. At this High-Level Meeting we call on the government to express its dissatisfaction at this imposed free market democracy that does not spread its benefits to the impoverished Zambian majority. We call on the government to confront the leaders from the developed nations that the political and economic models they are promoting don’t guarantee political stability or economic prosperity for Africans living in poverty.
Water and Sanitation
We call on leaders at High-Level meeting to accelerate the achievement of internationally agreed goals on water and sanitation especially that this is the year of the International Year of Sanitation. We call on Heads of States from the developing nations to urge the G8 leaders to fulfill their pledge to revive their efforts to implement the Evian Water Plan (agreed at the G8 Summit in 2003). Given the lack of access to safe sanitation services and to clean water we insist that water and sanitation be a major focus at this High-Level meeting
HIV/AIDS
We appeal that the High-Level meeting effectively address the issue of children affected by HIV. There is need for meaningful financial commitment on maternal and child health, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. We are concerned that the current projected $60 billion funding by the G8 for health over the next 5 years falls short of what is required to achieve the health related MDGs and Universal Access by 2010. Based on the current UNAIDS’ resources estimated, the G8 share of resources for HIV alone is $65 billion for the next three years.
Food and Security
The High-Level meeting must ensure that the food crises doesn’t slip off the political agenda especially considering that 850m people in the world were chronically food insecure before the food prices rose globally. It is also vital that the High-Level meeting address the root causes of the food crisis, and make it a priority to invest more mitigation, preparedness and adaptation so that poor communities are more resilient and they are not pushed over the edge when prices rise.
Presidential Elections 30th October.
We urge all presidential candidates to make a commitment to achieving the MDGs. There is need for Zambian voters to listen carefully to what each candidate is promising to do in uplifting the lives of Zambians out of extreme poverty. We call on all Zambians not to vote tribe, chibuku, party or age but character, vision and strategy on how we will attain the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We call on Christians to vote Bible. Christians can form the largest voting block in this nation. We call on Christians to vote for a person who will promote righteousness, integrity, hard-work, compassion and justice.
For More Information contact:
Pastor Lawrence Temfwe Tel +260-212-681172
Micah Challenge Zambia National Facilitator
Or
Pastor Martin Kapenda
Micah Challenge Zambia Campaign Coordinator
Cell. +260 977-788-487
