Millennium Development Goals and Five Talents

The Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight goals to reduce human suffering across the globe by 2015 that have been adopted by the majority of the countries in the world and by many church denominations and faith networks, including the Anglican Communion.

Micro-credit has been recognized as a powerful tool to reach these goals:
1. Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a Global partnership for development.

Why Five Talents?
Five Talents, through its work in micro-credit and small business training in developing countries, is helping to achieve these ambitious goals. Through economic empowerment, there is money for education, money for healthcare and food for the table.  Our programs assist primarily women to break out of the cycle of poverty. Women like Joy who is a brickmaker. She began her business after her husband passed away and left her a little piece of land. She has grown her business three times over, has expanded to potatoes and has recently added a small store. By diversifying, she has protected herself and has been able to put all of her children through school.

Our commitment to these goals began in 2000 when Five Talents helped write and pass the D033 resolution through the Episcopal Church USA General Convention. These goals were reaffirmed in 2006 with the passage of the D022 resolution. This challenge asked dioceses and congregations to earmark 70 cents of every $100 in their budgets to international development.

Resolved, That the General Convention establish the work toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as a mission priority for the coming triennium, and that each diocese, congregation and parishioner be urged to commit to 0.7% giving toward these goals by July 7, 2007.

What does this mean for you?