Nearly 25,000 postcards have been signed by individuals and addressed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make efforts to attain Sustainable Development Goals through wider public consultations and people’s participation.
The ‘Postcard Campaign – Action 2015’ was launched as part of ‘Wada Na Todo Abhiyan’ initiated by a national coalition of NGOs. The Mysuru leg of the ‘abhiyan’ was led by Don Bosco and its objective is to create a platform for discussions, hearing public, opinion etc. by the leaders. A rally was taken out through the main thoroughfares of the city and cards posted at the head post office at Nehru Circle in the city.
A release issued by the campaigners said that 189 nations including India met at the United Nations and accepted eight development goals known as Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015.
This MDG included eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, ensure environmental sustainability, foster global partnership for development and combat AIDS and other diseases.
However, most national could not achieve the goals and there was poor participation from people with no accountability on the part of the Government, according to the NGOs. Hence the focus is to overcome the drawbacks of the MDG to move towards Sustainable Development Goals through wider consultation and discussion to end poverty in all its form, said the release. The UN is expected to arrive at a consensus on the SDGs by September 2015.
