Rumbi Masango represented EJN at the African Youth Forum on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The forum was organized by Peace Boat, a Japan-based NGO, and was attended by youth activists from Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. The objective was to explore innovative ideas for MDG campaigns and to tackle a vexing question: Can the MDGS be met in the current global context? 

The world economic crisis poses a challenge to people who are suffering through poverty, HIV, lack of health care and education. As a result, the efforts to achieve the MDGs are a crucial issue. The forum gave youth activists working on MDGs, or related issues, a chance to share their experiences and challenges. We managed to work out concrete strategies to strengthen work and achieve the MDGs. 

Kenya’s representative, Florence Syevuo, discussed how the country was making strides with Goal 2 – Universal primary education. She stated that there was an MDGs campaign in Kenya, where the lead role was from the Ministry of State for Planning National Development. She said there was a high involvement of youth, women and stated that schools are also playing a big role. In 2003 for example, ‘the elimination of school fees, an obstacle to education for impoverished families in many African countries, has, at a stroke, put the country “on track” to reach the MDG enrolment and gender parity objectives’. Syevuo went further to say that more work needed to be done in terms of lobbying the local communities. Kenya has been focusing on the goal which is on global partnership of development. 

The Tanzanian representative, Moses Mongo highlighted that the country was badly affected by poverty. To further illustrate this point, he discussed how almost half of the country’s budget is funded by donations. Mongo emphasized that the country already had development projects running before the MDGs. He said that more work needs to be done in terms of gender equality in the country. He stated that the government was playing a key role in supporting the MDGs by amending the constitution in relevant areas such as the village and land act. The land act has given women the opportunity to own and till land - something that was not permitted in the past. There has been training of local officials so they may understand MDGs as well as Model United Nations (MUN) are being held twice a year. 

Molly Dhlamani, South Africa’s representative, stated that South Africa began looking at issues of development right after Apartheid (1994). And hence, the MDGs were a continuation of the work started then.

The general conclusion was that, firstly, it must be acknowledged that governments in developing countries had already begun working on developmental issues before the MDGs were started. The second general consensus was that even though the world is in recession, because of the financial crisis, this should not be used as an excuse from reaching the MDGs. The final point was a suggestion to have a campaign in place in time for 2010. In 2010 South Africa will be hosting the Soccer World Cup. It will be a good opportunity for youths to lobby their concerns and ideas on the MDGs.

EJN has done some research on the implication of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) on Goal 8 of the MDGs. The report concludes that development and poverty eradication are elements mostly targeted in both the EPAs and the MDGs. However, the nature of EPAs in their current form does not complement countries to achieve MDGs targets. EPAs imply reciprocal trade liberalization, in other words elimination of trade barriers. The history of liberalization suggests that liberalization under EPAs might not deliver on development and poverty reduction by 2015 - as targeted in Goal 8.

Special guests at the forum included deputy Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Jerry Majtila and Anita Sharma the North America Coordinator of the UN Millennium Campaign.