Making the Connections Caritas and the UN Millennium Plan As an agency, Caritas Australia maintains a commitment to achieving The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through its projects. These eight goals are a global blueprint for breaking the chains of poverty. Although significant progress has been made on the goals, there are still one billion people living on less than US$1 per day, and more than 820 million people going to bed hungry every single night. The international community must act now to ensure the MDGs are met by 2015. In particular, Goal 7 of the MDG has significance to Education for Sustainability.
Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability
There is a growing awareness of Climate Change and concern for our earth in mainstream society. We are gradually realising that our actions (and inaction) influence climate change. Poor communities are among the most vulnerable to negative effects caused by climate change, such as rising sea levels. Australia is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita. We all have a responsibility to ensure we walk lightly on the earth. As we use up finite resources, we impact on the access of others to those same resources. In this way climate change is a rights issue. As a consequence of climate change, basic rights are being violated. Rights, such as the right to life (and livelihood); the right to liberty of movement as set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the right to an adequate standard of living (including housing) as is set out in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Caritas Australia advocates for change, including the way in which we look after our environment. They also support development programs with an emphasis on sustainable initiatives, including sustainable agriculture.
Project Compassion
Caritas Australia invites guests from our partner countries to visit Australia each Lent to speak to us about Caritas development programs in their country. Project Compassion is the main way Caritas Australia raises money. Every Catholic school, every Catholic parish and all Australians are invited to be part of the Project Compassion campaign each Lent.
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