Do you think humanity has the intelligence, creativity, and desire to achieve the Millennium Promise goals?

Question

The Millennium Goals, as expressed by the United Nations, are as follows:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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

Do you think we collectively have what it takes to achieve them? What do you think it will take?

Yahoo! Answers staff note: This is really Dr. Deepak Chopra! http://blog.360.yahoo.com/y_answrs_team?p=5684

Answer 1

A cursory glance at most of the Q&A on this wretched and depraved site should tell you that the answer to your question is..."NO!"...

Furthermore,... how can anyone begin to think about taking on these lofty goals when they are 'expressed' by the immeasurably bloated and tainted bureaucracy of the United Nations?
What fool would entrust the financial direction and logistics of these endeavors to a corrupt individual like Kofi Annan?

I'd just as soon let the Yahoo! Answers Team be in charge of such efforts, and they apparently can't even figure out what their own 'Community Guidelines' mean...
Compared to the U.N., however, they're a veritable 'Brain Trust'.

Dissolve the U.N., and then we may be able to talk about solving a few of these problems. Until then, I suggest taking a a long and scenic detour off of the U.N. 'Pretentiousness Highway'...

Answer 2

Given the target date of 2015, it is unlikely that the goals can be achieved in a meaningful way.

Those goals which are relative in nature rather than absolute, such as reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, promoting gender equality; all these are achieved by making any improvement over the status quo. This we can do.

Eliminating extreme poverty and achieving universal primary education are perhaps not obtainable goals within the next nine years.

The goal of developing a global partnership for development would require intelligence, creativity and desire among the leaders of the nations of the world. At one time many felt that the United Nations would be the logical entity for such a partnership; I think fewer feel that way today.

Answer 3

I think that we have the intelligence, creativity and desire to achieve anything we want to, if that is what we really desire.
I am not sure that the collective world-view will allow this right now. People are really focused on violence, war and technology, not peace, mental health, partnership, etc. Of course, if enough people desire the same thing then it will work but if there aren't enough thinking the same way then there won't be a world-view shift in the right direction. It is my belief that we create our reality and our experience. There are those who create poverty specifically to experience life from that viewpoint so I don't think we can ever completely eradicate poverty. The third world countries are a drastic example. Extreme poverty, hunger, mortality, sickness, all is pushed to the extreme there. Just as extremes of wealth are experienced for by others. I think there are many of us thinking along the right lines, I think there have always been the majority of people who think along these lines but the actually make it happen is another story. There has to be some reason for us to manifest what we desire into physical reality, something to make that dream pop into existance, to bring it to life. We have to BELIEVE.

Answer 4

While we have the power to do those things, it isn't going to happen any time soon. The populace of many countries would rather fight over the trivial things than work for what needs done. Until governments and religions can put aside their differences and work together instead of fighting, accusing and judging those that don't believe the same way nothing is going to change.

When religions send bibles to struggling countries instead of food, that is an indicator that priorities are not where they should be.

When environmental issues and education take a back burner to cultural issues, that is a warning that our priorities are messed up.

What it will take is people ousting, by legal means and voting, those in power now that are holding the whole thing back and put people in that are willing to do what is RIGHT and NEEDS done rather than fight and argue over the mundane. We the people need to screw our heads back on right and pull them out of where they are stuck and focus on what is best for ALL, not just one group, and do things to insure what is right gets done. There needs to be a shift in thinking, especially here in the US, of what should and shouldn't be priorities so that we CAN do what is best and right, not just for us but for the whole world. Then and only then will things start to improve.

Answer 5

(Wow, even a famous guy can make typos. :P)

I don't think it's possible to achieve all these goals by 2015, because people have so many conflicting interests that it could take that long just to get done arguing over how to accomplish them. However, I think it's possible to make a start on it. And things that never get started can't get finished.

Yeah we have a lot of violent greedy people in the world. But we also have a lot of people who actually care about others and would help if they could. The problem is, most of the people who want to help don't have the power to do so, and most of those who have the power to help would rather sit around making even more money than getting off their butts and doing something.

Answer 6

Yes I really think that humanity has the intelligence, creativity, and desire to achieve the Millennium Promise goals. I do not believe it will be achieved through the United Nations. The United Nations have been too wishy washy on their decisions in recent years. Look at their stand on Iraq.

I believe it will be the churches who will carry out this goal.

Answer 7

Wow, what a challenging question! I wasn't aware that these were the goals of the United Nations. I think humanity has the potential to achieve these goals. But we don't all live up to our potential. When I look at the accomplishments of single extraordinary human beings, I feel that if one person can make such a difference, imagine what entire groups of people can do. I feel that these goals pose somewhat of a catch 22 though. In order to make a difference, it seems that people need to be coming from a place in which they themselves are not threatened, have enough to eat, have their needs met with adequate shelter, feel safe, are free from disease (for the most part anyway). At this time in history there are few people compared to the global population that actually are a part of this group. Human beings are so preoccupied with having these basic needs met (and rightly so), that it is very difficult to imagine that they would be able to help others in such a significant way. I hope that constructs such as "critical mass" were actually true. That if enough people came to the realization that there is enough for everyone, that there is an abundance of resources, more of us would "magically" shift our paradigms to believe that change is actually possible. I think that so many of us have a "doom and gloom" perspective and that, in itself, is a self-fullfilling prophecy. It is very difficult to feel hopeful in this world right now - yet hope and the knowledge that we have the potential to achieve great things in the world is whats needed to do it. Just look at the negativity of those posting on this question. i think this reflects the general negativity of humanity now. How can we achieve great things when we don't really believe that they are possible? Right now, I am angry and resentful of greedy, powerful people. I am frustrated with those that attempt to instill their religious beliefs on others, I am sick from the oppression of women and enslavement of women and children. I am embarrassed to be an American. I am disgusted by the desecration of the Earth.

I think, for me, the important thing is to do the best I can for others, serve others in need the best way I know how, follow the footsteps of others who have served humanity in ways I admire. Perhaps if we all do our part it is possible. Potentially possible.

Answer 8

some people really dedicate their life to achive one or more of the above. some people do that just for the money, cause they cannot find other career elsewhere. some people care and want to realize it, but only as supporters, they do not do much. some people are completely ignorant or does not have any capacity for the above matters and some people are somewhat blocking the others in achieving these goals, simply because they are selfish or idiots. there are many people with many interest. some strauggling for their lunch and dinner, some are busy with their own life, ignorance with the world's issues.

we collectively have capacity to do that, however not all of the people can really work together to achieve these goals. there are always these people problem (corruption, lakc of knowledge/know how/education, old tradition values contradicting with modern technology/management style, bad business ethics, etc)

Answer 9

Collectively, yes we can achieve them. These goals are largely unknown and/or ignored by society. We need to bring them to light and make them an urgent issue. World leaders such as Tony Blair and former President Bill Clinton have made initiatives along with Bill Gates and U2's Bono. I wish thier efforts were taken more seriously by the media. I wish more people knew what good things they were doing. It is encouraging.

Unfortunately, the current US administration has it's priorities elsewhere.

We need to make this an issue to get things done.

People can make a difference by volunteering, donating money, educating others and leading by example.

Answer 10

I feel that humanity does have the intelligence, creativity, and desire to achieve the Millennium Promise goals. I feel that one way to achieve this would be through the media. The media has a powerful hand in what the world thinks about, witnesses and observes, and it influences us more than we are aware. Much of the news is negative and violent. If the news media would change it's format to positive, inspiring issues regarding these goals, perhaps people would be more inclined to address these issues and work toward achieving these goals. I have always felt that the news controls and innitiates what the public thinks about and talks about. They present us with what they feel is note-worthy and give us the facts that they choose to give us. With change in the format and subject matter of note-worthy news, anything can happen. Even inspiration!

Answer 11

The level of deception between the powers that be and the masses is growing wider.The world is full of misinformation and propraganda. People tend to profit from the suffering of others. And because of this crucial point it is unlikely that the goals will be achieved. The days of the double standard are still with us! Money has become more important than principle. We should trash the whole system and start over!