Title Page		  
Chapter 1:
Guide to this Manual		  
Chapter 2:
Millennium Development Goal Campaign
  1. The Millennium Declaration
  2. The Millennium Development Goals
  3. What is special about the Millennium Development Goals?
  4. The “No Excuse” Campaign
  5. The United Nations’ role and responsibilities for the campaign
  6. The Millennium Development Goals Campaign Unit
  7. Government’s role and responsibilities for the campaign
  8. Civil society’s role and responsibilities for the campaign
  9. The private sector’s role in the campaign
  10. The role of other actors in the campaign
  11. Case Study: The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
  
Chapter 3:
Campaigning toolkit 		 
Chapter 4:
Campaign Tools		  
Chapter 5:
Campaign Skills		  
Chapter 6:
Campaign Tips		  
Chapter 7:
Links to Campaign Resources		  
   
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Chapter 2: Section 2.4
Millennium Development Goal Campaign

The "No Excuse" Campaign

“We know what to do.
We know when to do it.
We know who should do it.
We have adequate resources.
We can monitor progress –
There is no excuse not to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals.”

The Millennium Development Goals are realistic and achievable by 2015. The main challenge of the MDG campaign is to change political attitudes. The MDGs are achievable with the right combination of policy action and policy sequencing, the right application of resources and effective communication. Central to achieving these goals are the networking and co-operation required between rich and poor countries.

The UN at the highest level, reporting directly to the Secretary General and working closely with the head of the UNDP, set up the Millennium Campaign. The Campaign’s explicit purpose is to increase public awareness of the MDGs and support national actors in holding their own governments to account.

The Campaign works with existing efforts, connects them with similar efforts by civil society organisations (CSO) in other parts of the world, and provides information and linkages within the UN system. Several international networks of CSOs, local authorities, media and parliamentarians are already engaged in campaigning specifically for the achievement of the MDGs.

The Campaign provides an umbrella and common message under which individual sector and national campaigns can work. In this way we can build up significant pressure on decision-makers.

For example …..

Goal Links to local campaigns
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  • Campaigns against hunger e.g. Zero Hunger Campaign in Brazi
  • Campaigns that mobilise the poor e.g. Speak out on Poverty Hearings in South Africa
  • Budget campaigns e.g. Mexico women’s budget
  • Campaigns for an end to agricultural subsidies e.g. Oxfam’s Stop the Dumping Campaign
  • Campaigns to build the asset base of the poor e.g. Slums Dwellers International
Ensure that all boys and girls complete primary school
  • Global campaign for education e.g. Elimu Yetu in Kenya and Global Campaign for Education
  • Campaigns to ensure girl children attend schooling e.g. Global Movement for Children
  • Campaigns against child labour e.g. Stop child labour, school is the best place to work and the Stop child trafficking campaigns
Promote gender equality and empower women
  • Campaigns for gender political representation e.g. the Women’s movement in Bangladesh or the ANC in South Africa
  • Campaigns to strengthen the economic base of women through savings and credit e.g. Mahila Milan
  • Campaigns against female genital mutilation e.g. Baobab or the Somali FGM campaign

Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five.
  • Primary health care campaigns e.g. Health Now Campaign
  • Immunization campaigns e.g. global polio campaign
  • Nutrition campaigns e.g. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, India’s right to food campaign
  • Campaigns for improved water and sanitation e.g. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All (WASH) campaign
Reduce by three quarters the ration of women dying in child-birth
  • Health care campaigns e.g. People’s Health Movement
  • Campaigns around maternal mortality e.g. International Planned Parenthood campaign in Nepal


Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and incidence of malaria and other major diseases
  • HIV/AIDS campaigns e.g. TAC or STOP campaigns
  • Awareness campaigns e.g. TB awareness campaign
  • Campaigns against pharmaceutical companies drug prices e.g. AIDS activists campaign
  • Campaigns to access drugs e.g. MSF campaign for access to essential medicines
Ensure environmental sustainability
  • Water and sanitation campaigns e.g. Water is Life Campaign and Mercy Corp Clean Water Campaign
  • Re-forestation campaigns e.g. Forest People Alliance
  • Climate change campaigns e.g. Friends of the Earth
Develop a global partnership
  • Fair trade campaigns e.g. Trade Justice Movement
  • Debt campaigns e.g. Jubilee 2000
  • Campaigns around investment priorities e.g. Global Trade Watch or Anti-Free Trade and Globalisation Movement
  • Campaigns for effective aid e.g. Italian MDG campaign

By working under one umbrella we can prevent one sectoral campaign from undermining another. Those campaigning around education do not want the money to come from HIV/AIDS funding. By campaigning together we can all unite in arguing for a bigger cake instead of competing for how the cake is cut.

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