Faith in Action: New Tools Aid Religious Communities to End Poverty

Faith in Action: New Tools Aid Religious Communities to End Poverty

August 28, 2006

-- Tools Address UN Millennium Development Goals

    
    KYOTO, Japan, Aug. 28 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Religions
for Peace and the Millennium Campaign today launched a
resource toolkit to help religious communities advocate for
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Dr. William F.
Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, and
Salil Shetty, Director of the Millennium Campaign,
introduced the initiative at the Religions for Peace World
Assembly.

    "Religious communities working together hold a
vital key to the achievement of the MDGs," said Dr.
Vendley. "To remain silent while poverty kills so many
violates the fundamental teachings overwhelmingly shared by
the world's religions. By taking action together, the
world's religious leaders can help eliminate
poverty."

    Contained in the UN Millennium Declaration signed by
189 nations, the eight MDGs to be achieved by 2015 include:
eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary
education, promoting gender equality, reducing child
mortality and hunger, and combating HIV/AIDS and other
diseases. 
 
    The new resource is designed to assist religious
communities in raising awareness, advocating, training and
conducting outreach to achieve the MDGs. The toolkit will
be available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic; and
distributed and used by the Religions for Peace global
network of more than seventy national and regional
affiliated inter-religious councils and groups.

    "The Religions for Peace World Assembly culminates
a long standing commitment of the world's faith leaders to
making the Millennium Development Goals a reality. The
launch of the MDG Toolkit offers a practical guidebook
moving forward and underlines this commitment," said
Mr. Shetty. "The moral power of faith leaders is vital
in reminding governments to keep their promise to the
Millennium Goals." 

    The Religions for Peace Eighth World Assembly convenes
more than 800 senior religious leaders from every region of
the world and all major faith traditions. Founded in 1970,
Religions for Peace is now the largest coalition of the
world's religious communities. 

    The Millennium Campaign informs, inspires and
encourages people's involvement and action for the
realization of the Millennium Development Goals. An
initiative of the United Nations, the Campaign supports
citizens' efforts to hold their government to account for
the Millennium promise.

    For more information, please contact:

    Religions for Peace

     Laurel Hart 
     Tel:   [phone] Japan, through 8/29      
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    UNDP (Asia)

     Mr Ajit Sahi 
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    UNDP Global

     Mandy Kibel
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Anand Kantaria
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Religions for Peace