Millennium Development Goals: Demand Urgent Action Now

Eight years ago, 189 countries signed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and pledged to halve poverty by 2015.  Halfway through the target, not enough progress has been made.  Ban Ki-moon said today that not a single African country is on track to meet the goals.  Meanwhile, developed nations such as the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada have not followed through with their funding commitments.
The situation has dramatically worsened in recent months fuelled by global financial turmoil, food shortage and ongoing conflicts in places like Sudan, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  According to ActionAid, 950 million people will go hungry this year.  With food prices soaring 83% in the last two years, an additional 750 million people are now also considered at risk of hunger.
Urgent pressure is needed to demand that world leaders - meeting today at the UN to discuss the MDGs - keep their promises to end extreme poverty by 2015.  Here are four ways you can get involved: 1) Read about how different organizations are addressing poverty on the ground in this post from Chris Michael;  2) Join the Global Call to Action Against Poverty;  3) Sign Avaaz's petition calling on the governments of France, Italy, and Canada to meet the MDGs;  4) Add your voice to the "In My Name" campaign.