Introduction

Welcome!

We are so happy you are joining Leaders Today and Free The Children for the ninth annual Take Action! Academy in Toronto. You’re now a part of the Academy team. If you haven’t signed up yet there is still space! Send in your application today. Please take a moment to browse through this page for more information on the Millennium Development Goals. We can’t wait to see you this summer!


Millennium Development Goals

It’s time to get excited; the Take Action! Academy is right around the corner! If you’re not already signed up, please join us on the East Coast or in Vancouver from August 4-8, or in Toronto from August 10-17. This year’s academy will be bigger and better than ever as we crank up our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.

So what are these goals and where did they come from?

Eight years ago at the Millennium Summit, world leaders from every country gathered together and agreed to a collective vision for the future. They set specific targets with the goal of creating a world with less poverty, hunger, disease and child mortality. The plan also strives to achieve equality in health care and education, create a sustainable environment and to continue to build on a global partnership.

Much has already been accomplished, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Since the Millennium Development Goals were created, hunger has been reduced by at least 25 percent in more than 30 countries. Check out the MDG Monitor at www.mdgmonitor.org to see how countries are progressing.

I was reading an article by Marc and Craig Kielburger that expressed the idea of education as a revolution that has the ability to change the world. The article was entitled A valuable lesson: School should enlighten, not indoctrinate. It made me realize there is so much that we can do to help make theses goals achievable. Education is the key. Education is what gives youth a stronger, more powerful voice, an opinion that has the capacity to make change. Let’s work with our fellow humankind to make sure everyone has the access to a basic education.

For more information on the Millennium Development Goals, visit www.unicef.org/mdg/index.html



1Millennium Development Goals: Eight international targets for development set by the United Nations (UN) in 2000 to be reached by 2015

Take action on the Millennium Development Goals!

  • Get the facts - Learn more about the MDGs. Research, ask teachers and make time to fully understand the goals.
  • Start planning - What actions are you going to take to make a difference? Make a plan, decided what issues you would like to work on and how you want to begin!
  • Raise awareness - Share your knowledge with friends, family and colleagues. Help them become informed so that they can take action too. Here are a few great ways to raise awareness:
    1. Participate in discussion groups
    2. Plan fundraisers
    3. Organize a school assembly
    4. Send e-messages and make flyers
  • Talk to your government - 180 nations have promised to achieve these goals by 2015, including yours! Find out what your government is doing to make change. Write letters and talk to government officials to make sure they know how passionate their citizens are about achieving these goals. They may even have suggestions on how you can get involved!
  • Join us at an Academy - Sign up now and join in the fun at the Take Action! Academy. The Academy is for youth, ages 9-21, who are passionate and excited about making a difference.
  • Come on an international volunteer trip - Leaders Today volunteer trips offer you the opportunity to learn about new cultures, build your leadership skills and volunteer in local communities.
  • Engage yourself in the Free The Children Adopt-a-Village or Brick By Brick Campaign and fundraise for your peers overseas.