Simply Sharing Week is a joint program of Caritas Australia and Christian World Service. Each year the injustice in the world is acknowledged and the program tries to make a difference by focusing educational attention on a project of the year.
Teachers are invited to gather classes at school and Sunday School and complete the educational activity for the year. By presenting this issue to Australian MPs and Senators, students can give a voice to the people most at risk throughout the world.
The decision to live simply and share what we have is recognition that we can make a difference to the massive problems of injustice and poverty in the world: by sacrificing some luxuries in our own lives, we can fill the future with hope.
In 2000, the Australian government was one of the 191 signatories of the Millennium Declaration and promised to increase international aid to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We have until 2015 to achieve the MDGs. Simply Sharing Week is committed to holding the Australian government accountable to the promise they made. This year, we have a particular focus on making sure they keep their promise to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2).
What did we sign on to?
"We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected. We are committed to making the right to development a reality for everyone and to freeing the entire human race from want." Millennium Declaration, 2000.
UN Millennium Development Goals:
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 global partnerships for development
In 2008, Simply Sharing Week has joined in partnership with the Make Poverty History coalition to call on the Australian Government to increase aid beyond the planned $320 million per year by 2010 to our fair share of around $560 million per year and ensure that health funding for developing country partners is long term and predictable. This contribution will go directly towards child and maternal health (delivery, neonatal care and education and prevention of all major diseases excluding HIV/AIDS).
To join the effort in ensuring all the children of the world get off to a good start, take part in the interactive Create Yourself activity and give a voice to the millions of voiceless children living in poverty.
To find out more information about Simply Sharing Week click here or email us at ssw@ncca.org.au
