 |
| `Taking the bull by the horns' to end world poverty: United Nations Senior Advisor, Aung Tun Thet (left) and Communications professor at the UT, Dr. Erwin Seydel. (Photo: Arjan Reef) |
As a result of the United Nations Millennium Summit of 2000, a declaration was enacted and signed by 189 countries to eradicate poverty in the world by 2015.
For Thet, sharing with students the message of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) comes as second nature; he has dedicated his life to solving the problem of world poverty and his primary focus is to raise awareness.
In an attempt to eradicate poverty and hunger worldwide, the eight MDG's were designed to achieve universal primary education and promote gender equality. In addition, the goals strive to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria as well as other diseases. The last two goals focus primarily on developing global partnerships and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Dr. Erwin Seydel, professor of Communications at the UT, invited Thet to hold a workshop and lecture. Students were challenged to develop their own solutions for solving the problem of world poverty.
Thet stated to students, `the sources of poverty are multi-dimensional, as are the solutions.' The greater problem lies in the question `How can we change mindsets?' He explained, `The perception that poor people are lazy or unmotivated, needs to be dispelled as a myth.'
Thet questioned, `How can poor people get access to credit? What do poor people have as collateral for a loan- a house, a car or a cow?' The world's poor in Thet's view face innumerable obstacles in order to survive day-in and day-out life. The basic life-sustaining necessities, such as healthy food, clean water and adequate shelter are often out of reach for the world's poor.
During the morning workshop, thirty students were split into five discussion groups to brainstorm possible solutions. Masters student Jolien Terlouw spoke on behalf of one group, `Theoretically it might be possible to end poverty (as Thet said), though people need to be motivated to act. People need to make the issue count by bringing it into the public debate.'
The apparent consensus of most students was to educate the west and to approach poverty not only on an international and national level, but also through intra-regional cooperation, knowledge partnerships and sustainable investments.
One participant asked, `How can we make a difference to solve poverty when it becomes partly a political issue?' Thet: `None of us are like Bill Gates, but we can begin by raising awareness on the issue.'
Evidently, the students traveling to Brussels will have plenty to discuss with law- makers, lobbyist and the press. The program will entail learning about the European Commission with a visit to the European parliament. Terlouw, one of the students going feels excited to attend, `I would like to learn about the communication processes of the EU. You always hear about the EU on the news, or in the newspapers, but you never experience it for yourself.'
As Thet proclaims, `the choice is for us.' He suggests that we all ask ourselves the question, `Where is our moral compass?' For a group of UT students the compass points directly to Brussels, where influencing decision-makers can make a difference to end poverty.
