Educational forum to bring awareness to U.N. Millenium Development Goals

The Millenium Development Goals Awareness Project (MDGAP) will host an educational forum from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Great Hall in Memorial Union.

“Act for the World: Educational Forum on the U.N. Millenium Development Goals” will focus on the eight Millenium Development Goals the United Nations named as the world’s most urgent development challenges. They include hunger, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, environmental sustainability and combating diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

The forum is designed to educate participants about the goals and encourage them to get involved through volunteer and other opportunities.

“Participants will leave with a better understanding of one or all of the Millennium Development Goals, and the knowledge that they will have the opportunity to take action on their interests if not internationally or nationally, then at least locally,” says International Student Services student service coordinator and MDGAP founder Marilee Sushoreba.

The U.N. developed the eight goals at the 2000 Millenium Summit, where they set the goal year of 2015 to achieve them.

Eight student organizations will host interactive display tables on each of the goals. They include the African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Pre-Health Society, AIESEC-Madison and the Empowering through Development and Gender Equality (EDGE) Project.