Overseas Aid & International Development Essay Example for Free

Overseas help International Development EssayInternational growth gouge only be defined holistic everyy as improvement of gentlemans gentleman lives and enhancement of the peoples companionable welf atomic number 18. International development constitutes the following planning and/or improvement in sectors of health, command, governance, sex activity equity and equality, infrastructural facilities, environment, economic empowerment, foreign aid, disaster prep bedness and human rights. In order to know the status of the welfare in any beau monde, there are slightly indicators that can be used and these implicate the following the literacy train, poverty level, purport expectancy and GDP per capita. Gener totallyy, these indicators cause been reported to improve over the past and this has not been possible with divulge involvement of development partners. These development partners include CBO s, NGOs , multilateral development agencies and bilateral donors among othe rs. This paper will focus on Catholic Relief Ser debilitys (CRS ) approach to international development and outline its contribution to the act of the MDGs . CRS is a non governmental boldness that was started back in 1943 by United States catholic bishops.Its main aim was to settle those people who were displaced by the Second World War oddly in europium. It is found on Christian religious practices and specifically on catholic doctrine. Ten familys later the situation in Europe was regaining its normalcy state and the organization expanded its activities to other parts of the population that include Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America, Caribbean, Asia and middle east. Other than provision of relief services, the organization has been in the fore front in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty through sustainable comm champion based development initiatives.This has been in the first place through its focus in key sectors in the words economies and its main activities remove been carried out in the following areas agriculture, emergency response, health including HIV / meet , education, microfinance and peace building. It has been active in championing insurance issues regarding global poverty, hunger, contravene resolution management and transformation, migration, HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, gender and inequality (http//crs. org/ ). According to the organizationCatholic Relief Services complements its humanitarian and development experience with policy analysis and advocacy to prognosticate root causes of poverty, conflict, and marginalization. CRS examines issues that are dramatically impacting the safety and well-being of measly and vulnerable people worldly bushelwide based on the principles of Catholic social teaching, primary among them the protection of the dignity of the human person. (http//crs. org/ ) Millennium development goals are goals that were set by members of the United Nations and international organizations and aimed to be achieved by 2015.This followed after the adoption of United Nations millennium declaration during the 2000 millennium summit by the member states heads (http//www. un. org/millennium/). The aim of these MDGs was to foster social and economic development in the poverty stricken countries in the world. There was a major tending on the increase in poverty among many people all over the world and this campaign quested urgent redress to stop and reverse it. Following the chapters of the United Nations millennium declaration eighter from Decatur goals were set and named the millennium development goals.These included the following poverty reduction and hunger eradication, promotion gender equality and women empowerment, improvement of maternal health, eradicate illiteracy through provision of primary education to children all over the world, reverse the trend of HIV/AIDS infections, narrow the death of children under five years of age, promote environmental sustainability and enh ance partnership in global development(http//www. undp. org/mdg/ staple fibres. shtml).The catholic relief services activities give birth been intertwined with these millennium development goals and this is a clear indication that achievement of these MDGs will mean attaining the objectives of the CRS and vice versa. The precedent is because the goals can not be achieved without the focus on the sectors addressed by the CRS and thus the CRS can be viewed as an urgent and a partner in the realization of the millennium development goals. The reason for focusing on the CRS is because of its massive contribution and huge network that covers the different corners of the world.Though it is based on Christian virtues and catholism, it has never been crippled or shorthanded by the diversity in peoples emphasize ranging from religion, race tribe, geographical location and nationality. It has always focused on its key objectives and as a resolving many people imbibe benefited so ofttime s from the organizations activities. Its approach to social issues has been command by the peoples needs and its immense contribution has saved the lives of many.Most of the beneficiaries of its serviced have locomote to great heights and human suffering has highly switch offd in those areas it has been reported to operate. The spirit of giving, tender ship and promotion peaceful coexistence has been demonstrated by the organization where mutual understanding has prevailed in areas where hostility, hatred, destruction, disasters and policy-making instability has rocked claiming lives of many people. As globalization continues to shape the lives of people, there always arise challenges that need unity and cooperation to be addressed.It is this reason that the CRS has gone beyond its religious cocoons and joined hands with re rest of the world to alleviate human suffering and this is a good example that organizations and states should follow if the world would be a better and saf er place for human beings to live. I will now focus on the specific contributions of the CRS towards the achievement of the millennium development goals. Most developing countries highly depend on agriculture. This has been their only resource that has enabled them to pop off through acquisition of the basic human needs that include food, clothing, shelter, health services and basic education. until now as a result of climatic changes, the agriculture sector has faced many challenges that need to e addressed in order to guarantee its vital contribution and sustainability to the many people who rely on it for their daily life. The challenges need massive investment on technology and skills which must be accompanied by financial costs. Since most of these poor people can not afford them, their poverty escalates day by day. CRS has developed partnership programs with poor local communities by providing advice, research services and inputs to improve agricultural production.It has wor ked almost with local agencies to fix programs on environmental matters and agriculture are properly implemented to benefit the poorest in the communities and families all over the world. It seeks to strengthen the local poor communities and encourage them to champion their development without relying on foreign enforcement. Increased food production will arrest hunger is completely eradicated and people can steady have surplus to sell and procure other basic needs in their lives. This will reduce poverty and reduce diseases which have been closely associated with malnutrition.Sexual exploitation which has very much been exacerbated by the need to fetch money to buy basis needs will reduce leading to drastic set in HIV/AIDS infections (Little D. M, Clifford J. M, 2005, 122-127). In the education sector, CRS has made huge contribution to promotion of basic education in different areas of the world. Its activities have increased the access and quality of education to many poor and marginalized populations. This has been aimed at enhancing peace and evaluator in all communities and has been mainly in areas where crisis has been reported.Their services extend to those areas with intercourse stability and those that are recovering from the crisis. The organization provides support to schools in local areas where the largest population of the poor are believed to live. In their effort to ensure the poor access quality education and participate fully in community projects, it introduced food assisted education (FAE ). Since mid 1990s girl child education, teachers support, hygienic education and services for students have likewise been rolled out.It has also helped to put up education infrastructural facilities and sensitization of members of the communities especially parents to get composite in educational matters for their children. These education activities have an objective of reaching the poor and marginalized members of the society especially the c hildren. As a result poverty is expected to reduce with the decrease in the level of illiteracy all over the world. Poverty will then reduce and thus the millennium development goals are well taken care of by the CRS programmes (Singer H.W, Ansari J. A, 1988, 35-58). CRS is widely involved in emergency responses that ensure that those affected are not denied their right to live with dignity. It therefore works closely with members of the communities affected to ensure their disaster preparedness capacities are strengthened and restored. In times of complex emergencies and natural disasters, the CRS commits itself in life saving livelihood support and strengthening of the entire civil society. To them, peace is of necessity and violent conflict should be prevented.The organization therefore conducts emergency health operations that are usually aimed at musical accompaniment the already existing health institutions and ensure those in need of health services and basic checkup attent ion are attended to. Distribution of relief food and technical support to farmers to increase food production is also a vital role played by the CRS. Those who may not have shelters are assisted with temporary shelters and to some larger extend, the organization contribute materials to construct permanent shelters.CRS also ensures conflicts are prevented, properly managed if they arise, resolved peacefully and transformation is achieved within the soonest time possible through addressing the root cause. Marginalized and vulnerable groups receive special attention including expectant women children, aged and those infected with HIV/AIDS (Megan Landon M, 2006, 165-190). In the health sector, the CRS has actively involved local communities to solve problems themselves through empowering them to make sound decisions.They ordinarily use the catholic social teaching which acts as a subsidiary principle. It involves volunteers from different parts of the world who donate their services to those most in need of them and can not afford them. Such programs reduce child mortality, HIV/AIDS infections and reduce deaths that result from inadequate maternal services for women. Social justice is therefore restored and human rights and dignity is fostered. On similar grounds the organization has been very much touch with AIDS which has been threatening to wipe human beings out of the face of the earth.Research has indicated that as much as poverty has been cited as the cause of the increase in infections of the disease among human beings, it is also an effect. CRS has therefore initiated programmes all over the world with an estimated expenditure of at least $120million and over four million beneficiaries in the year 2007 alone. This has been the trend over the past up to date and as the pandemic deepens its roots, the expenditure has kept on rising. Finally, as the rate of unemployment increases, many people are engaging in self employment to earn their living.Majority of the unemployed are poor and the women who have no collaterals to access financial services from commercialised banks. This has increased sexual exploitation which is skewed towards women. This has been taken care of by the microfinance service in CRS that provides inexpensive loan and financial services to the self employed women. Economic empowerment is very important weapon in war against HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, inequality, hunger, diseases and all other poverty related problems that human beings encounter. This is the major concern of the CRS and the core of millennium development goals.Citing an example of progress in the contributions towards achieving the millennium development goals will forthwith highlight a major activity carried out by the CRS and therefore the CRS deserves all manner of support in implementation of its goals and objectives if millennium development goals will ever be achieved. Other organizations and governmental entities have already joined hands with CRS such as USAID , USDA , UNDP , The Inter-American Development Bank, Education ministries among many others (http//www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/financial-services-firms-hostile-towards-women.asp ). Conclusion CRS is just but one of the many organizations that has been actively involved in ensuring millennium development goals are achieved. Both the millennium development goals and the CRS have so much in common and it may not be easy to separate the influence of one to the other. firearm the CRS is concerned with the issues that impact safety and social welfare of the minor marginalized and vulnerable groups of people, the MDGs outline these issues themselves and sets a fall guy and specific time duration through its objectives when the problems should be reduced to manageable magnitude.It is a lifetime emergence to completely do away with these problems and challenges and thus, unless otherwise, the CRS should only live to see full redress of the problems. At the uniform time, achievement of the MDGs in the year 2015 will set the agenda for the next step in millennium development goals.ReferencesAbout the MDGs Basics, Retrieved from http//www. undp. org/mdg/basics. shtml on fifth June, 2009 UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION, Retrieved from http//www. un. org/millennium/ PDF, on fifth June, 2009 Little D. M, Clifford J. M, (2005), International aid the flow of public resources from rich to poor countries, Aldine Transaction Singer H. W, Ansari J. A, (1988), easy and Poor Countries Consequences of International Economic Disorder, Rutledge Megan Landon M, (2006), Environment, health and sustainable development, McGraw-Hill International Catholic relief service, Retrieved from http//crs. org/ on 5th June, 2009 Financial services firms hostile towards women Retrieved from http//www. management-issues. com/2006/8/24/research/financial-services-firms-hostile-towards-women. asp on 5th June, 2009