The United Nations states that for the first time in history, the nations, institutions and organizations of the world have sufficient financial capacity to rid the world of extreme poverty.

In 2000, representatives from 180 countries gathered together to create the UN Millennium Development Goals, defining what each nation, the United Nations, and public and private organizations need to commit in order to produce a 50% reduction of extreme poverty by 2015. 

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Reduce by 50% the number of people whose income is less than $1 a day.
• Achieve universal primary education. Ensure that every boy and girl will complete a full course of primary schooling.
  
• Promote gender equality and empower women. Eliminate gender disparity in secondary education.
  
• Reduce child mortality. Reduce the under-5 mortality rate by 2/3.
• Improve maternal health. Reduce the maternal mortality rate by 3/4.
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
• Ensure environmental stability. Provide sustainable access to safe drinking water.
  
• Develop a global partnership for development. Develop an open, non-discriminatory trading and financial system.
  

In 2005, the United Nations released a massive study, Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals (London: Earthscan, 2005).    Wealthy nations, private enterprise and non-governmental organizations are called to:  

• Harness global science in the cause of eliminating poverty.
• Promote sustainable development.
  
• Work for global economic justice.
  
• Assist the world’s poor to organize themselves to assume responsibility for their own empowerment.
  
  

“Millennium Tools is dedicated to preparing on-the-ground teams in poor communities throughout the Global South to organize people living in extreme poverty.”