Students from around the world connected via videoconference Tuesday night to discuss ways that countries such as the United States can assist underdeveloped nations reach their U.N. Millennium Development Goals.
Representatives from the Philippines, Timor-Leste, San Francisco State, the University of Utah and Marquette participated in the "Realizing the Millennium Development Goals" forum at the John P. Raynor, S.J. Library's Distance Learning Center. During the conference, participants also discussed the United States' level of commitment to the goals.
The videoconference was organized by Americans for Informed Democracy, a non-partisan organization that "wants to educate people about what's going on in their world," according to Neal Styka, a junior in the College of Engineering and coordinator of the conference for Marquette. It was sponsored on campus by Jesuit University Students Together In Concerned Empowerment.
The eight goals — which include reducing extreme poverty by half, achieving universal primary education and stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS — were put into action in September 2000 when more than 160 countries, including the United States, voted for the initiatives at the United Nations Millennium Summit. The goals are to be achieved by the year 2015.
"We think that our country needs to take the U.N. more seriously," said Hannah Yaritz, a sophomore in the College of Communication and one of Marquette's moderators, in her opening remarks during the videoconference. "Right now that's the only thing that can bring people together to eradicate all of these things that are affecting everyone in the world," Yaritz said.
After representatives in each location gave an opening statement, the videoconference became an open forum. Topics included the effectiveness of free trade, knowledge of the MDGs in each respective country and the role of non-governmental organizations and government initiatives in achieving the MDGs.
More than 75 students participated in the videoconference, with approximately 25 participating from both Timor-Leste and the Philippines. Twelve Marquette students attended the videoconference.
"I think (the turnout) was pretty good," said Styka, who was also one of Marquette's moderators. "We had a fair number of people; it would have been nice to have just a few more."
Karina O'Meara, a research assistant and graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences, attended the videoconference because of her interest in MDGs, which she first learned about at the "Challenges and Paths to Justice" conference last October.
"I thought that the point that the students in Timor-Leste and the Philippines made about how developed countries can specifically help their focus on first debt forgiveness, the need for specific technology and development of their human resources," O'Meara said. "To me it was interesting to hear their perspective."
Despite some minor technical difficulties, Marquette's representatives were impressed by the videoconference.
"I think it's great," said Joseph Gietl, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. "Who ever thought that as a freshman coming to Marquette that one day I would be talking and having a conversation with people halfway around the world? That's unbelievable to me."
Styka said the event was productive.
"I think (JUSTICE) would love to do it again," he said. "We can talk about it all we want but they told us stuff we could actually do that could help them."
This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.