Overseas Aid & International Development Essay

International growing seat only be defined holistically as improvement of valet race being perishs and enhancement of the deals social welf be. International emergence constitutes the pursuance grooming and/or improvement in sectors of health, program line, g everyplacenance, gender equity and equality, infrastructural facilities, environment, frugal empowerment, foreign economic aid, disaster prep ardness and human rights. In order to accredit the status of the welfargon in any society, there are around indicators that can be used and these allow in the lowmenti adeptd the literacy level, mendicancy level, carriage expectancy and GDP per capita.Generally, these indicators turn all over been reported to improve over the other(prenominal) and this has not been possible without involvement of growth partners. These growing partners include CBO s, nongovernmental governing bodys , multilateral development agencies and bilateral donors among others. This pap er pull up stakes centering on Catholic Relief service (CRS ) approach to international development and outline its contribution to the achievement of the MDGs . CRS is a non governmental administration that was started back in 1943 by United States Catholic bishops.Its main mastermind was to re zealtle those flock who were displaced by the Second World War peculiarly in atomic number 63. It is ground on Christian religious practices and ad hocally on catholic doctrine. Ten years later the situation in Europe was regaining its normalcy state and the organization expanded its activities to other part of the public that include Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Caribbean, Asia and middle east. Other than provision of relief service, the organization has been in the fore front in gaolbreak the vicious cycle of scantiness through sustainable community based development initiatives.This has been in the first place through its focus in key sectors in the words economies and its main activities exact been carried out in the following areas agriculture, emergency response, health including HIV / aid , facts of life, microfinance and peace building. It has been active in championing policy issues regarding global poverty, hunger, conflict 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 make out topic causes of poverty, conflict, and marginalization. CRS examines issues that are dramatically impacting the safety and well-being of poor and unsafe people worldwide based on the principles of Catholic social teaching, firsthand among them the protection of the dignity of the human person. (http//crs. org/ ) Millennium development goals are goals that were set by sections of the United Nations and international organizations and ai med to be achieved by 2015.This followed after the word tighting 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 concern on the increase in poverty among some people all over the world and this trend needed urgent indemnification 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 reducing and hunger eradication, promotion gender equality and women empowerment, improvement of maternal health, pull off illiteracy through provision of primary knowledge to children all over the world, reverse the trend of HIV/AIDS infections, reduce the death of children under five years of age, promote environmental sustai nability and enhance partnership in global development(http//www. undp. org/mdg/ staple fibres. shtml).The catholic relief services activities have 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 evidence 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 diametrical 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 background ranging from religion, wake tribe, geographical location and nationality. It has evermore focused on its key objectives and as a dissolvent many another(prenominal) people have hited so ofttimes from the organizations activities. Its approach to social issues has been guided by the peoples call for and its immense contribution has saved the lives of many.Most of the beneficiaries of its serviced have risen to great heights and human suffering has highly bring down in those areas it has been reported to operate. The spirit of giving, volunteer ship and promotion inactive 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 hold with re rest of the world to quench human suffering and this is a good example that organizations and states should follow if the wo rld would be a better and safer 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 vision that has enabled them to survive through acquisition of the basic human needs that include fare, clothing, shelter, health services and basic information.However 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 enthronement 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 ag ricultural turnout.It has worked well-nigh with local agencies to run across 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 streng and then the local poor communities and pull ahead them to champion their development without relying on external enforcement. Increased food production will tally hunger is completely eradicated and people can level(p) 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 sort out money to buy basis needs will reduce stellar(a) to drastic decline in HIV/AIDS infections (Little D. M, Clifford J. M, 2005, 122-127). In the procreation sector, CRS has made huge contribution to promotion of basic education in different areas of the world. Its activities hav e increased the access and quality of education to many poor and marginalized populations. This has been aimed at enhancing peace and justice in all communities and has been mainly in areas where crisis has been reported.Their services extend to those areas with relative 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 also been rolled out.It has also helped to put up education infrastructural facilities and sensitization of members of the communities especially parents to get involved in educational matters for their children. These education activities have an objective of reaching the poor and ma rginalized members of the society especially the children. 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 interpreted 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 working closely with members of the communities affected to ensure their disaster preparedness capacities are reinforced and restored. In times of complex emergencies and natural disasters, the CRS commits it ego in life parsimony livelihood support and strengthening of the entire civil society. To them, peace is of need and violent conflict should be prevented.The organization therefore conducts emergency health operations that are usually aimed at supporting the already vivacious health institutions and ensure those in ne ed of health services and basic medical attention 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 hold 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 give 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 normally use the catholic social teaching which acts as a subsidiary principle. It involves volunteers from different part 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 concerned 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 to the lowest degree $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 engag ing 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 commercial message 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 affordable 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 hand in the contributions towards achieving the millennium development goals will directly highlight a major activity carried out by the CRS and therefore the CRS deserves all means of support in implementation of its goals and objectives if millennium development goals will ever be achieved. Other organizations and g overnmental 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 bend of one to the other. While the CRS is concerned with the issues that impact safety and social public assistance of the minor marginalized and vulnerable groups of people, the MDGs outline these issues themselves and sets a target and specific time duration through its objectives when the problems should be reduced to manageable magnitude.It is a lifetime process 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 same time, achievement of the MDGs in the year 2015 will set the agenda for the next feel in millennium development goals.ReferencesAbout the MDGs Basics, Retrieved from http//www. undp. org/mdg/basics. shtml on 5th June, 2009 united NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION, Retrieved from http//www. un. org/millennium/ PDF, on 5th 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), overflowing 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 Jun e, 2009