I think this would make a great project. I attended Rio+20 and have been reading some of the drafts of the MDG. Eugenie L. Birch will be spearheading the urban sustainability measures for the MDG. 

I'm preparing my tenure packet this year, so I doubt I'll have time. I will follow your question. 

Thank you.  A Beyond2015 group has been preparing SDG packets. 

Some are concerned that it does not prioritize poverty reduction in the same way as the MDGs did, but on the otherhand, the SDG approach is more inclusive and less anthropocentric.  This is a social change moment in transnational relations.  It is interesting to see what will happen.

my Ph.D is focused on examining the effectiveness of foreign assistance and the reach of the goals of MDG.

I am interested.  Can I see any of what you have written?  It didn't show up as a featured article on your page...  I am exploring the effectiveness of moral pressure on foreign assistance.

Sherie I am very interested in your research.  At a UNAA conference in Canberra last year I asked many a question to the panel.  

As an undergraduate I felt slightly intimidated amongst the academics there yet I asked alot of questions as I feel so frustrated that the UN came out with MDGs yet few have been reached some 15 years later.  For all the money involved "Rio Earth Summit" seemed like a "get together" to appease the masses and maintain the status quo.... SURE the UN made a dec about the issues that need addressing yet little efforts have been seen from the UN in actually rectifying the issues - especially when relating to environmental issues from global warming/climate change/fossil fuel energy Vs renewable, reducing Carbon Emissions, sustaining biodiversity, and addressing gender inequality.  

In Australia it has been reported on channel 7 that it will take 60 years for womens pay to level those of men while unpaid domestic labour remains to be another inequality issue.  

Australia's Indigenous peoples are the only UN members Indigenous people who lack the same basic human rights as those in other UN state nations.  Prior to his election our now Prime Minister was reported to have said  "if elected I want take reconciliation to the next level, ... I want to be the prime minister for Indigenous affairs"(The Weekend Australian, 10 - 11 August, 2013).

The G20 summit is here in Brisbane in November, as you know, and I have been trying to attract interest from fellow students and beyond for contributions towards a Brisbane Declaration to present to them.   I would love to help you if I can and because I am a mum of 2 toddlers I am so passionate about the sustainability of future generations.  It saddens me to think that morality and ethics may have died in the UN because as a kid I believed in the league of nations and the power behind "we the people".

In my findings the bequest values, the existence values and the intrinsic values of our planets biodiversity are so important, they provide free ecosystem services to society, yet appear to receive little consideration in economic development discussions.  In my opinion EIA achieves little especially when $40 million CSG industries are established despite the finding of EIS's.

I believe the G20 needs to have this brought to their attention and remind our world leaders that more needs to be done to decrease climate change not accelerate it.

Julie Lawson.

Yes I think it will be a great work to do.

I appreciate your enthusiasm, Julie.  Although I sympathize with your concerns, it is not my role to do the advocacy but to research those who are advocating.  Are you familiar with the European Environmental Bureau?   http://www.eeb.org/  They are developing an environmental justice network that would be very supportive of your concerns.

I am interested in subject of SDGs. My PhD is about food and nutrition policies developing countries. Knowing that nutrition is central to development, we are trying to explore how these policies influence development through programming for nutrition.

Since the MDGs many policies from the developing countries were hinged on the MDGS and they clearly state the MDG indicators for their targets. It would be interesting to see how this transition affects the policy landscape in developing countries. 

I may collaborate with you if i know exactly what you are doing at the moment and how it feeds into my study, but I sure should be in position to follow if it all does not work out.

Cheers

Muniirah

Hello Muniirah,

I am studying moral pressure from faith based groups upon policy makers as it pertains to the transition.  Let's stay in touch, eh?

Wonderful!  Sure no problem, will stay in touch.

My country has already been affected by  their policy  actions based on faith and morals.

Interesting study.

Funding toward commitments in the G8 countries has not been all that it could been and this has had impact upon goal implementation.  When the MDGs were initially committed to, the international economy was in far better shape.  People are concerned that the political will for SDGs (or whatever follows) will be significantly weakened by the state of the current international economy.  Hence, the activism for applying moral pressure to see if commitments/political will continues/increases/decreases less....

Ma'am would you please  tell me more about this. It seems to be an interesting topic. Kindly let me know.

Dear Dr. Ghildiyal,  I hope you find this helpful:

The impending 2015 deadline poses a public relations communication challenge. As early as 2006, scholars expressed concern about how the MDG goals created expectations for fulfillment that could potentially undermine the very constituency needed for maintaining sustained engagement with poor countries (Clemens, et al. 2004).  A ‘beyond 2015’ literature is developing where scholars redefine the public meaning of the various successes & failures associated with the MDGs.  For example, Fukudo-Parr, et al. (2012) suggest treating the goals as benchmarks rather than as planning goals, and focusing the criterion for success more on the pace of progress rather than on target achievement. The arrival of 2015 is, in social movement terminology, a ‘discursive moment’ (Fairclough et al. 2007) fraught with both crisis and opportunity.  Inasmuch as the first set of MDGs were created against a backdrop of relative political stability & economic growth, scholars are concerned that the political instability & flagging international economy of recent years will undermine the political will necessary for a renewed commitment to MDGs (UN 2012), even as public trust is declining (2012 Edelman).  Alternatively, a growing network of civil society advocates (Beyond 2015) are collaborating to make the most of this historical opportunity to develop a new set of benchmarks via a transparent process that is in solidarity with civil society organizations involved in the actual social struggles underway across the world for democracy and basic needs (Bond 2006).  A new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being discussed that would pose goals & challenges for all countries’ involvement--“not what the rich should do for the poor, but what  all countries together should do for the global wellbeing of this generation and those to come” (Sachs, 2012).

Steiner:

Yes, I have an interest in participating. Currently, my studies focus on citizen participation and urban interventions. But if I can help, I'll be very happy to do it.

Dear Sherrie, 

Among other research projects, I am currently working on the impacts of catholic social doctrine's guidelines on social justice. Let me know if  this topic has any intersection with our research targets

Maria Alejandra

Hello Maria

Do you have access to any measurements of what the Catholic Church (Catholic Social Services) contributes toward fulfilling the MDGs????  The Salvation Army, for example, puts out an annual that details the educational programs, homes for the homeless, blind, etc. that they have.

Hi Sherrie, 

I can check this kind of information. 

I will let you know as soon as possible

Thank you!

Dear Sherrie, 

You can find all the activites related to children at http://www.pastoraldacrianca.org.br/pt/

The  Spanish version of the website is  http://www.pastoraldacrianca.org.br/es

Maria 

Dear Maria,

Muchas gracias!