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NJ MED Mission

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Human Rights Advocate
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NJ MED

NJ MED accepts the challenge to change the World

The war on poverty and injustices has been going on since man decided to kill a man. Here we are in the 21st century. And poverty is still here and man is still killing a man.

It’s like cancer, it grows and grows and spreads throughout the body. Stopping vital organs, killing the brain and then putting the heart to sleep forever. 

I don’t know about you? But, we don’t want to leave this planet, without curing the cancer of poverty.

Who is NJ MED and Why they Matter

NJ MED (New Jersey Minority Educational Development) is a non-governmental organization in the United States. The organization’s founder and CEO, Albert N. Mitchell II, started the organization after community leaders in the Poorest and Most Dangerous Cities in America (Camden, New Jersey), asked him to stop the violence and help lead them out of poverty, in 1994.

 In 1995, with a $10,000 state grant, and developing partnerships with the local University (Rutgers-Camden), the business community, and the failing school district. NJ MED developed a project (the 100% Graduation Rate Program) that increased high school graduation rates by 49%, youth employment by over 80%, and reduce crime by 91% for males 16-24, from 1996 to 2006.

Since, the 100% Graduation Rate Program, ended in 2006. The City of Camden fell back into one of America’s Greatest Tragedies. Poverty and the Crime Rate returned; because, the City’s leaders failed to follow the example NJ MED established, in targeting the highest at-risk population (male youths). Instead, they decided to reduce programs targeting that population, and increase law enforcement, and focus on privatizing the school system.

Lesson learned!

The Invisible Walls

The experience NJ MED gained in the City of Camden, in the United States; is the people living in poverty and committing crimes, are part of the problem. However, they are other factors, which are benefiting from these problems. Who are they? Why are they doing this?  We guess it’s human nature, just like, went man decided to kill fellow man.   

NJ MED, nevertheless, has shown; they focus on getting results. NJ MED builds, and they teach people the How To. Their strength is in the people they work with. Their motto “It’s together we win, together we grow, and we focus on the will.”

So, NJ MED has focused on the will and the willingness of the people that care about others. No invisible walls or evil thoughts of man; they’ve learned is greater than the will of an united people.

That’s why they feel they’re ready to help and accept international challenges and get results. No more surprises.

Do You Love Your Country?

In 2012, NJ MED launched its first international program – the World Top 20 Project. The Project’s mission is to ensure Every Child on the Planet has an opportunity to reach their full potential.

The project is part of NJ MED’s initiative America First or Last Movement, to improve nation’s national educational systems. Similar to how sports, uses a national team concept to gather support and promote togetherness for their country.

However, unlike sports, this approach has real consequences and affects everyone in their country. And everyone is a player on their national team.

To get people to care, NJ MED started a ranking system of 209 nation’s education systems. The ranking system gathers information on five levels of educational development. You can read more here.

By focusing on education, grassroots movements can be started at local levels to monitor how their children are developing into adulthood, and what type of services are needed, to ensure they have an opportunity to become a positive contributor to their local, state and national workforces and economies.

Next Week

We will show you how NJ MED’s ranking systems help’s your country improve its education system. In addition, to how they plan to use their ranking system to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Movement.  

The New World Order: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Human Rights Advocate
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Peace and Justice
Peace and Justice

Never Say Never

Do you want to live in a world with no poverty, no hunger, no racism, and no war? Is that the Future You Want?

That’s the goal for 2030.

The United Nations with its 194 Member States, as well as global civil society leaders, are targeting seventeen Global Goals with 169 target indicators between them, to make it happen.

This movement is called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) movement. Hoping to advance the goals established from 2000 to 2015. The United Nations and its partners are confident, with better organization from regions and local areas. This movement (Agenda) and its goals will address the needs of people in both developed and developing countries, emphasizing that no one should be left behind.  

Lets Go Over the Plan

The Sustainable Development Goals are focusing on three dimensions of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental, as well as important aspects related to peace, justice and effective institutions.

As mentioned, the SDG Movement has established 17 Global Goals and 169 target indicators by the year 2030.

The Seventeen Goals are:

  • Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
  • Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
  • Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
  • Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
  • Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
  • Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
  • Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
  • Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
  • Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
  • Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
  • Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

The Sustainable Development Goals

The SDGs target 169 indicators to support the 17 goals development were adopted at the September 25, 2015, United Nation’s General Assembly Meeting. Those target indicators can be found here.

No Way This Will Work

Before the ink dried, critics said no way is this realistic or feasible. They also say these goals; undermine the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

A report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of 2013 criticized the efforts of the SDGs as not ambitious enough. Instead of aiming for an end to poverty by 2030, the report “An Ambitious Development Goal: Ending Hunger and Undernutrition by 2025” calls for a greater emphasis on eliminating hunger and undernutrition and achieving that in 5 years less, by 2025.

The SDGs goals have been criticized for being contradictory, because in seeking high levels of global GDP growth, they will undermine their own ecological objectives. It has also been noted that, in relation to the headline goal of eliminating extreme poverty, “a growing number of scholars are pointing out that $1.25 is actually not adequate for human subsistence,” and the poverty line should be revised to as high as $5.

Other critics argued that the 169 target indicators  for the SDGs are too many, calling them “sprawling,” “misconceived,” and “a mess” compared to the Millennium Development Goals. It also criticized the goals for ignoring local context and promoting “cookie-cutter development policies.”

Critics also say the movement is not feasible. Estimating that trying to alleviate poverty and achieving the other sustainable development goals will require about US$2 trillion to 3 trillion per annum for the next 15 years.

To answer the critics, the SDG organizers are planning annual review meetings to report the progress that is being made. As well as, allowing the movement’s stakeholders to give their thoughts on what is working and what is not.

Will the SDG Movement Prove the Critics Wrong

If everybody involved, gets involved, this can change the world. However, that if, is a big if.

The Millennium Development Goals movement fell short of achieving its goals, because integrity and commitment lacked sincerity. Meaning, some countries and organizations, did not keep their word.

This time organization and dedication must be upheld to complete deadlines and fulfill obligations. If again, they are ignored; it will be equal to slowly letting the air out of the balloon. Progress will be stopped, and another 30 year’s will be lost.

Let’s hope, what is written on paper will become a reality. And mankind, is kind. And We Find the World We Want.

The Rise and Fall of the Millennium Development Goals

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Human Rights Advocate
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Reduce Child Mortality

The World versus the World

Humans have lived on earth about 200,000 years. Never, ever, ever, have they lived as equals. Their always have been the haves, and the have-nots. With over 7 billion people on the planet today, the gap between the haves and have nots, has never been higher.

As the world’s population increases, more people are living in poverty, fewer children are being educated, women face greater discrimination, and health care is lacking for half of the world’s population.

In September 2000, 189 nations and the world’s leading international organizations – led by the United Nations decided enough was enough, and started a movement to improve the lives of everyone on the planet. The movement was called the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Can Dreams Come True?

The MDG wanted to target and achieve eight goals, by the year 2015:

  1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  2. To achieve universal primary education
  3. To promote gender equality and empower women
  4. To reduce child mortality
  5. To improve maternal health
  6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
  7. To ensure environmental sustainability
  8. To develop a global partnership for development    

The plan was to target 21 specific areas and 60 indicators  form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and major world’s leading development institutions, to meet the needs of the world’s poorest population.
The target areas and indicators are listed here.

Not Enough Time 

From the beginning, the success of the Millennium Development Goals Movement depended how well they could communicate. Communicate each goal’s Timeline (Deadline) and the Responsibilities (Who was going to do what) on each task.

After 5 years, it was clear there would be problems. The MDGs organizers know trying to reach their goals in Africa would be difficult, because of poverty levels, lack of communication resources, and unstable governments. However, they did not realize how long it would take.

After 2010, it became obvious that not all 8 goals could be reached. The four main obstacles were: individual Government commitments; the Poor infrastructure in poorer countries; and Partners support in pursuing the goals (from the Private Sector and Civil organizations).

In 2015, none of the MDG’s overall eight goals were accomplished. Some countries like China, India and Brazil had made some progress in achieving their goals. Other countries, especially from Sub-Saharan Africa were years away from achieving any of theirs.

Instead of abandoning the Movement, the United Nations and their partners decided to recommit for another 15 years. By launching a more ambitious attempt to achieve their goals, with a post-2015 Development Agenda.

Learning from our Mistakes, and Moving On

The Millennium Development Goals Movement did not achieve their 2015 goals. However, it did make an impact, in several key areas:

MDG 1:  The number of people living in extreme poverty (living on less than $1.25 a day), was cut by over 1 billion people (from 1.9 billion to 836 million).

MDG 2: Primary school enrolment rates increased from 83% in 2000 to 91%.

MDG 3: In Developing Countries, nearly two-thirds, reached gender parity in primary education.

MDG 4: Child mortality rates fell from 90 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births

MDG 5: The global maternal mortality ratio dropped by nearly half.               

MDG 6: The number of new HIV infections fell by around 40% between 2000 and 2013.

MDG 7: 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water since 1990.

MDG 8: Between 2000 and 2014, overseas development assistance from rich nations to developing countries increased by 66% in real terms, and in 2013 reached the record figure of $134.8 billion.

As mentioned above, the United Nations and their partners are more determined to achieve their goals, and end poverty and the negative effects it causes. Let us hope, they can build on their successes, and strengthen their partnerships.

Here is a copy of the 2015 final report, the progress chart, and the breakdown country by country.

The Battle To Save Lives Continues

Next week we will review The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Movement. What it is, what are its goals, and what the chances it will work are.

South Korea’s education system outperforms 208 nations

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Human Rights Advocate
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South Korea best every country on the planet in education, again in 2016. By out ranking its closes competition for over the last three years Japan, by 3 points.

South Korean student’s college graduation rates are the highest in the world (69%). And their 10 and 14 year olds overall international test scores in math, science and reading are second. The only area of weakening in their education system seems to be affordable early-childhood enrollment for children 3 to 4. 

What Does this Mean?

Each year, tenths of millions of new workers enter the global economy. Each group of these workers represents their country’s strengths and weaknesses in every day society.

To bring this point home more clearly, without a strong foundation to develop and prepare a future workforce. Countries would be living in weak economies that will result in higher crime and poverty rates. That destroys human lives. Look at all the poor countries in Africa for an example.

Countries like South Korea, and other major Asian nations, realize prevent is the best solution for the here, now and the future. By concentrating on building a strong education system, they are creating a workforce that will sustain their economic growth.

The World Top 20 Poll Ranking System

NJ MED (New Jersey Minority Educational Development) is a member of the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council of NGOs (Non-Government Organizations). The purpose of ranking and monitoring 193 country members of the UN, and sixteen other nations; is to help identifying the weak areas of nation’s education systems for students 3 to 25 year olds.

And to annually and quarterly report on the world’s best 20 countries education systems, on how they prepare children for school entrance, through early-childhood enrollments. Student’s development in critical thinking, problem solving and comprehension skills for 10 to 14 year olds, through Science, Math, and Reading.

The last two levels of reporting on educational development focus on the task and social development in high school completion rates for students 14 to 19, and the number of students seeking higher skilled careers through college completion rates for 18 to 25 year olds. 

How the Data is Gathered for the Rankings

The statistical data gathered to develop the ranking system is compiled from 6 international organizations – the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (UNESOC), The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS). Then send to each country’s Ministry of Education Department to assure the data is accurate.

Each country is then, ranked in five educational levels: early-childhood enrollment rates; two Primary levels- (5 to 10 year olds) Math, Science and Reading scores; (11 to 15 year olds) Math, Science and Reading scores; High School Graduation rates, and College Graduation rates.

Each level consists of ranking the top 20 countries in each category. By giving a country 20 points for a first place rank, 19 for a second place rank, and so on down to 1 point for a twenty rank. The data, is then used to produce the nation’s ranking from a combined score from all five levels.

The 2016 Top Ranked Countries

South Korea outperforms Japan to remain number one in NJ MED’s final rankings for 2016. Japan, for the third year in the row finishes second. Russia’s education system has moved up two places from last year’s rankings, to number 3, and now represents Europe’s best education system.

Singapore’s education system remains as the world 4th best. Again, their primary level student’s international test scores in Science, Math and Reading, rank number one in the world. Finland, considered by most educators, as having the world’s best education system. Reach their highest ranking in the Poll system, to number five.

The United Kingdom fell three places to number six. While, the United States rises 10 places to number 7. Their biggest improvement came from international primary test scores.

Denmark moved up three places to number 8, and China advanced 4 places to number 9. The Netherlands remains at number 10.

Israel’s education system drops out of the top 10 position for the first time, in four years, to end number 11.  Canada also fell out of the top 10, to number 12. While Germany and Hong Kong, moved-up one place from last year, to number 13 and 14.

Ireland dropped seven places from last year’s ranks to number 15. Norway has returned to the top 20 rankings this year, after not making the ranks last year for the first time, and finish number 16.     Slovenia also returned, to rank number 17.

The last three ranked education systems are led by first-timer Sweden, who were projected to finish number 18. Which they did accomplish, followed by France that was ranked number 19. Hungary’s education system also made the ranks for the first time and round out this year’s top 20 ranks, at number 20.

Here are the 2016 results:

  1. South Korea
  2. Japan
  3. Russia
  4. Singapore
  5. Finland
  6. UK
  7. USA
  8. Denmark
  9. China
  10. Netherlands
  11. Israel
  12. Canada
  13. Germany
  14. Hong Kong
  15. Ireland
  16. Norway
  17. Slovenia
  18. Sweden
  19. France
  20. Hungary

Is South Korea Really the Best?

In the last three years, South Korea remains the world’s best-educated country. Some educational expertise argue, that the countries focus on test taking is not really a sign their children will become successful later in live.

The expertise point out, the stress created to do well on standardize testing has caused poor social skill development for students went they become adults. (South Korea has the world’s second highest suicides rate, and the highest among developed nations).

Do you agree with the expertise? What is your opinion? Please leave your comments below.

Rural poverty line is still hindering children’s access to education in Uganda

By
Human Rights Advocate
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Uganda

By John Bosco Ssenyondo
Abaana Community Outreach Africa

Despite the growth in Ugandan economy over last decade, the Human Poverty Index is about 27 per cent of all rural people. However, many families are still living below the national rural poverty line, on less than $1.25 a day limiting children’s access to education.

Children in rural areas are now entering early child marriages and labour markets at very young age, involving themselves in cattle rearing, working on peoples’ plantation as casual labourers and others resorting to petty stealing as a means to be able to earn an income – at least be able to afford food, soap, salt, sugar, scholastic materials and other basic amenities for their households all of which seriously affects their growth and well-being, despite government’s effort to enable every body access education through introducing universal primary (UPE) and secondary education (USE), many children in rural communities have still  failed  to enroll or continue  with their education.

This is mainly common in rural communities of Rakai, Mityana and Lwengo districts among others

This is a routine incident and widely spread in the above mentioned rural communities.

The very low level of education among the whole population of the communities which has been attributed to the increasing number of orphans as a result of HIV and AIDS scourge  that has hit the communities of Rakai, Mityana and Lwengo district for many years. Subsistence agriculture being the major way of livelihood has made it very difficult for the parents to send their children to school due to the increasing cost of education.

Children found in their home and had spent 3years not attending school but were supported to attend school

Many of these children in the above rural communities are either neglected/abandoned  and orphaned children having a surviving parent — usually their mother — or live with a close family, these orphans and vulnerable children face multiple risks as HIV and AIDS increases family poverty and distress through loss of income or livelihood.

To find out how you can help visit here.

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