Population and the Millennium Development Goals Case Assignment
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Population and the Millennium Development Goals Case Assignment
One notable example of how population growth is being overlooked in international development discussions comes through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Eight MDGs (with 18 individual tar- gets), based on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 by all 189 member states of the UN General Assembly, outline crit-
ical areas to be addressed by 2015, but did not originally cite population growth. One population researcher efficiently sums up the oversight: “Although reproduc- tive health was not specifically included as an independent goal or a measurable target in the MDGs, for years experts have provided evidence that investing in reproductive health services is integral to meeting them all.”21
A 2007 report from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Population, Development and Reproductive Health in the United Kingdom explores the impact of population on the first seven goals, and concludes “The evidence is overwhelming: the MDGs are difficult or impossible to achieve with the current levels of population growth in the least developed countries and regions.”22
The last half of the twentieth century provides the foundation for this conclusion:
Millennium Development Goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development
Note: A complete list of goals and targets is at the end of this report.
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On the whole, those countries and regions where information and contraceptives were made available saw a moderate to rapid decline in the birth rate. In addition, there was an improvement in the economy, the health of women and their families, and the autonomy, education and status of women. The countries where many pregnancies remained unwanted and the birth rate did not fall are now seeing an explosive growth of urban slums, a failure of the state to keep pace with educational demands and, in some cases, the continuing oppression of women.23
On a positive note, the APPG report states that the UN has approved a new target of universal access to reproductive health care by 2015, to be placed under Goal 5, Improve Maternal Health.
Still, “It is clear that the MDGs are difficult or impossible to achieve with- out a renewed focus on, and investment in, family planning.”24 The recommenda- tions in the report include targeting 10 percent of international development aid to population and reproductive health, putting the availability of contraceptive sup- plies as a top priority, and eliminating barriers to family planning.
Rising from Poverty
One country claim to have already met the first MDG target. The People’s Republic of China reported to the APPG that through a combination of lowered birth rates and economic reform, 150 million people have been lifted out of abject poverty, thus meeting the MDG for poverty reduction a decade earlier than the target date.25 Nonetheless, controversy surrounding China’s “One Child” policy will make others uncertain of the means to achieve the end. In fact, China is one case cited by population experts as having created an unwarranted stigma among critics and commentators on the topic of reproductive health.
Economists acknowledge that the link between slower population growth and economic development is complex and does not always result in an escape from poverty. Still, a “demographic dividend” occurs when family sizes drop rap- idly, leaving relatively more people of working age with fewer dependents, and the ability to invest more resources in those dependents in terms of health and educa- tion. In developing countries where the birth rate has fallen, between 25 and 40 percent of economic growth is attributable to the demographic change.26
Population Growth Outpacing Education
The second MDG, achieving universal primary education, seems especially daunting in the face of rising population pressures. In Tanzania, literacy rates fell from 90 percent in 1986 to 68 percent in 1995, attributed to increased school fees as the government was unable to keep pace with public service costs for its grow- ing population. 27 The country’s population during the period grew from just under 22 million to nearly 30 million.28
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Almost 30 percent of the world population is under age 15, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates there are 115 million children of pri- mary school age who are not in school.29 In high growth countries, the number of school-aged children doubles every 20 years. Assuming a class size of 40, an extra 2 million school teachers per year are required just to meet existing needs.30
According to one World Bank report, the annual cost of meeting the MDG education goal ranges from $10 to $30 billion.31 In another report, World Bank researchers estimate the annual costs in low-income countries would be $9.7 bil- lion annually, of which $3.7 billion would be needed from international assistance, many times higher than actual aid flows. Africa, for example, would need 75 per- cent of their total from external support.32
While hope comes from countries that have registered an improvement of 20 percent or more within a decade in the primary school completion rate (e.g., Brazil, Nicaragua, Cambodia, South Africa, The Gambia), progress is fragile, and other countries, even some with strong financial resources, have lost ground (e.g., Albania, Zambia, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, and Venezuela).33
Success in achieving universal primary education nonetheless raises an interesting series of questions. Should countries meet the goal, will they have fol- low-on capacity to meet the needs of the large numbers of students who would like to continue their education to various levels? Do they have the capacity to satisfy the employment options for newly educated students? Would a brain drain result as students go abroad seeking higher education? No doubt many students would not be satisfied to return to a simple or subsistence lifestyle, but it is doubtful that most countries would have the capacity to build yet more schools and train enough staff to accommodate the greater ambitions of their students.
A slowing of the exponential rate of increase in the population of young people would allow countries to more realistically over time create the infrastruc- tures to accommodate their numbers and ambitions. Thus the attainment of access to education for all children presents a powerful argument for the immediate and urgent need to extend access to family planning.
Although there may be potential local obstacles, the curricula for these children should include health education, and reproductive health education should be considered as students enter reproductive age.
Population and the Millennium Development Goals Case Assignment
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QUALITY OF RESPONSE NO RESPONSE POOR / UNSATISFACTORY SATISFACTORY GOOD EXCELLENT Content (worth a maximum of 50% of the total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 20 points out of 50: The essay illustrates poor understanding of the relevant material by failing to address or incorrectly addressing the relevant content; failing to identify or inaccurately explaining/defining key concepts/ideas; ignoring or incorrectly explaining key points/claims and the reasoning behind them; and/or incorrectly or inappropriately using terminology; and elements of the response are lacking. 30 points out of 50: The essay illustrates a rudimentary understanding of the relevant material by mentioning but not full explaining the relevant content; identifying some of the key concepts/ideas though failing to fully or accurately explain many of them; using terminology, though sometimes inaccurately or inappropriately; and/or incorporating some key claims/points but failing to explain the reasoning behind them or doing so inaccurately. Elements of the required response may also be lacking. 40 points out of 50: The essay illustrates solid understanding of the relevant material by correctly addressing most of the relevant content; identifying and explaining most of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology; explaining the reasoning behind most of the key points/claims; and/or where necessary or useful, substantiating some points with accurate examples. The answer is complete. 50 points: The essay illustrates exemplary understanding of the relevant material by thoroughly and correctly addressing the relevant content; identifying and explaining all of the key concepts/ideas; using correct terminology explaining the reasoning behind key points/claims and substantiating, as necessary/useful, points with several accurate and illuminating examples. No aspects of the required answer are missing. Use of Sources (worth a maximum of 20% of the total points). Zero points: Student failed to include citations and/or references. Or the student failed to submit a final paper. 5 out 20 points: Sources are seldom cited to support statements and/or format of citations are not recognizable as APA 6th Edition format. There are major errors in the formation of the references and citations. And/or there is a major reliance on highly questionable. The Student fails to provide an adequate synthesis of research collected for the paper. 10 out 20 points: References to scholarly sources are occasionally given; many statements seem unsubstantiated. Frequent errors in APA 6th Edition format, leaving the reader confused about the source of the information. There are significant errors of the formation in the references and citations. And/or there is a significant use of highly questionable sources. 15 out 20 points: Credible Scholarly sources are used effectively support claims and are, for the most part, clear and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition is used with only a few minor errors. There are minor errors in reference and/or citations. And/or there is some use of questionable sources. 20 points: Credible scholarly sources are used to give compelling evidence to support claims and are clearly and fairly represented. APA 6th Edition format is used accurately and consistently. The student uses above the maximum required references in the development of the assignment. Grammar (worth maximum of 20% of total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 5 points out of 20: The paper does not communicate ideas/points clearly due to inappropriate use of terminology and vague language; thoughts and sentences are disjointed or incomprehensible; organization lacking; and/or numerous grammatical, spelling/punctuation errors 10 points out 20: The paper is often unclear and difficult to follow due to some inappropriate terminology and/or vague language; ideas may be fragmented, wandering and/or repetitive; poor organization; and/or some grammatical, spelling, punctuation errors 15 points out of 20: The paper is mostly clear as a result of appropriate use of terminology and minimal vagueness; no tangents and no repetition; fairly good organization; almost perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage. 20 points: The paper is clear, concise, and a pleasure to read as a result of appropriate and precise use of terminology; total coherence of thoughts and presentation and logical organization; and the essay is error free. Structure of the Paper (worth 10% of total points) Zero points: Student failed to submit the final paper. 3 points out of 10: Student needs to develop better formatting skills. The paper omits significant structural elements required for and APA 6th edition paper. Formatting of the paper has major flaws. The paper does not conform to APA 6th edition requirements whatsoever. 5 points out of 10: Appearance of final paper demonstrates the student’s limited ability to format the paper. There are significant errors in formatting and/or the total omission of major components of an APA 6th edition paper. They can include the omission of the cover page, abstract, and page numbers. Additionally the page has major formatting issues with spacing or paragraph formation. Font size might not conform to size requirements. The student also significantly writes too large or too short of and paper 7 points out of 10: Research paper presents an above-average use of formatting skills. The paper has slight errors within the paper. This can include small errors or omissions with the cover page, abstract, page number, and headers. There could be also slight formatting issues with the document spacing or the font Additionally the paper might slightly exceed or undershoot the specific number of required written pages for the assignment. 10 points: Student provides a high-caliber, formatted paper. This includes an APA 6th edition cover page, abstract, page number, headers and is double spaced in 12’ Times Roman Font. Additionally, the paper conforms to the specific number of required written pages and neither goes over or under the specified length of the paper.
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