Millennium Development Goals Essay Example

Millennium Development Goals Essay Example Millennium Development Goals Essay Millennium Development Goals Essay Black (cited Chianti 2004:2) explained ;modernization as the third great revolutionary transformation in human affairs and the process of rapid change since the scientific revolution. The process of this change is of the same great as that from pressman(sic) to human and from primitive to civilized society. For a world were dynamism and upgrading is the order of the day, moving from a lower to a higher system can be said to be appropriate and Ghana as a nation must not be left out of the global trend, rather we (Ghana) should transform the deteriorating traditional societies to a modernized one. The difference between modernizing and rotational societies is profound-being the difference between simple static structure and complex dynamic process. I-IN-HABITAT defines a slum household as a group of individuals living under the same roof in an urban area who lack one or more of the following: 1. Durable housing of a permanent nature that protects against extreme climate conditions. 2. Sufficient living space which means not more than three people sharing the same room. 3. Easy access to safe water in sufficient amounts at an affordable price. 4. Access to adequate sanitation in the form of a private or public toilet shared by a reasonable number of people. 5. Security of tenure that prevents forced evictions. Many has been done to reducing poverty in rural areas, meanwhile, arbitration is leading to the sprawl of cities given birth to many slums. Although investments have been made in various sectors, such as health and infrastructure. In addition to the introduction above this essay will explore; Modernization theory and development Millennium development goals visevise modernization; slum upgrade Conclusion. Modernization theory and development; The basis of modernization theory is a shift from traditional to modern which includes both economic and social factors. Most developed countries including the west have gone through the developing stage and one theory that underpinned their development is said to be the modernization theory. In quest for slum upgrade in Ghana, modernization is one area that cannot be eschewed reading from the many evolved countries. Modernization theory is not a single, homogeneous theory, but rather a collection of several theoretical approaches. This leaves us in a position here it is not possible to find intrinsic elements of modernization theory, but we can instead find common elements as described by Brahmas (cited Behind 2000, 13) the six common elements of modernization; Modernization draws upon a number of development factors (technological change, capital accumulation, changing values and attitudes). These different factors can be analyzed from several different perspectives, but most common is the idea of inducing social change (in values, norms, beliefs, customs). It was thought that these social changes would prompt other spheres of development. Societies and the components which make up societies (values, institutions, social groups, and religions) can be divided into traditional and modern spheres. These two spheres usually exist separately, but dual societies can exist for shorter periods of time. In the end the modern will overtake the traditional. Development, as experienced by the West, is the same path which the third world countries will follow. The modernization process is seen as similar for all countries, but the rates of change and the general pace of development might differ. Modernization is seen as inevitable and assumed to be beneficial for all. Modernization is synonymous with Westernizes. Key factors for the development of the west came from within. Such factors might involve changes in values and attitudes, technological innovations and investment capital. In the third world, however, if these factors could be supplied the modernization process would speed up. The pace of modernization is dependent on agents of change that is to say leadership or leaders. Millennium development goals visevise modernization; slum upgrade Internationally development is marked by some pointers including the human development index (HID) which focuses on the individual development of the citizenry. The HID measures development in three basic dimensions: long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Minion the ;Agents of change in Ghana made massive step to developing the underdeveloped of Ghana by signing on to the Millennium Development Goals (MEG). The Mugs are made up of eight different goals with their targets and their indicators, all of which points to development. ;In September 2000, world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and expand the choices of the poor. A set of time bound and measurable goals and targets for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women the Millennium Development Goals (Mugs) were placed at the heart of the global development agenda. Nevertheless, till date Ghana is struggling to relatively develop. I therefore argue that modernization [modernizing Ghana especially the slums can lead to Ghana achieving the entire eight Mugs base on the following argument; Mostly slums are often the first step out of rural poverty. The rural poor move to cities, where there are more employment opportunities and better access to services such as health care and education and they settle mostly in the slums, perhaps they create the slum settlements. In many slums, overcrowding and inadequate or non-existent school facilities and other amenities further impact the quality of education that children receive. In some countries, adolescents drop out of school because of insufficient or overcrowding in slum schools, or because of family responsibilities, such as taking care of siblings while parents are at work The use of solid fuels in slum households increases the chances of children contracting respiratory illnesses, such as ammonia. Many slums are also located in or near hazardous or toxic sites, which expose children to additional environmental and health hazards. Parents struggling to pay for food, school fees and transport costs may be unwilling or unable to pay for the health care of their children, which has an impact on child mortality rates. Many women living in slums cannot afford the relatively more expensive delivery and post- natal health services. Slum residents often start sexual intercourse younger, have more sexual partners, and are less likely than other city residents to know of or adopt preventive measures against contracting HIVE/AIDS. Poor sanitation and lack of toilet facilities in slums has also led to large sections of the population defecating in the open. This contributes to contamination of water and land resources, and is a cause of many of the water-borne diseases prevalent in slums. Although investments have are often not targeted specifically at slums. Many African countries in the sass, adopted slum and squatter upgrading programmer largely funded by the World Bank. Turner (cited Ben C. Airman) had argued based on field observation in Peru that the solution to slums was not in their demolition, but in improving the environment: if governments could improve the sanitary conditions and environmental quality of slums, then residents given their organizational skills and resourcefulness will gradually improve their houses, especially when encouraged by security of tenure and access to credit. The adoption of slum upgrading strategies marked a radical change in official attitude towards slum and informal settlements. Upgrading programmer are locality-based improvement strategies designed to replace the various degrees of obsolescence and decay in slum areas through the provision or improvement of basic services and physical infrastructure such as water education, sanitation, garbage collection, storm drainage, street lighting, paved footpaths and streets Babbles, (cited Ben C. Airman, 6) Conclusion Slums provide an important entry point for the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals; the sheer concentration of people living in slums make them ideal targets for interventions aimed at reducing poverty, reducing child mortality and HIVE/AIDS, improving literacy and promoting environmental sustainability in urban areas. Meds, benchmark for development, modernization that means development.