09/17/2007
Diocese of Michigan
by Bonnie Anderson - Chair
Sample of Past Diocesan Resolutions....... RESOLUTION: GLOBAL RECONCILIATION: MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ORIGINATOR: BONNIE ANDERSON, CHAIR DIOCESE OF MICHIGAN DEPUTIES TO GENERAL CONVENTION
RESOLVED, that the 171st convention of the Diocese of Michigan affirm and support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that pledge to:
1) 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 stability, and
8) develop a global partnership for development, and be it futher
RESOLVED, that this convention direct the Diocesan Council to make Millennium Development Goals educational materials available to diocesan congregations, and be it further
RESOLVED, that Diocesan Council, under the authority of diocesan canon II.2.3.1.4, establish a Global Reconciliation Commission to assist it with this work, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the 171st convention of the Diocese of Michigan, ask the 75th General Convention, meeting in Columbus, Ohio, June, 2006, to:
1. Establish the work toward the achievement of the millennium development goals as a mission priority for the triennium 2006-2009,
2. Identify program (mission) budget line items in The Budget for the Episcopal Church that work toward achievement of the millennium development goals,
3. Commit 0.7% of the Budget for the Episcopal Church to fund international development programs,
4. Designate September 11 a special day of prayer, fasting and giving in the Episcopal Church toward global reconciliation and the Millennium Development Goals,
5. Request that all dioceses establish a diocesan global reconciliation commission dedicated to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
RESOLVED that, the Diocese of Michigan celebrate with joy and thanksgiving, the past and continued commitment of 0.7% of the annual diocesan budget to go to international development programs.
Rationale:
The 74th General Convention in 2003 encouraged endorsement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reaffirmed General Convention resolutions 200-A001 and 2000-D033 challenging all dioceses and congregations to contribute 0.7% of their annual budgets to fund international development programs.
The Diocese of Michigan has been participating with other dioceses in the Episcopal Church to respond to these General Convention Resolutions and has embraced the MDGs by allocating 0.7% as a diocesan budget line item budget since 2003.
Every day, more than 60,000 people worldwide die needlessly because food and basic health care is not available to them. Of those, 30,000 are children. That is one child dying needlessly every three seconds. Four children have died preventable deaths in the time it took you to read this paragraph.
In September 2000, all the nations of the world pledged support to the Millennium Development Goals, a mutually agreed upon structure for them to join together and address the eight biggest threats to human security in the world today. (For more information, see www.developmentgoals.com
The U.S. government fails to meet a 30-year-old international goal of giving 0.7% of GNP to international development assistance and is last in giving among the 20 richest nations (at 0.14% of GNP).
The existence of a Global Reconciliation Commission in our diocese will considerably further this work and deepen it beyond the important initial financial level. Many congregations and individuals are currently engaged in ministry in the developing world,yet communications among these ministries are sporadic. The GRC would be able to forge connections among ministries, provide easy plug-in for interested Episcopalians and highlight where gaps are for people or communities who want to start something new. It would also enable us to interface with larger organizations in the church who are trying to database nationally (such as Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation (www.e4gr.org).
