Sunday, September 11, 2016

Global Push To Achieve SDGs Vision and Words with Action Agenda 29

ISPE       EAG
INTERATIONAL SOCIETY FOR POVERTY ELIMINATION                   ECONOMIC ALLIANCE GROUP

Briefing # 8: 15th Anniversary of 9/11: Rethinking War on Terror – Central Role for SDG Vision and Words with Action?
Global Call to US Leaders, Europe Leaders, World Leaders, Representatives of 193 UN Member States, 9 Major Groups, other CSOs’ and other Stakeholders.
By Lanre Rotimi and Peter Orawgu.                                       11 September 2016


15 years after the sad event of 11 September 2001, there is a need to reflect deeply on root problems that led to this event and progress made finding sustainable solutions to same. This is more so when this 15th anniversary coincide with 135th Labor Day in US and 1st year after World Leaders endorsed the SDG.

It is pertinent to note that levels of poverty and inequality in US and across our World are at appalling high levels; that inequality is a cause and product of poverty and poverty is a cause and product of human rights violations, therefore a human rights approach to implementing all 17 Goals of the SDG as applicable to specific context – Community to Global can be very helpful.

It is pertinent to note further that fundamental political and sensitive issues that ought to have been settled 6 months before endorsement of the SDG are still outstanding 12 months after endorsement of the SDG; that the US has spent 3 – 4 Trillion Dollars, yet the overarching lessons learnt in the War on Terror in past 15 years is that no lessons have been learnt.

As the 71st UNGA begin 13 September 2016, the appalling situation in Nigeria and Africa, UK and Europe and US and rest of the World suggest urgent need for pause to reflect on 71 years of UN System – UNO, WBG and IMF, to determine if the UN System is fit for the 21st Century alongside reflecting on flaws and failures in Development, Diplomacy, Defense, Democracy and Data with a view to determining whether War on Terror could be won without sustainable solutions to AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21 aligned and harmonized with Community Development Plans and Country Development Plans in each of the 193/306 UN Member States How questions, including the DOING of How.

Reconfiguring our World












The World we have today is one in which many countries – developed and developing are experiencing hunger in all its forms – absolute, chronic and hidden and poverty in all its forms – extreme poverty and relative poverty; terrible human tragedies – civil wars and interstate wars. Europe is confronting many challenges in asylum seekers and financial crises as well as Brexit. Many Local Governments and State Governments in US are bankrupt. In fact if the US Dollar is uncoupled from the World Dollar, the US National Government will be bankrupt. Yet the US in seeking to Win War on Terror is determined to embark upon another Arms Race that is a Luxury it cannot afford.

Today, National Economic Growth largely does not trickle down to benefit the poor in the rural communities in both developed and developing Countries. Can we get the World We Want, if concerned Stakeholders do not jointly answer AAAA, SDG, COP21, Agenda 21 How questions in ways that address these real and complex problems on the ground in each Community in each of 193/306 UN Member States? Can this be achieved without Fixing the UN System – UNO, WBG and IMF that is linked with Reconfiguring our World?

A situation where a Cow in Europe and US, is subsidized by about US$ 2 a day and over 2 Billion Poor People live on less than US$ 2 a day is a Scar on the Conscience of World Leaders. The Agriculture System in the US and Worldwide is in decay and needs urgent overhaul and in ways that effectively link sustainable solutions to Food, Agriculture, Nutrition, Heath, Lifestyle and Wellbeing on one hand and Informality, Formality, Inequality, Inclusive Growth, Poverty Elimination and Environmental Sustainability on the other hand.

A situation where Developed Countries: seek contradictory political and economic goals for the same US$ of Foreign Aid, as well as give US$1 of Aid to block US$10 of Trade should no longer be tolerated, if we are to Get the World We Want. The Aid System in US and Worldwide is in decay and needs urgent overhaul and in ways that effectively link sustainable solutions to Aid, Trade, Debts, Corruption, Terrorism on one hand and Development Effectiveness, Development Impact, Development Results, Development Justice and Development Rights on the other hand.

The effective answer to AAAA, SDG, COP21 and Agenda 21 How questions should address these and all related real and complex sub-national, national, sub-regional, regional and global problems on the ground, if we are to Get the World We Want. As long as US Leaders and World Leaders fail to learn lessons of history, they will continue to make mistakes of history. Progress can only be made in the work towards rescuing our fragile Planet if US Leaders and World Leaders recognize that should they continue to reject Ordered Change, they certainly make Disordered Change Inevitable.

US Leaders and World Leaders need to recognize that in working HARDER doing the same old things in the sale old ways, they are in reality creating favorable climate for Terror to Thrive and for Poverty, Hunger, Inequality, Injustice, Impunity, Corruption and related problems to thrive within and between Countries both Developed and Developing in our World today.


US Leadership












The US Presidency is said to have 3 Offices – Office of President – White House; Office of Parliamentarian – American Congress and Office of Public – American Citizen. Our study finding is that there is a 4th Office of Security – High Command in Pentagon, FBI and CIA.

It is worrisome that these 4 Offices in deploying Vengeance and Injustice rather than Forgiveness and Justice are unknowingly helping the Enemy to Win the War on Terror as well as accelerating US Decline. Should the 4 Offices change Strategy to work SMARTer doing new things in new ways; establishing new partnerships to drive new collaboration, new cooperation, new cohesion and new coordination from Community to Global levels within New US National Development Vision and New US International Development Vision, real and complex US internal problems as well as World problems that appear to be Mountains will suddenly become mole hills.


Food for Thought









Brookings Institute released this Paper about 10 years ago:
The fundamental issues raised then are still very relevant now. These two articles underline urgent need to Rethink War on Terror, if US Leaders and World Leaders are serious about avoiding World War III.



Re-establishing Country Led Monitoring and Evaluation Systems













The Country Led Monitoring and Evaluation Systems on both Developed and Developing Countries sides are is a State of Decay.

There is a need for New Monitoring Systems that promote and protect Quality of Service in each Duty Bearer through identifying:-
1.     Increase in convergence between Projected Results and Actual Results and How it could be sustained or improved.
2.     Increase in divergence between Projected Results and Actual Results and How it could be corrected.
The System will generate Monitoring Reports on Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual basis. Once Professionals know that their work will be objectively measured through credible Monitoring Reports; then What gets Measured Gets Done.

There is a need for New Evaluation Systems that promote and protect Organization Learning in each Duty Bearer through identifying:-
1.     What is done correctly and How it could be improved.
2.     What is done wrongly and How it could be corrected.
3.     Best Practices and How it could be Benchmarked and Scaled Up.
4.     How to Build Bridge between Lessons Learning and Lessons Forgetting

The System will generate Evaluation Reports:-
1.     Short Term: 1 year; 3years; 5 years
2.     Medium Term: 7 years; 10 years; 15 years
3.     Long Term: 20 years; 25 years; 30 years
Once Professionals know that their decisions will be Objectively Assessed in the Short, Medium and Long Term, with reward or sanction as appropriate, even post humus; they will reflect more before taking any decision today.


The Design and Delivery of these New Monitoring Systems and New Evaluation Systems will be based on One Worldwide Approach to Evaluation that is an Integral Part of One Worldwide Approach to achieving AAAA, SDG, COP21 and Agenda 21 in each Community in each of 193/306 UN Member States.


Conclusion



These are indeed trying times. There is need to address fundamental issues of Denial, Deception and Delusion if sustainable solutions are to be found to War on Terror. There are bright prospects of success, if the right thing is done and on time.



God Bless UN. God Bless our World.








Contact:
Lanre Rotimi
Director General,
International Society for Poverty Elimination / Economic Alliance Group,
Akure – Nigeria, West Africa.

M: +234-8162469805