Civil society must have voice in future of MDGs

"There are three main options on the table" about what to do after the Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015, Leo Williams, chair of Beyond 2015, an international campaign that aims to "ensur[e] that the process of developing a [development] framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to those directly affected by poverty and injustice," writes in a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog." He says, "We could simply extend the MDG deadline, we could build on the existing goals, making improvements based on existing research and consultation, or we could try something completely different."

Williams calls on "national governments to heed the calls from civil society, to consult their citizens and come up with their position," adding, "It is time for the U.N. to set in place a participatory process to create a framework that is wider than global summits, and includes the voices of those directly affected by poverty" (6/17).