Support for the Millennium Development Goal One: Ending Extreme Poverty 2005 Action of Immediate Witness

On September 12-13, 2005, the leaders of more than 190 nations will convene at the United Nations to determine the course of the Millennium Development initiative. Over 154 countries support the Millennium Development Goals, adopted in 2000. The first of these goals is to reduce extreme poverty by half within the next ten years. This will take political will and advocacy by people of faith.

The United States has endorsed the Millennium Development Goals but so far has not backed up this endorsement with financial support.

The delegates of the 2005 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association urge our member congregations and individual Unitarian Universalists to remind their congressional representatives that there is increasing support by religious liberals and religious conservatives alike to reduce extreme poverty in the world and encourage them to promote this initiative.

Furthermore, we urge all Unitarian Universalist religious leaders at the international, national, district, and congregational level to inform themselves about the Millennium Development Goals and to speak out in their communities about the eradication of extreme poverty.