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Putting world to rights

24/ 9/2008

BUDDING politicians met a government minister in a bid to put the world to rights.

Youngsters from Alder High lobbied Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, to talk about global problems such as poverty and equal rights to education.

The minister, due to meet with the United Nations on Tuesday, promised to voice their concerns and contact them afterwards to give them feedback from world leaders.

Lauren Wood, 13, was one of 15 pupils who met with Mr Alexander at Manchester Town Hall on Monday.

"We talked about the eight Millennium Development Goals that we have to reach by 2015, and what the government is doing to try and reach them," she said.

"It’s really important because they are going to help people all over the world and solve a lot of the problems that the world is facing at the moment.  I think it went well. We were a bit nervous, but Douglas Alexander was really nice and he said he’s going to write to us and tell us how things are going."

Goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, stamping out disease such as AIDS and malaria, promoting gender equality and protecting the environment.

Youngsters gave a presentation and also carried a banner they had made in class.

Ben Miskell, citizenship teacher at the school, on Mottram Old Road, Hyde, added: "Mr Alexander explained that public support would help him when talking to world leaders.  What the children have learnt is that lots of their peers and the general population don’t know very much about these goals and that’s why they want to continue raising awareness."