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Some 2,000 volunteers joined the campaign to raise awareness about the MDGs by handing out a newspaper with ‘good news’ and an apple to Danish early-morning commuters. Photo©Louise Dyring Nielsen/Verdens Bedste Nyheder
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COPENHAGEN – Some 2,000 volunteers, including well-known politicians, joined a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the MDGs by handing out a newspaper with ‘good news’ and an apple to some 150,000 Danish early-morning commuters in 104 communities. The news stories were about progress in the development field, while the apple symbolized the fact that the fight against poverty is bearing fruit.
“It was encouraging to see the positive response from people,” said Mia Petring, an intern with the UNFPA Nordic Office who volunteered for the campaign by passing out apples and news papers at Klampenborg train station in northern Copenhagen. “Some people at first were a bit confused about receiving ‘good news’ but they really seemed to appreciate it when they opened the newspaper and read the many good stories. I think it is important that people also see the good results about development.”
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Danish politicians Kristian Jensen (Venstre) and Johanne Schmidt Nielsen (Enhedslisten) participated in the campaign. Photo©Louise Dyring Nielsen/Verdens Bedste Nyheder |
The types of stories that were shared included: 84 percent of all people in developing countries now have access to clean drinking water; 89 percent of all children in developing countries go to school.
The World’s Best News Campaign was organized for the second year in a row by a large number of Danish non-governmental development organizations, private sector companies, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several UN agencies in Denmark, including UNFPA.
The campaign also included other forms of information-sharing. For instance, a huge banner was draped over the façade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcing good news from the developing world.
