Lovai: Change to achieve MDG

ATTITUDE change is key to achieving the United Nations millennium development goals (MDGs) and other development projects.
Executive dean of the school of humanities and social sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), Dr Betty Lovai said this at the United Nations MDG fair last Thursday at UPNG.
Speaking to hundreds of participants at the main lecture theatre, Lovai said PNG could do better in terms of fulfilling the MDG targets if people in all spheres of influence started changing their mentality and attitude.
The long-time academic said there were professional attitudes, cultural attitudes and personal attitudes and all these needed to be changed into a view that aim to advance the development of this country.  
Lovai said, at present, the people of PNG had different ways of doing things.
“Some of these ways though have made us unique, has acted as a hindrance to progress.”
Because of this, she asserted that the MDG indicators for the past couple of years had shown that PNG  had failed.
“Attitude goes right across the board.
Attitude is the main reason why we are not achieving the MDGs,” Lovai said.
She said in order to achieve the MDG, the people must use an integrated approach.
This is where man and women, able and disabled are treated on equal footings.
Lovai  said if PNG were serious about seeing development, then men and women must work together.
The reason, she said, was that, the MDG was the face of women and children hence they should not be disadvantaged.