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Article ONE: How did we do?
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Following the German elections in September, the new government in Berlin is now formed of 3 parties – the CDU, the CSU and the FDP. In order for them to be able to work productively during their 4 year term they have agreed on a coalition treaty, which points the way for the for the future political direction of the German government. As the goal of our ‘Article ONE’ campaign was to influence the content of the coalition treaty, we’ve picked apart the Article ONE and the treaty to see how we did.
Article ONE: “The German government has the duty to act decisively against extreme poverty….” The coalition treaty speaks of values and interests in development politics. There is also an important reference, containing the commitment to fight extreme poverty, to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Article ONE: “…The successes of the past years show that there is a way out of poverty….” There is no reference to development successes of recent years in the coalition treaty. Article ONE: “…Germany keeps its promise to Africa and will allocate 0,51% in 2010 and 0,7% of its gross national income no later than 2015 for development assistance….” The international commitments to finance development are enforced in the treaty. However, whilst the 0.7% goal is named, concrete timing is not. However by referring to “international commitments” the treaty implies that this goal – through an intermediate goal of 0.51% ODA/GNI by 2010 – shall be reached by 2015. The CDU/CSU’s “Government Program 2009 to 2013” contains similar wording. ONE asked the Secretary Generals of the CDU and CSU to clarify this wording and they confirmed that the above interpretation is accurate. ONE therefore assumes the meaning is the same in the coalition treaty. There is, however, a reservation clause on the budget of which the exact relevance and meaning remain unclear to us. The coalition treaty ensures a “design of development assistance tailored to the need at hand in the areas of biodiversity as well as the fight against climate change and hunger”. This will make substantial Overseas Development Aid (ODA) increases necessary. Article ONE: “…Ownership as well as transparent and coordinated aid is key to highly effective development assistance….” Strengthening the individual responsibility of the developing countries is named as a central element and the importance of coordination on a national as well as an international level is picked up broadly in the treaty. There is a strong emphasis on streamlining and co-ordinating donors’ assistance (as called for in the Paris Declaration on the effectiveness of development aid) but there is no explicit reference to the importance of transparency. The increase in efficiency and effectiveness is mentioned several times. Article ONE: “…The efforts need to be focused on the MDGs….” The MDGs are seen as central goal of development politics. Article ONE: “…Thus the German government extends its engagement in the sectors health, agriculture, education and infrastructure….” The key sectors named in the Article ONE are also named by the next government as key in development politics. Article ONE: “…In addition, Germany supports a trade initiative for Africa…” A trade initiative for Africa is not explicitly supported. However, several key elements to fairer trade with Africa are named. Article ONE: “… and a fair debt process for countries that are threatened by unsustainable debt.” The coalition treaty contains this Article ONE demand. So as you can see: overall we didn’t do badly. Thanks to the support of thousands of ONE members we got several of our asks into the directive for the new German government. Now the real work begins: to see those directives turned into action! |
Return to Ethiopia
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ONE’s Co-Founder and Executive Director, Jamie Drummond on a personal journey Twenty five years ago, like many of my generation, I was called to action by images of drought and starvation – and by a couple of shaggy-haired, Irish rock stars with whom I’ve now been working for a decade. The Ethiopian famines and the world’s response through Band Aid and Live Aid have shaped the image of Africa for a generation and spurred concerted action to fight extreme poverty. A quarter of a century on, it is perhaps a good moment to ask how the aid that has flowed has worked and how the model of celebrity-led advocacy is faring. A few weeks ago, I returned to Tigray in northern Ethiopia to look again at the impact of funds raised by Band Aid and the work of the World Food Programme. I travelled through this region in 1995 and visited a village called Daereda. Drought and a desperate population had denuded their valley of trees and greenery; fertile top soil had been eroded by seasonal flash floods. Back then, many of the villagers were grateful for the food aid they had received and quick to thank the western public and a far-off thing called Geldof. But they wanted more than handouts – they wanted to take matters into their own hands and heal the physical damage to their lands. The food aid helped them do just that. It was being given through “food for work” programmes. Teams of thousands set to work planting trees, contouring steep hillsides to conserve soil and water, digging ponds and building check dams, all to raise the lands fertility. Today, the results are astonishing. The valley is lush and green; the river flows all year round; the land is more fertile and productive. This success story is echoed in valleys across Tigray. The region receives many expert visitors to see how it was done. And in spite of the images of starvation we’re currently confronted with, it’s not the only positive story to have come out of Ethiopia in the past decade. The country has also halved malarial death rates through widespread use of insecticide= treated bed nets, and doubled school enrolment. Economic growth has been over 5% for a decade, 7% on average for the last three years. But parts of the country, and region, are still on the verge of starvation. This could lead some quickly to assume that 25 years on nothing has changed. No serious investigation can lead to the conclusion, but it is still not acceptable that 14 million Ethiopians today rely on food aid and that for some rations are being cut. The answer as ever is complex. Climate change is causing more frequent droughts, impairing rural communities’ coping mechanisms. Not enough has been spent on rural roads and the government hasn’t permitted mobile phones or developed local markets. But above all there has been insufficient global attention paid to agriculture. Spending on agriculture went down from 17% of global aid in 1980 to just 3.8 % in 2006. It’s stunning that after the famines of the 1980s we didn’t increase investment in long-term regional food security and agricultural productivity. The World Bank and IMF even counselled against it as part of their notorious structural adjustment programmes. Tough questions must now be asked about the international development business and how this was allowed to happen. At last this year the G8 countries agreed to invest $20bn in agricultural productivity. The new policy focus is certainly welcome, though it’s not clear how much is new and it is clear that much more of this kind of support will be needed to help Africa’s rural poor adapt to climate change. These investments must flow quickly in support of nationally designed plans and build up the long-term response even as we quickly disburse the short-term food aid needed again this year. Twenty five years on, where does all this leave celebrity advocacy? Bob Geldof and Bono for their part moved from charity fundraising to working on debt cancellation and the deeper structural causes of poverty. The largely successful Drop the Debt campaign they supported, along with many ardent development activists, grew into the Make Poverty History campaign and Live 8 concerts in 2005. Bono and Bob are now part of ONE, an Africa advocacy group with two million campaigners around the world. Because of the strong movement in this country, the UK has now come to a remarkable place on development. Gordon Brown leads the world in his tireless lobbying for the poor; for this, Bono and others praised him personally at the Labour party conference. The Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties also endorse the drive to keep Britain’s promise to devote 0.7 % of national income to overseas development and maintain the push to improve aid quality. It was in acknowledgement of this cross-party support that Bono also recorded a video message for the Conservatives’ conference. This was no party political endorsement, just a simple way to underline the importance of Britain’s continued leadership on the world stage, whichever party is in power after the next election. Twenty five years after the Ethiopian famine, its legacy is palpable. As well as effective campaigning groups and celebrity activists, corporate leaders and former presidents are putting their second careers fully behind the fight against extreme poverty. What was once a backwater is now mainstream, “pop” even, and of course some hate that. But 25 years on, this big messy movement – and, above all, the African individuals and groups who are increasingly taking charge – can celebrate and accelerate success. Next year’s World Cup in South Africa is indeed the greatest possible branding moment for the exciting forward momentum of the continent. “Africa Rising” is increasingly replacing “Africa Starving” as the story. But we in the development world must learn from failures. African experts have long argued for increased investment in agriculture; their voices were ignored. Going forward therefore we must follow Archbishop Tutu’s counsel – that we always ensure that we are “listening to what Africans actually want, that Africans drive their own development”. Credible celebrity activists can help that process by encouraging public debate about both successes and failures, by backing African voices to lead that debate and then backing out of the way. |
What We’re Reading 5/11/09
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Reuters—Africa aid can boost global economy: World Bank Los Angeles Times—Massive malaria vaccine trial has begun in Africa The Guardian—Rich countries call on African bloc to keep climate talks on track Reuters—U.S. wary on Doha deal, World Bank says go for it Deutsche Press Agency—Don’t back-track now on AIDS, Doctors Without Borders warns Western donors |
Book Launch: Climate Change in Africa
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Last night ONE was lucky to attend the launch of Camilla Toulmin’s new book Climate Change in Africa, which provides a timely reminder of the damage being done to the continent by shifts in climate. The direct impacts include a rise in harvest failures in recent years as unpredictable water cycles and expanding drylands make the life of African farmers harder. In the Horn of Africa for example there have been 3 crop failures in the last 4 years, meaning in Ethiopia alone 6.2 million people are now in need of food assistance. Toulmin highlighted the likely rise in conflict as resources such as water become scarcer, and the devastating impact that rising food and fuel prices can have on the poorest sectors of society. More indirectly the global demand for biofuels has seen large tracts of prime African farmland bought up by companies growing non-food crops. Of course much of the recent debate has been around how Africa can adapt to climate change and that was also high on the agenda. Toulmin suggested realistic interventions such as diversifying farm production and argued that “it is absolutely vital to reach a deal at Copenhagen”. She estimated that anything up to $130 billion may be needed for adaptation costs in Africa alone and that the financing of this will be central to a good agreement. Discussing the book, former Chief Scientist from the UK’s Department For Overseas Development, Sir Gordon Conway stressed that climate change would affect agriculture more than any other sector, with clear implications for the majority of sub-Saharan Africans. As a development issue, he argued, there will be little of greater importance over the coming decades. As policy makers prepare to meet to negotiate a global climate deal next month Toulmin’s book provides a powerful case for ensuring that they keep the poorest in mind and take special consideration of Africa. Not only does climate change add yet another challenge for those struggling to combat extreme poverty and disease by exacerbating the conditions of poverty, but it threatens to erode the gains that have been made in recent years. |
What We’re Reading 4/11/09
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The Guardian: African nations make a stand at UN climate talks The Guardian: US puts climate debate on hold for five weeks despite plea by Merkel The Christian Science Monitor: Is fight against hunger a matter of security? Reuters: Only 15 pct of G8 food aid pledge is new-sources Reuters: Brazil, others squeeze China in scramble for Africa Daily Nation: Kenya: Locally-Growing Moringa Tree Key in Fight Against Malaria |
ONE’s Northern Exposure
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The U2 Tour wrapped up in Vancouver last week and ONE members from the home of the 2010 Olympic Games (as all my cab drivers were proud to remind me) didn’t let a steady cold rain keep them from coming out to sign up new ONE members.
Our Vancouver volunteers were an enthusiastic and engaged group of and I was fortunate enough to get to chat with a few of them.
Lauren Chan Lauren learned about ONE from a high school teacher. And as Graduation Committee President, she led her class in purchasing 58,000 tetanus shots for UNICEF. It was the first time a Langara High School class had donated it’s graduation committee fund-raising to charity and a sign of Lauren’s commitment to making a difference on issues of global poverty and preventable disease.
Eva, Paul, Heather and Rebeca We got a little lost in conversation, so I’m sure they’ll forgive me if I don’t get the relationships right. But in the picture above you can see husband and wife Paul and Eva, along with Paul’s sister Rebeca and Eva’s sister Heather. And how did Paul and Heather meet? Through their work as anti-poverty advocates, of course. Paul and Heather both worked as Regional Team Leaders for our partner organization World Vision in British Colombia. They admit that some of those meetings when they first met weren’t the most productive, but it’s clear that they’re the most dedicated of activists. Paul is in his first year of law school at Saskatoon University Law School, where he hopes to eventually specialize in human rights and international law. He told me that ONE broadly encapsulates what they want to do with their lives – work against poverty and for greater justice. Eva continues at World Vision and talked with me about the power of participation that comes when the public engages and really understands the issues – and she’s a big fan of ONE.org when it comes to educating people on global poverty. Eva also talked about how ONE empowers kids to get involved in different ways. “Kids who might otherwise think of global poverty and say “I work at McDonald’s, I can’t afford to sponsor a child.” “But through ONE, they realize that their voices are powerful.”
Harneet Gosal Harneet is a student at Simon Fraiser University and first got involved with ONE in high school. She signed up tons of new ONE members and particularly enjoyed talking about the issues with concert-goers. She even had a vigorous discussion with a U2 fan from the Czech Republic who wanted to know why she thought fighting poverty and disease in the developing world was important. She must have made a good argument, because he signed up to become a ONE member.
Robin and Dave McCombe When Matt Higginson asked Robin and Dave if they’d rocked their volunteer work, they replied “punk rock all the way.” I’m sure the band performing that night would be pleased. Robin and Dave first got involved with ONE through their church, Coquitlam Alliance, where they watched video of an interview Bono did with a minister in Boston. They were particularly excited to see how excited the younger generation was about signing up to join ONE. “Nothing against the old folks,” as Dave said, “but it’s great to see kids, teenagers and young couples couples get involved. They also saw a lot of white bands in the crowd worn by concert-goers who are already ONE members. This is our last stop on the 2009 U2 360 Tour and there’s not much more left to say, except for a giant thank you. I’m sure I’m forgetting far too many people, but thank you to Weldon and Matt, Marisa, Roxy, Luisa, Nealon, Leah, the more than 1,000 ONE members who came out to volunteer at 44 shows, and last, but definitely not least, U2 for sharing this amazing tour with us. |
Situation in Guinea
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Photo © SEYLLOU/AFP/Getty Images Since seizing power earlier this year, Dadis Camara and the rest of the military junta ruling Guinea have become increasingly repressive and violent. On September 28, a protest against the regime ended with the military killing 157 civilians and injuring a further 1,200. Because of the violence and chaos, businesses are grinding to a halt and schools have been closed. His actions are actively undermining the fragile development gains of recent years and hold no promise of a better future for Guinea. The international community has started to respond. The Economic Community of West African States, European Union, African Union, and US have all imposed arms sanctions in response to the recent rise in violence. Although the regime has yet to step aside and agree to hold fair and open elections, these sanctions are an important first step and help isolate it. We’ll be keeping our eyes on the situation in Guinea, and if we need to take action, you’ll hear from us straight away. |
T-shirt Challenge deadline extended
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The ONE Next Top T-shirt Challenge is going strong and we’ve already received more than 400 T-shirt designs! So a big thank you to everyone who has submitted a design so far! The good news is that we’ve decided to keep the creativity going! We are therefore extending the deadline for T-shirt design submissions until 6 November at 5pm GMT/UTC, so you have a few more days to submit your idea! Learn more, check out other ONE member’s T-shirt ideas and submit your design. P.S. Here’s a small sample of some designs we’ve received so far: |
Watch Global Pneumonia Summit Live Right Now
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Today is World Pneumonia Day and you can watch the Global Pneumonia Summit live right now.
Child advocates from around the world are gathering in New York City to hear the latest on how we can raise the profile of child pneumonia and get policymakers everywhere to act. Speakers include:
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A starting position from the EU
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The European Council has just wrapped up this afternoon. One of the aims of this European Council was to firmly establish the EU’s position ahead of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December and the conclusions from the meeting have now been published. At a time when some of the press coverage around the potential of a global deal being struck in Copenhagen has been a bit negative, momentum can now roll on from this meeting through to the finance ministers in Scotland next week and onwards to Barcelona and a pre meeting of negotiators, and finally (in theory) to Copenhagen itself . There are some really important messages coming out of the European Council, with strong language on all aspects of climate change and also a conditional offer from the European Union to do more if other countries/blocs step up to the plate. Here are a few highlights and extracts from the Presidential conclusions: - The European Council emphasise the need for a legally binding agreement for the period starting 1 January 2013 based on the Kyoto protocol and includes all of its essential features - They call upon all Parties to embrace the 2°C objective and to agree to global emission reductions of at least 50%, and aggregate developed country emission reductions of at least 80-95%, as part of such global emission reductions, by 2050 compared to 1990 levels - They also agree that by 2020, the mitigation and adaptation costs to developing countries could be around 100 billion Euro a year and that this should be met though a mixture of private and public finance. The EU Member States are ready to contribute its fair share of these costs - All international parties should commit that climate financing would not undermine or jeopardize progress towards the Millennium Development Goals This means the EU will be heading to the December summit with a strong negotiation position. African and other developing country negotiators in Copenhagen will be looking for more, but some participants in Copenhagen coming from other industrialised major emitting nations may be looking to do less. And so the negotiations on financing finally begin in earnest. The European Council taking place on 10 – 11 December (half way through the UN climate summit) will be able to review the early stages of Copenhagen in order to make any necessary decisions. Keep checking back for further updates. |
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About the Blog
The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
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