G8 Reaction Round-Up

Jul 12th, 2009 1:10 PM UTC
By Mark.Brinkmoeller

Now that the G8 Summit in Italy has officially wrapped up, a number of NGO’s have publicly issued their reactions, including a number of our partners. We’ve compiled a short list, and we’ll update as more come in.

Bread for the World: Welcomes G8 Hunger Initiative

Washington, DC, July 10, 2009 — Bread for the World welcomes the statement issued today by G8 member nations at their meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, on reducing world hunger by increasing agricultural support and development in the world’s poorest countries.

According to Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, the agreement by G8 leaders to contribute $20 billion over three years to a new initiative to combat global hunger is a sign of hope for tens of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people.

CARE: Agriculture Assistance Package a Tremendous Step in Tackling Global Hunger

ATLANTA (July 10, 2009) – The Obama administration’s announcement of $20 billion in agricultural assistance for poor farmers is a tremendous start to helping families and countries feed themselves, according to CARE experts. Of critical importance to the success of the program is making sure that assistance reaches the poorest of the poor, often women and girls.

“CARE’s work in the field demonstrates the need to ensure that assistance reaches those most vulnerable to chronic hunger, the poorest of the poor. This initiative sets us on the path to do that,” said Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA. “We look forward to working with all parties to make this commitment a reality.”

Catholic Relief Services: CRS Applauds Pres. Obama’s Announcement of $20 Billion G-8 Commitment to Food Security

July 10, 2009, Baltimore, MD —Catholic Relief Services, one of the nation’s largest private international humanitarian agencies and a leader in providing U.S. food and agricultural assistance, applauds President Barack Obama’s announcement that G-8 nations have committed $20 billion to help millions of the world’s poor farmers to grow more food.

This commitment, including $3.5 billion to be pledged by the U.S., is a good start to funding a comprehensive food security plan along the lines of the Roadmap to End Global Hunger, a strategy proposed by Catholic Relief Services and a coalition of other humanitarian groups to Congress and the Administration. In addition to agriculture, investments are needed in nutrition, disaster risk reduction, social safety nets and improved, more flexible emergency response.

InterAction: G8 and Other Leaders Agree that Global Food Security Critical to Development

L’Aquila, Italy, July 2009 — “We commend the G8, G5, and other countries, as well as international institutions for their Joint Statement on Global Food Security, its commitment to the world’s poorest, and agreeing to mobilize $20 billion over three years for food security. To be realized these commitments must be pursued as part of a comprehensive strategy in order to help the world’s poor. The success of this global food strategy rests on the ability of the G-8 to be accountable to its promises,” said Samuel A. Worthington President and CEO of InterAction, an alliance of 183 U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs). “The bold decision of President Obama, the G8, and other leaders to significantly increase aid to agriculture and to partner with vulnerable countries is critical to addressing the food crisis and alleviating the disastrous impact of the global financial crisis.”

Oxfam America: Obama’s visit to Africa: Time for a new partnership founded on transparency and shared responsibility

WASHINGTON, DC — On the eve of his historic trip to Ghana, international humanitarian agency Oxfam called on President Obama to commit to a new partnership for African development built on new resources and new measures to increase transparency and accountability.

“Much like the Cairo speech, we are hoping the Accra speech will signal a new era of engagement, respect and partnership with Africa,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. “This historic visit, so early in his presidency and on the heels of important commitments at the G8 in Italy, signals the importance President Obama places on African development.”

Save the Children: Welcomes G8 Emphasis on Food Security, Child Health; Urges Follow-through

WESTPORT, Conn. (July 10, 2009) — Save the Children commends G8 leaders for adopting a bold new food security initiative, spearheaded by President Barack Obama, and for moving to back their promises to the world’s poor with a commitment to greater accountability. Follow this story and others on Twitter.

“If G8 leaders follow through on the global food security initiative and fortify their commitment to maternal and child health with significantly increased investment, they could save millions of children’s lives a year,” said Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack. “We hope the new push for accountability among the world’s wealthiest nations will turn good intentions into real results without delay. After all, the world’s poorest children had nothing to do with the global financial crisis, but they are the ones who increasingly pay the price with their futures, and even their lives.”

Women Thrive Worldwide: Obama Enlists World Powers to Help Poor Farmers

On the opening day of the G8′s meeting in Italy, President Obama called on world powers to respond to the world hunger crisis by investing $15 billion to help poor farmers grow more food.

On Wednesday July 8th, President Obama called on G8 leaders to change the way they address world hunger by providing for $15 billion for poor farmers. In the past the U.S. and other Western countries have shipped American-grown food to aid hungry communities. If G8 leaders agree on prioritizing agricultural assistance, the $15 billion will go towards providing farmers with the training, fertilizer, and agricultural tools they need to produce more and better food. Due to the state of the world economy, the World Food Program estimates that there will be over a billion people living in hunger by the end of this year – more than ever before. The Obama administration has promised to respond to the crisis by investing in world agriculture, as most of the world’s poor are farmers in rural areas.

World Vision: Obama’s food security pledge at G8 a laudable step; now must meet goals, aid agency says

Washington, D.C., July 10, 2009—As President Obama heads to Ghana for his first official African visit as a head of istate, international Christian humanitarian agency World Vision urges the U.S. and other governments to follow through on food security pledges made at this week’s G8 summit in Italy and African assistance promised in previous years.

The G8 food security initiative committing $20 billion over three years to tackle global hunger is a laudable step toward saving lives worldwide, although today’s announcement leaves key questions unanswered, World Vision policy experts caution. Most G20 countries, the African Union Commission and several multilateral organizations have endorsed the comprehensive approach to solve hunger and malnutrition. The Obama administration pledged $3.5 billion in U.S. aid for food security.

-Mark Brinkmoeller

TAGS: 2009 G8 Summit, ONE Partners