International
Getting UK leaders On the Record
Five years ago in London’s Trafalgar Square, Nelson Mandela gave the speech that you see in the video above. He challenged us to free millions of people from the prison of extreme poverty. We try to answer that challenge every day, but at this particular moment we’re launching a new unprecedented campaign to ask the UK political parties just how they plan to tear that prison down.
The first step is to get the major political parties to go “On the Record” about their plans for fighting extreme poverty. We want to ask them 6 questions to clarify their intentions, and to try and get the philosophy behind their policies. To get them to respond, we need to demonstrate the public care about these issues and that want their answers.
Please help do your bit by signing our petition to the party leaders.
Here are the questions we are asking them:
1. Global leadership
With the UN’s September Summit focusing on extreme poverty and the Millennium Development Goals, there is a historic opportunity for progress. How will you make the most of this opportunity?
2. The UK’s promise
If elected, what would you do to ensure the UK delivers on its commitment to give 0.7% of Gross National Income as development assistance?
3. Climate and development
What would you do to secure a global climate deal that helps people living in poverty and would you ensure that climate funding is additional to current and promised aid flows?
4. Improving aid
UK development assistance is well respected, but are there ways in which you would increase its effectiveness?
5. Security and development
What is your position on using development funding for security operations?
6. Investment in Africa
How would you ensure private sector investment in Africa helps to reduce poverty?
Sign the petition to the party leaders and keep an eye on the ONE blog for more news on the campaign.
 |
 |
 |
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.
09/02/2010 at 5:01 pm
I hope this is going to all government heads and political parties.
10/02/2010 at 10:50 am
It surely will go there, Kate. But the question is if the government heads and political parties of UK and also of other countries will take actions and decisions in benefit of nature and climate and of people bound in poverty.
10/02/2010 at 4:59 pm
A lot of efforts have to be made on how is the aid money spent! depending a lot on who is it going to when entering the country receiving the aid… which organisation is involved? does it really go to the most needy people finally??
Read this interesting reading BBC article about Sierra Leone / Uganda as an example
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7738297.stm
10/02/2010 at 6:31 pm
At the moment the German government is not even caring about the unemployed and poor people in Germany, I know quite a number of families here who can´t eat well and have to go to public “soup kitchen” (of course our poverty here cannot be compared to the extreme poverty in other countries in Africa etc.), chronical ill people here have no longer enough money for a good health care and medicines etc.
So the politicians here will probably care even less about countries that are hit by extreme poverty. Most of our politicians are only caring about filling their own pockets and the pockets of lobbyists, the pharma industry, multinational companies and bank managers…
13/02/2010 at 3:32 pm
I pray that this goes to the correct people to try and make this prblem go away.
15/02/2010 at 8:40 pm
Why no mention of debt in the 6 points? it was one of the three planks of MPH and hasn’t gone away- as the agro over Haiti proved we have to keep badgering on it.
01/04/2010 at 3:06 am
The United Kingdoms assistance has been significant through the years.
However the enforcement of rules and regulations to ensure genuine transparency in the allocation funds has not.
Please ensure that when assistance is offered consider this fact or the aid will be usele