Posted on 12/27/2005 9:22:49 PM PST by NormsRevenge
LONDON (AFP) - Charities have accused celebrities of "hijacking" the Make Poverty History campaign and said pledges to cut the gap between rich and poor nations has had little impact.
In a year-end assessment of the campaign, The Independent quoted aid workers expressing disappointment that there had been scant progress made on promises made at the Group of Eight richest nations meeting in Scotland in July.
Dave Timms, from British anti-poverty charity the World Development Movement, told the newspaper the campaign had some "good elements" in raising public awareness but described it as "perhaps bravely naive".
"People like us who have been campaigning for 30 years felt that some of the real issues became overshadowed in the hype," he was quoted as saying.
"There are celebrities who really didn't seem to know what they were talking about and (musician and campaigner) Bob Geldof's comments after G8 were very unhelpful because they made people think everything had been achieved."
Geldof described the summit as "mission accomplished, frankly" giving "10 out of 10" for pledges on increasing aid by 50 billion dollars each year and "eight of 10" on writing off unpayable debts.
But Timms said that while "some progress" had been made on debt relief "we have yet to see any of those pledges translated into a penny for the poorer countries and there was no progress on trade".
Richard Miller, from the ActionAid charity, said: "Pledges have been half-hearted and there has been recent back-sliding on aid and debt commitments.
"The pledges sounded good and they will make a difference but they should have been greater," he added, echoing similar comments made by African leaders and the African Union.
The Make Poverty History campaign, a coalition of about 500 charities and social groups, involved more than 200,000 people marching on the Scottish capital Edinburgh to demand the G8 take action on aid, trade and debt relief.
Its rock concert spin-off Live8 brought the world's leading musicians together for concerts on the same theme and adverts demanding change for the world's poorest nations.
Bob Geldof signs autographs upon his arrival in Edinburgh ahead of the international G8 summit meeting in Gleneagles, 05 July 2005. Charities have accused celebrities of 'hijacking' the Make Poverty History campaign and said pledges to cut the gap between rich and poor nations has had little impact(AFP/File/Carl De Souza)
Well there you go.
Debt Relief for Dictators is such an obviously bad idea I don't think I need to get into details. But Sir Bob actually did have the right idea as to the loosening of trade restrictions, as in agriculture and textiles, something African can do well but is stymied by EU and American protectionism.
The principle objective of this great endeavor; getting Bono on the cover of Time magazine, has been brilliantly realized.
Socialists never get it.
God knows, his "singing" sounds like a banshee being dragged into a tar pit.
He can't even carry a tune when he isn't whining into the microphone.
Gen X is responsible for this faker. Almost as much as for "rap" being called music.
> Charities have accused celebrities of "hijacking" the Make Poverty History campaign and said pledges to cut the gap between rich and poor nations has had little impact.
I don't want to sound insensitive, but perhaps well-timed, coordinated commando attacks on offshore numbered tax-haven banks would free up some funds instead.
Africa has so much natural resource wealth it is mind-boggling. There is no excuse for poverty there, and I've a sneaking suspicion that much of the poverty is inflicted by a series of corrupt dictators, owners of said offshore tax-haven bank accounts.
I'm of the firm view that they've been robbing their own people blind, for decades, and continue to do so -- while cynically asking the rest of the world for aid (which they promptly steal, liquidate, and deposit). That's what Dictators do best...
I feel deeply, deeply sorry for anybody having to live in a regime like Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) or Ethiopia or Somalia. Wiping their debts won't fix matters: but establishing true Democracy just might.
Maybe Bone head should give away ALL his money to African dictators and "end poverty". What an idiot.
I'm all for saving the planet from pollution. Stop buying Bone head cd's and CFC plastics that his CD's are made on won't be made, thus saving the enviroment. It's the least we can do.
We can increase this enviromental clean up by refusing to buy all idiotic leftist Hollywierdo products.
How WDM works
Founded in 1970, WDM is a democratic movement of individual supporters, campaigners and local groups. Much of our work is in partnership with other organisations in the UK and around the world.
WDM produces a range of campaign resources to inform
the public and lobby decision-makers. And we send our supporters and local groups regular mailings with campaign actions to take and our quarterly magazine Action.
WDM has an active network of local groups across the UK. We have offices, in London and Edinburgh, staffed by professional campaigners and volunteers. The direction of WDM's work is decided by our elected Council.
Two thirds of WDM's income is provided by donations from our supporters. We also receive funding from grant-making bodies and trusts. The World Development Movement Trust is WDM's associated charity that provides funds for WDM's research and education on the causes of poverty and possible solutions.
You can help win real and lasting change for the world's poorest people by supporting WDM. You'll be part of an active network of supporters, groups and campaigners, who all want a fairer world. We're a small organisation that gets big results. And we can only do it with the support of people like you.
http://www.wdm.org.uk/about/index.htm
Flagship water privatisation fails in Tanzania
According to the World Development Movement yesterday, Tanzania was forced to privatise its water as a condition of international debt forgiveness. "The International Monetary Fund forced water privatisation on one of the poorest countries in the world in order to benefit western water companies," said Dave Timms of WDM.
The Guardian, 25 May 2005
Straw defends Wolfowitz bank plan
George Bush's decision to appoint his deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, as head of the World Bank, was described by the World Development Movement as "truly terrifying".
BBC News Online, 23 May 2005
Outspoken author takes helm of poverty campaign
Tash Shifrin
Wednesday January 14, 2004
Mark Curtis, formerly head of global policy and advocacy at Christian Aid, will take the helm at the WDM in June, replacing Barry Coats, who has left to become executive director of Oxfam New Zealand.
Mr Curtis, a former research fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is the author of a series of hard-hitting histories of British foreign policy since the second world war and an expert on international trade who has been dubbed "the British Noam Chomsky".
Before taking up his Christian Aid post, Mr Curtis worked for seven years as head of the northern affairs unit at ActionAid.
http://tinyurl.com/aea8p
World reacts to Wolfowitz bank nomination
PARIS -- Around the world, the notion of U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz leading the World Bank met with reactions ranging from official reserve to skepticism and outright denunciation.
snip
Development and anti-poverty groups joined the chorus of criticism.
"As well as lacking any relevant experience, he is a deeply divisive figure who is unlikely to move the bank toward a more pro-poor agenda," said Patrick Watt, policy officer at British charity Action Aid.
Dave Timms, spokesman for London-based World Development Network, called it a "terrifying appointment" that highlighted a lack of democracy in major lending institutions. A European traditionally heads the International Monetary fund, while an American takes the helm at the World Bank.
"You can't have a situation where rich countries lecture developing countries about democracy and then aren't prepared to exercise democracy in this kind of appointment."
http://tinyurl.com/7dxc3
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