Ireland on the way toward “0,7 percent” taget

Ireland spent some €814 million last year on overseas development aid to support projects in more than 90 countries, a report published today said.

Minister of State for Overseas Development Michael Kitt published the Irish Aid annual report for 2006, which also reveals that the State gave €100 million to 40 countries to assist them after natural disasters or humanitarian crises.

Mr Kitt said that spending more than 0.5 per cent of GNP on overseas aid last year places Ireland on course to reach the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas aid by 2012.

Development aid from OECD countries fell 5.1% in 2006

The 22 member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the world’s major donors, provided USD 103.9 billion in aid in 2006, down by 5.1% from 2005, in constant 2005 dollars. This figure includes USD 19.2 billion of debt relief, notably exceptional relief to Iraq and Nigeria. Excluding debt relief, other forms of aid fell by 1.8%.
Sixteen of the DAC’s 22 member countries met the 2006 targets for ODA that they set at the 2002 Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development. However, aid to sub-Saharan Africa, excluding debt relief, was static in 2006, leaving a challenge to meet the Gleneagles G8 summit commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010.

Total official development assistance (ODA) from members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) fell by 5.1% in 2006 to USD 103.9 billion. This represents 0.30% of members’ combined Gross National Income. In real terms this is the first fall in ODA since 1997, though the level is still the highest recorded with the exception of 2005.

The fall was predicted. ODA was exceptionally high in 2005 due to large Paris Club debt relief operations (notably for Iraq and Nigeria) which boosted ODA to its highest level ever at USD 106.8 billion. In 2006, net debt relief grants still represented a substantial share of net ODA, as members implemented further phases of the Paris Club agreements, providing a little over USD 3 billion for Iraq and nearly USD 11 billion for Nigeria. Excluding debt relief, ODA fell by 1.8%.
Preliminary data show that bilateral net ODA to sub-Saharan Africa rose by 23% in real terms, to about USD 28 billion. However most of the increase was due to debt relief grants. Excluding debt relief for Nigeria, aid to sub-Saharan Africa increased by only 2%.

The only countries to reach or exceed the United Nations target of 0.7% of GNI were Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark. The largest donor in 2006 was the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan, France and Germany. The combined ODA of the fifteen members of the DAC that are EU members accounted for 57% of total net ODA.

In 2006, net ODA by the United States was USD 22.7 billion, a fall of 20% in real terms. Its ODA/GNI ratio also fell to 0.17%. The fall was mostly due to debt relief which was exceptionally high in 2005 as the United States forgave all its outstanding debt with Iraq in 2005 rather than spreading it over several years. US disbursements to Sub-Saharan Africa (USD 5.6 billion) reached a record high mainly due to debt relief (USD 1.4 billion, of which Nigeria was USD 0.6 billion) and increased disbursements for education, HIV/AIDS and malaria programmes. Net ODA flows to Iraq remained substantial (USD 4.8 billion), to Afghanistan increased (USD 1.6 billion) and to the least developed countries were at their highest level ever (USD 5.5 billion).

Japan’s net ODA was USD 11.6 billion, representing 0.25% of its GNI. The 9.6% fall in real terms since 2005 was partly due to exceptionally large expenditures in 2005, including humanitarian relief for the Indian Ocean tsunami and debt relief grants to Iraq. Japan’s net ODA has been on a downward trend since 2000, except for an increase in 2005 due to debt relief. The 2006 ODA total includes an increase in Japan’s contributions to the International Financial Institutions.
The combined ODA of the fifteen DAC-EU members rose slightly by 2.7% in real terms, from USD 55.7 billion in 2005 to USD 58.9 billion in 2006. This represented 0.43% of their combined GNI, surpassing the EU collective ODA/GNI target of 0.39%. The increase in 2006 was mainly due to debt relief grants.

Aid rose in ten DAC EU member countries as follows:

• Ireland (33.7%), reflecting increasing bilateral aid as well as large multilateral contributions,
• Spain (20.3%), due to a large increase in contributions to the UN and other multilateral, organisations, as well as an increase in disbursements by AECI, the Spanish Co-operation Agency
• Sweden (15%), due to general scaling up of its aid and debt relief,
• United Kingdom (13.1%), due to a substantial increase in contributions to international organisations,
• Aid also rose in Denmark (2.9%), France (1.4%), Germany (0.9%), Luxembourg (4.9%),
• Netherlands (4.2%) and Portugal (0.6%).

Falls were noted in Austria (-6.0%), Belgium (-2.7%), Finland (-9.9%), Greece (-4.1%) and Italy (-30%, mainly due to the timing of its contributions to international organisations).
Aid provided by the European Commission rose by 5.7% to USD 10.2 billion reflecting increased budget support and improved disbursement capacity from the higher level of commitments made in recent years.

ODA from other DAC countries rose, or fell, from 2005 to 2006 as follows:

• Australia (22.8%), primarily due to debt relief, notably to Iraq and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative,
• Canada (-9.2%), due to the decline in debt relief and lower levels of humanitarian aid compared to the extraordinary response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2005,
• New Zealand saw no change (0.0%),
• Norway (-2.2%),
• Switzerland (-7%), due to the lower volume of debt relief grants provided.

Net ODA data reported by seven non-DAC economies rose, or fell, from 2005 to 2006, as follows:

• Chinese Taipei (3.6%),
• Czech Republic (6.4%), due to increased contributions to the EC,
• Iceland (55.3%), due to a general scaling up of Iceland’s contribution to development cooperation,
• Korea (-44.6%), due to lower contributions to the World Bank and regional development banks,
• Latvia (-1.0%),
• Lithuania (15.2%), as it increased its contributions to the EC,
• Slovak Republic (-9.1%), as bilateral aid fell.

Top three of social networks for activists

To get inspiration, ideas and contacts to our work. You can become a member in some of the many social networks on the Internet. TellusBlog.com lists the three best ones.

TakingITGlobal.org

TakingITGlobal is an international organization – led by youth and empowered by technology. TakingITGlobal connects youth around the world to find inspiration, information and get involved in improving their local and global communities.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a growing worldwide presence, the organization’s flagship program’ TakingITGlobal.org, serves as the most popular online community for young people interested in connecting across cultures and making a difference, with hundreds of thousands of visitors each month.

TakingITGlobal works with global partners – from UN agencies, to major companies, and especially youth organizations – to build the capacity of youth for development, artistic and media expression, make education more engaging, and involve young people in global decision-making.

Link: http://www.takingitglobal.org

Change.org

Today as citizens of the world, we face a daunting array of social and environmental problems ranging from health care and civil rights to global warming and economic inequality. For each of these issues, whether local or global in scope, there are millions of people who care passionately about working toward a solution but have no way of connecting with each other to advance a common goal.

Change.org aims to transform social activism by serving as the central platform that connects likeminded people, whatever their interests, and enables them to exchange information, share ideas, and collectively act to address the issues they care about.

To augment the power of the grassroots networks that develop through Change.org, we help connect these networks to the many nonprofit organizations that are already working to advance worthy causes around the world – over 1 million in total. We facilitate dialogue and collaboration by creating a social network around each nonprofit, thereby allowing people to participate in ways never before possible – by posting ideas and suggestions, engaging in direct dialogue, and organizing communities of donors, volunteer events, and rallies.

Link: http://www.change.org

Idealist.org

Idealists.org/Action Without Borders connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.

AWB is independent of any government, political ideology, or religious creed. Our work is guided by the common desire of our members and supporters to find practical solutions to social and environmental problems, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect.

Link: http://www.idealist.org

Ban Ki-Moon to Sudan

UN Secretary-general, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon will travel to the conflict zone in Sudan, Libya and Chad next week to try to push the peace process forward.
- I want to go and see for myself the very difficult conditions under which our forces will operate. I want to know, first hand, the plight of those they seek to help.

Last month the UN Security Council made the decision to send 26 000 peacekeeping forces to Sudan to provide basic security as a foundation for a long-lasting peace.

World Bank Approves US$30 Million in aid to Colombia

The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a US$30 million loan to support Colombia’s efforts to increase rural competitiveness and build up entrepreneurship in poor rural communities through partnership schemes with the commercial private sector.

 

“About 68 percent of the people living in Colombia’s rural areas are poor, most of them small farm families,” said Miguel Lopez-Bakovic, World Bank Country Manager for Colombia. “This project will help reduce rural poverty by enabling small producers to compete successfully in the national and global marketplace.”

 

Under the Second Rural Productive Partnerships Project, small farmers’ producer organizations will gain access to relevant markets by entering into a productive partnership with private sector companies, with the support of financial institutions, government and civil society. At the same time, agribusiness firms will be able to expand food processing activities by securing supplies from small producers.

 

The project builds upon the success of the ongoing Productive Partnerships Support Project which has allowed the creation of 117 partnership schemes with the commercial private sector, benefiting 10,400 rural families.  These include partnerships to improve farm infrastructure, such as irrigation canals, aquaculture facilities, greenhouses, machinery, equipment and special studies.   These schemes have generated additional income and employment, stimulated social cohesion in rural areas, spread entrepreneurial culture, and generated local capacity to implement rural partnerships.

 

The new project aims to finance at least 300 additional partnerships and reach 25,300 small and medium-sized farm families.  The project activities will have national coverage but focus on the departments that have potential for development through agriculture.

 

This US$30 million, fixed-spread loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is repayable in 17.5 years, and includes a grace period of 5.5 years.

World Bank supports African energy

Much of Africa still goes dark at night as reliable electricity continues to be out of reach for most people. The World Bank now hopes to change that with its new Lighting Africa plan, which aims at providing clean-energy lighting to 250 million Africans by 2030.

Read more
The Independent

Only five countries are giving what they promised

The world’s richest countries, the OECD-members have promised to give 0,7 percent of their GNI to foreign development aid. They made the first promise in the 1970is and have renewed it many times over the years.

This is the truth today.

The countries who make it
1. Norway, 0,94 %
2. Sweden, 0,94 %
3. Luxemburg, 0,84 %
4. Netherlands, 0,82 %
5. Denmark, 0,81 %

The countries who don´t make it
6. Belgium, 0,53 %
7. Austria, 0,53 %
8. France, 0,47 %
9. United Kingdom, 0,47 %
10. Finland, 0,46 %
11. Switzerland, 0,44 %
12. Ireland, 0,42 %
13. Germany, 0,36 %
14. Canada, 0,34 %
15. Italy, 0,29 %
16. Japan, 0,28 %
17. Spain, 0,27 %
18. New Zeeland, 0,27 %
19. Australia, 0,25 %
20. United States, 0,22 %
21. Portugal, 0,21 %
22. Greece, 0,17 %

This statistics are from 2005.

Venezuela becomes a major development donor

Venezuela has made pledges of more than $8.8 billion in assistance to other Latin American countries this year, nearly triple the $3 billion the U.S. gave the region in 2005.

The oil exporting Venezuela, with their own 38 percent poverty are choosing to give close to 5 percent of their GDP in development aid. Makes them the country in the world with the highest level of aid per capita.

If the money is well spended, this could give South America a boost to build infrastructure and new initiatives in many countries in the region.

More information at Washington Post.

The new Swedish development aid focus

 The work against poverty in Africa will be the focus of the Swedish development aid. Focuses will the stronger on reform work in Eastern Europe, on peace/security, democracy and human rights.

- The focus will be on Africa where the needs are the highest, says the Swedish minister of development aid, Gunnilla Carlsson.

The focus will be on 30 countries:

Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Bolivia will get a long-term bilateral support.

Burundi, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Eastern Timor, Iraq, Palestine, Colombia and Guatemala will get a conflict support to build poverty reduction and a peace process.

Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine will get support from the Eastern Europe division.

The Director of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Göran Holmqvist, welcomes the initiative.

- Sida welcomes the Government’s work to reduce the number of countries in which we have development cooperation. For a long time we have communicated to the Government the need to make development cooperation more effective.

KIVA – Loans that change lives

Much too often reality of the world looks dark. We are watching the news and looking at the world, feeling that our arms are tied. As if the events on this planet are out of our control. Our planet is just too big and the problems far too irresolvable.

There are those however, who KNOW that they can make a difference, who know that it´s possible, who know that change is just beyond our reach. Some of these individuals started the organization Kiva. Kiva lets you connect with and lend money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back. Thanks to the life changing technological progress we have made, also known as the Internet, Kiva can make, what used to be expensive and complicated, very simple and inexpensive.

People do want to make their own money and create their own life, their own happiness. And there are capable. Only in certain cases, just wanting it and being capable isn’t really enough. This is the reason I have fallen in love with this organisation. It is so simple. So easy. It’s actually so easy that I feel people could do it every day. I don’t how much the loans can affect people’s lives and their businesses in the long run, no one can guarantee that a business will continue to be successful. But without these loans a lot of them might never even have a chance to be.

The other day I got in to a discussion about the meaning of life…Just a simple lunch conversation. Those conversations often lead to more anxiety than anything else, however they get you thinking…And we do need to think about our world. Often. Life flies by and no one can really guaranty what happens next. But don’t we want to feel like we made a difference and made something good in our lifetime? This I guarantee: You CAN change the life for at least one person somewhere in the world. You could be the difference between happiness and misery. You could give love and support, which will lead to someone’s happiness. That, if nothing else, gives a major meaning to your life.

There is just enough happiness, food, money and much else…for each and every one of us. If only we make some efforts. There is absolutely nothing more worth it.

Quotes from loan givers:

“I loan because I can. Kiva makes possible and easy what was not, and I hope this can encourage more humanity in the world.”

“I loan because I want you to have the same opportunities as I do. Opportunities to build a future for my family in a way that will also benefit the community I live in.”

Mia Masnic

More information at http://www.kiva.org.