A New Bridge and ONE was there!

ONE’s exposure in California continues to grow north as we attended the City of Folsom’s Folsom Lake Crossing celebration. Folsom, a city just east of Sacramento, enjoyed their new bridge while listening to congressional leaders: Lungren, Matsui, McClintock and of course Mayor Miklos. We handed out over 500 wristbands, stickers and literature to attendees and educated as many as we could about ONE and extreme poverty. We used the opportunity to tell people to look for ONE at more local events including Folsom’s 26th Annual run with nature and the Folsom Firecracker Run on the 4th July – where they have already agreed to help promte ONE – hoping to raise voices to join our cause. Look more of us in Folsom!

-Todd Drybread, CA ONE Member

Edith Jibunoh Responds to William Easterly

A post by Edith Jibunoh, cross-posted from Aid Watch

At ONE, we agree a vigorous public debate is needed on how best to combat extreme poverty in Africa, but your post suggesting ONE is trying to “discredit” and “misrepresent” Ms. Moyo is untrue and not particularly constructive. As anyone who goes to our website site can see, we aren’t trying to discredit her, we are responding, substantively, to her arguments. You suggest we aren’t addressing the merits of her proposals, but the first item we posted on our site was a seven page point-counter-point addressing the merits of her proposals. This document clearly lays out where we disagree with the arguments she is making.

In terms of the emails you refer to, yes, we emailed people in Africa who we work with to see what they thought, as many are involved directly with aid-funded initiatives. Their experience is very relevant in thinking through the impact of Ms. Moyo’s claims. So it wasn’t an attempt to shut a conversation down, but an effort to open one up. And it’s succeeded! We’ve also been in a direct and ongoing conversation with Ms. Moyo, before and after the book’s release. Our concerns are no surprise to her. We agree with your concerns about aid transparency and, as you know, we recently helped launch “publish what you fund”, an aid transparency effort. We share the goal of “asking that aid benefit the poor” (as you write on your website) and we campaign to ensure that it does.

Mr. Easterly, there is another thing we agree on: let’s make this a thoughtful and constructive discussion about the best policy for Africa. In that spirit, it would be good to know if you join Ms. Moyo in her belief that all aid to Africa (with the exception of humanitarian aid following emergencies) should be cut off in five years, and that Africans would not suffer as a result. As just one example, what do you think would happen to the 2 million Africans now on ARVs, funded by aid?

Lest you think we are misrepresenting Ms. Moyo’s point of view on what aid should be exempted, see her own words below to Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
……………

ABC News Foreign Correspondent: Is Aid Killing Africa?
Reporter: Philip Williams
Broadcast: 17/03/2009

WILLIAMS: And you’re absolutely confident that removing that aid is not going to leave at least some people without food and medicine?

MOYO: I think the ones that will be effected most will probably be the African elite as opposed to the broader population.

WILLIAMS: What will they lose?

MOYO: I think they will lose possibly their bank accounts in Geneva in the worst-case scenario. But, I think beyond that they would also lose the ability to have leisure time and they’ll be required to actually go out and start to work hard to find money to support their social programs in Africa.

WILLIAMS: If you cut off aid within 5 years, surely that’s going to leave millions of people without the support they are now dependent on – food aid, medical aid – aid that really keeps people alive.

MOYO: I don’t believe that’s the case. Most Africans do not see any of the aid that you are alluding to. It’s…. again, their best case scenario on some projects is 20 cents in the dollar that actually makes it to an African – and that’s best case. Effectively, if we continue down this path, we will have many more Africans living in poverty in many… in a few years to come, and that is really the problem – that there are no jobs coming out of an aid model.

-Edith Jibunoh, Africa Outreach Manager

Mr. Easterly’s original post can be found here.

The leaked draft communiqué of the G20

Just as I was writing to share what we’ve been pressing the G20 leaders to commit to at the G20 Summit in London coming up this Thursday, I learned of a leaked draft communiqué (statement) that G20 leaders are planning to release at the end of the Summit. According to this allegedly latest draft, G20 leaders will focus on restoring global growth by agreeing to avoiding protectionism and improving global financial regulation. The draft, which currently contains very few concrete numbers, is a good start, which includes a number of measures that will help the poorest countries too:

First, although it does not mention a nominal figure yet, the draft includes a commitment to increase the resources available for international financial institutions such as the IMF and other multilateral development banks, which will allow developing countries to finance vital spending to offset the crisis. It also specifically mentions that the G20 leaders will make resources available in social protection for the poorest countries.

Second, in the section on the reform of the international financial institutions, the draft agrees to taking concrete steps towards emerging and developing countries, including the poorest having greater voice and representation.

Third, the draft agrees to reform global financial systems, including strengthening financial regulations, for example in tax havens.

ONE’s key message to the G20 leaders is that the poorest must be included in any global solution to the current crisis, both because they will be the hardest hit, and also because their economic growth can be part of the long term solution. Even though they had very little to do with causing the financial crisis, the potential impact on the poorest is significant, threatening to unravel major progress made in development over just the past few years. I hope that the G20 leaders will move this draft communiqué forward to agree on concrete steps that will further address the concerns of the poorest in Africa and in other developing countries.

-Mikiko Imai

Rebuilding Trust at St. Paul’s Cathedral

Today members of the ONE team attended a debate, My word is my bond? Rebuilding trust – the G20 and beyond, at the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral in London. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd both spoke and answered questions from the audience in a panel chaired by the Bishop of London. It was also the last public speech Mr Brown is to make before the G20 Summit on Thursday.

Gordon Brown told faith leaders and NGO representatives that the world must adopt global economic rules based on common values. He said that the leaders of the G20 need to make decisions that will shape the global economy in the interests of everybody with “shared global rules founded on shared global values”. He went on to say, “I believe that both markets and governments have a responsibility to serve the public interest, that the poor are our shared responsibility and that wealth carries unique responsibilities too.”

In his speech, Gordon Brown set out what he deemed our four biggest challenges facing the world today:

1. Financial and economic instability
2. Environmental degradation
3. Violent extremism
4. Extreme poverty

Most notably for our issues, the UK Prime Minister explicitly said that “we must never ever forget our obligations to the poor” and added that “even while others may use this financial crisis as an excuse […] nothing will divert the United Kingdom from keeping to our commitments to the Millennium Development Goals and to our promises of development and aid” – a statement which roused the audience and delivered the loudest applause.

To close the debate, both Prime Ministers were asked what their final message would be to this audience before the G20 Summit. Interestingly, Kevin Rudd said that we shouldn’t let the Millennium Development Goals slide and that they must be core business for every government. He also went to say that Gordon Brown was the “collective conscience of the West” and that he always has it on the agenda and is continuously engaged on this subject.

This is all great to hear, particularly on the eve of such a significant summit, now it just remains to see what does actually get agreed upon on Thursday. We will be blogging increasingly as the week progresses and keeping you all updated so do check in regularly!

See ONE’s reaction to the St Paul’s debate here.

View Gordon Brown’s speech at St Paul’s here.

-Jessica Gomez-Duran

What We’re Reading 3/31/09

Washington Post—Developing Nations Set to Get More Say
At this week’s G20 summit, the Washington Post writes the big winner will be the developing world, with the United States, Europe and Japan offering China, India, Brazil and other emerging nations unprecedented new influence in global financial decisions. At the summit, leaders are expected to back the addition of 10 developing countries to a key economic council in Switzerland that has long operated as a club of rich nations. This will grant them a platform to help revamp and supervise global financial standards. Several major developing countries are also in late-stage negotiations to win new authority to shape decisions at the Washington-based International Monetary Fund, an organization that developing nations have long complained dictate to them rather than hear them out.

AP—Africa seeks shelter from global meltdown
Africans and international activists are hoping that G20 leaders turn their attention to poor nations, in addition to their own, richer economies. The AP writes that Africa’s exposure to the global meltdown is fundamentally different to that in developed countries: its economies are mostly based on hard cash, so lack of bank liquidity that translates into lower lending isn’t the main problem in Africa. Instead most African countries are suffering from depressed global demand for the natural resources. Also hurting the continent’s economy: The drying up of crucial direct investment from overseas; a drop in remittances sent back home from Africans abroad, and; an expected drop in direct aid from richer nations.

AP—World Bank: Growth in developing world expected to slow to 2 percent
The deepening global recession means growth in the developing world will slow to 2 percent this year, according to the World Bank, which predicts that economic activity will remain depressed for the next two years. Back in November, the World Bank estimated that the gross domestic product — a total output of goods and services — in the developing world would grow by 4.4 percent this year. Rapidly deteriorating financial and economic conditions around the world, however, prompted the World Bank on Tuesday to revise its estimate sharply lower.

AP—Big slide in global trade looms over G-20 meeting
With global trade sliding, analysts say the G20 may need to offer more than just ritual support for open markets when they meet this week if they are to steady a teetering economy and avoid a damaging retreat to protectionism. With no concerted strategy for a revival, some economists say a rash of go-it-alone stimulus packages and industry bailouts could lead to trade wars, causing havoc in one of the key driving forces to the world’s economic growth. The World Trade Organization says most of the major powers , from the United States and European Union to China and India, have erected new barriers to imports in the form of tariffs, subsidies or other measures designed to protect domestic industries.

NY Times—Haiti’s Woes Are Top Test for Aid Effort
A bevy of leaders and activists have descended on Haiti this month, including Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, and the entire Security Council. All of them came to stress that this destitute nation stands at a crossroads between salvation and “the darkness,” as Mr. Ban put it. The New York Times writes that Ban is trying to turn Haiti into something of an ‘Exhibit A’ on the need to keep foreign aid flowing to the world’s poorest nations, despite tighter budgets.

-Steve Wilson

ONE members meet with Congressman Erik Paulsen

Last Friday, I and a group of ONE volunteers met with Congressman Erik Paulsen of the Third District in Minnesota at his office in Eden Prairie. Congressman Paulsen, who is just starting his first term in the U.S. Congress, was unfamiliar with ONE so we provided him with an overview of ONE’s objectives around extreme poverty, hunger and health issues around the world. We also highlighted some great past ONE events here in Minnesota, such as the ONE’s service project and our work at the Republican Convention last September.

We then addressed the new budget for 2010 presented by President Obama to Congress, and the fact that some funds designated for development assistance, considered important to ONE, were being drastically reduced even below current funding. He was unaware of these facts, but took extensive notes on the budget discussion and is interested in learning more about it.

The Congressman seems passionate about confronting the challenges facing the Eden Prairie Somalians and their family members still in Somalia. He had just spoken with his Somali contact that morning and is planning to visit Africa in the next few weeks.

The Congressman also gave the ONE volunteers information on how he believes our elected leaders can best be reached — by banding together, focusing on current issues and writing letters.

We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Congressman Paulsen and discuss these important issues.

-Pamela Brown, ONE Twin Cities Member

Sharing the Commitment to End Global Poverty

It was inspiring to be part of such an impressive group during last week’s ceremony honoring the ONE Campaign. The 2008 Commitment to Development “Ideas in Action” Award, sponsored by the Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy magazine, brought together a core group of people whose collective voice demonstrates that Americans care deeply about poverty. ONE’s tireless commitment to raise awareness about global poverty through a grassroots campaign is certainly worthy of this recognition.

It is a commitment we too share at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Some may not know about initiatives like this one in which the United States is working to combat global poverty through results-driven creativity and innovation. I enjoy hearing people’s reactions when they learn about MCC – a U.S. Government agency with the sole mission of reducing global poverty through sustainable economic growth. Without exception, they feel satisfied knowing that there is an approach that matches U.S. generosity with accountability and results.

Private citizens from all backgrounds and professional sectors know that poverty requires action and attention. Just ask MCC’s four private sector Board of Director members, who came together in a video to discuss how MCC generates real results in the fight against global poverty by marrying capacity-building engagement with partner countries and a smart, fiscally-responsible use of resources. In times like these, as Americans everywhere are watching every penny, they can be confident that their government’s MCC, together with our partner countries, are delivering returns and results from every investment made. The world’s poor and American taxpayers deserve no less.

One way this approach to foreign assistance builds accountability is by asking countries to identify their development needs. It is country responsibility—country ownership—at work. Ambassador Ombeni Sefue of Tanzania, which is implementing a $698 million MCC grant, says: “Ownership and partnership have to prepare us to stand on our own feet…We determine needs. We set priorities.” As partners in development, MCC countries are championing their programs from the outset and investing in their success until the end. ONE staff member Chandler Smith witnessed this when she recently visited a pineapple farm in Ghana, where MCC is partnering on a $547 million grant. Through MCC-funded technical training, Ghanaian pineapple farmers are growing their operations in sustainable ways.

For our part, MCC takes the time to study where our investments would make the most sense. After careful due diligence, we invest in those countries where our grants can have the deepest impact for the greatest number of people—in countries that support good governance, fight corruption, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. Practicing fiscal accountability, MCC funding is released in tranches as benchmarks are reached. MCC’s focus on the international best practice of “aid predictability,” where we set aside the entire grant amount from the start, gives partner countries the confidence of knowing that they will be able to complete their projects. It’s an effective, respectful, smart way to tackle these urgent problems.

Through country ownership and fiscal accountability, MCC is delivering on America’s commitment to end global poverty. With a strong budget, and partners like ONE and others in the development community, MCC can move even closer to making this shared commitment a reality. As MCC’s Acting CEO Rodney Bent said about the 2010 budget, “I think it will be reflective of the Obama administration’s support for MCC and of our work going forward, since MCC is about partnership and about finding good quality projects with partners. I’m confident that partnership, transparency, accountability, and working with other countries, in what I call a smart power way, is going to be a hallmark of the Obama administration, just as it has been a hallmark of MCC.”

-Aaron Sherinian Managing Director, Public Affairs, Millennium Challenge Corporation