Setting standards for the aid industry

An interesting report on the importance and challenge of delivering aid to a high standard (of particular interest in the light of the recent re-affirmation by the Chancellor of Britain's commitment to give 0.7% of GDP away to support developing countries):

"The humanitarian community has gone through a period of soul searching in recent years, following the failure to protect victims of genocide in Rwanda, the chaotic lack of coordination after the 2004 Asian tsunami and the sex-for-food scandals in West Africa. Yet attempts to set universal standards and to certify aid agencies have been inconsistent and controversial....

... This week, practitioners are taking part in the Humanitarian Standards Forum in Geneva to assess the state of humanitarian accountability and to chart a path forward."

Read more: http://shar.es/xNtPz

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The surprising power of people in parks

On Saturday 8th June, members from Justice Matters joined with 45,000 others at Hyde Park to demand that the G8 take action on the silent scandal of world hunger.

As film director and Olympics opening ceremony maestro pointed out, this was just the latest in a series of moments where people in parks stood up and demanded action on injustice - from female emancipation to workers rights, nuclear weapons to apartheid, Live Aid to Make Poverty History and Drop the Debt, the Big IF London, the people of Britain have a track record of coming together in parks to make history. This felt like one of those days - indeed, during the afternoon, we were informed that the G8 had agreed to provide a further £2.8bn in aid to ensure proper nutritious food is made available to children in the developing world. Exciting times...

Here are some photos from our preparation...

 

... and of the event itself...

 

Enough Food If...

As you know, since the start of the year we have been taking part in the Enough Food If... campaign, which aims to eradicate hunger through firmer aid commitments, greater transparency, tackling tax dodging and stopping neo-colonial land grabs.

On the 8th June, Justice Matters will be joining with thousands of others from across the country for the Big If London gathering. The day will include inspiring speakers, stories, family activities and music. The symbolic centre of the day will be the planting of a breathtaking field of paper flowers, with two million petals representing the two million children that die from hunger every year – lives that could be saved.

Read our blog post on why this symbolic act is important and and then sign up to come along. We'll be discussing logistics at the June 5 pub session (8pm at the Bohemia).

Enough Food IF...

On Saturday 8 June David Cameron hosts a hunger summit. This is our big moment, our chance to make our voices heard and to push the G8 to take action on hunger. Together we will make sure David Cameron goes to Northern Ireland with our demands ringing in his ears. We want the G8 leaders to take action on aid, land,tax and transparency - the four big IFs needed to help end hunger.

Join us and make your voice heard at the Big IF in London's Hyde Park on Saturday 8 June.

http://bigiflondon-enoughfoodneutral.eventbrite.co.uk/

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On cheap clothing, development and tax dodging

"Developing countries like Bangladesh lose an estimated $160bn in tax dodging by multi-nationals annually. That's a bigger sum than all the money spent by governments around the world on aid. And George Osborne's change to the rules on how foreign subsidiaries of multinationals are taxed in last year's Budget will make it more attractive for large firms to avoid their economic responsibilities in poor countries."

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/uD7tFZy

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GB joins the G0.7

"We also deliver in this coming year on this nation’s long-standing commitment to the world’s poorest to spend 0.7 per cent of our national income on international development.

We should all take pride, as I do, in this historic achievement for our country."

Read the full text of the Chancellor's 2013 budget speech: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

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