 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Brick by Brick, NGOs Outline Their Role in Eradicating Poverty
By Danielle Knight
Stressing the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in working with poor and marginalised communities, groups from more than 60 countries unveiled a “Wall of Transformation for the Eradication of Poverty” Wednesday outside the Conference Center during the Geneva 2000 Forum.
The name of each participating NGO appears on individual bricks that make up the structure. “The wall is meant as a witness of the many quiet grassroot commitments of NGOs working to alleviate poverty around the world,” said Elly Pradervand, executive director of Women’s World Summit Foundation, which organised the project .
While chastising nations for not living up to the commitments made at the Social Summit five years ago, Pradervand praised the work of organisations that were making a difference on the local and global level.
In a panel following the ceremony, organisations from India to Switzerland described how they incorporate the concept of “best practices”, or approaches that can bring fundamental changes in the lives of the poor.
“Best practice is the development and use of participatory methods which in the best case give the poor an opportunity to communicate the causes of their poverty,” said Pradervand. It can also mean enabling the poor to participate in project design, she said.
“It builds on the capacity of the poor, especially of poor rural women, through micro-finance through small, short-cycle loans,” added Pradervand .
“Best practices” includes organisations that give the poor the political and social power to change the status quo and achieve their own objectives, long after the projects have come and gone Pradervand explained.
One organisation that uses “best practices” is Women Farm, a self-sufficient co-operative farm in Iraq that provides rural women and their children a way out of poverty .
Aman Amid who works with the project said women work on the farm and can take literacy classes, go to the health clinic and receive legal advice. “The status of rural women in Iraq is so low that until recently, they were given as ransom in rural conflicts,” she said. “Through Women Farm, women are learning income generating activities that lead to social development.”
But the embargo against Iraq has devastated her country and the Women Farm project. “The increase in prices and shortage of food and medicine has caused cattle on the farm to perish and diseases have spread,” she said.
Floraine Syfrig told the audience about the Mirtha Foundation in southern India that provides education and food to children who live in slums near the city of Bangalore. One of the more important aspects of the project, said Syfrig, is that young pre-school age children are given classes that prepare them for public school .
“Without this help, many children would end up dropping out of public school at an early age and then begin to work,” she said.
Didier Deriaz with the Max Havelaar Foundation, told panelists about the importance of “fair trade” in eliminating poverty. The Swiss-based Foundation works directly with farmers and producers in developing countries to ensure that “honest” prices are paid for the products and that workers are paid a living wage. Child labour is prohibited and environmental preservation is encouraged .
Max Havelaar labels can be seen on coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, and other products in grocery stores throughout Switzerland. “Fair trade connects farmers in the South with the consumers in the North,” said Deriaz .
So far, he said, the consumer response to the foundation’s products has been very favourable in Switzerland .
The power of consumers, added Deriaz, “can be an important tool that can ultimately influence the practices of multinational corporations.”
Read TerraViva
The IPS renowned international newspaper will publish a special edition in Geneva, at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (Copenhagen+5). Follow the conference on line day by day from June 26 through July 1, with exclusive reports by a team of 13 IPS journalists from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America and Latin America.
A selection of the IPS Coverage from Geneva will also be carried by TerraViva Daily Journal (New York) and TerraViva Europe (Brussels),.
Has the world lived up to its 1996 commitments..?
Solidarity 2000 starting 17th of June!
MS's big summer event Solidarity 2000 will start very soon now, with a week-long variety of debates and arrangements. The activities range from encounters between young people from Balkan, Africa and Central America to big conferences on the planet's social development and environment.
Judge by yourself:
The 1996 Copenhagen Social Summit final report in English, French and Spanish.