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Bridget -
submitted 22/04/2009
I agree that the government must increase aid to 0.7% of the GDP and also look at canceling debts held by developing countries. Basically, the government needs to be absolutely committed to fulfilling the millennium development goals. Also, the government should look at Christopher Pyne's campaign to stock all government facility vending machines with fair trade chocolate which will protect the rights and incomes of third world farmers.
As individuals we can donate and volunteer, but we can also advocate and spread awareness of the poverty so many people are trapped in. We can also be selective in the brands we buy. By buying fair trade or ethical brands we are allowing third world workers the chance to earn and to put money into their communities.
I truly believe we are the generation who can change the world. We just need to have faith and hope and love for our fellow people.
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Zaineb -
submitted 22/04/2009
Can we move some of this focus on Foreign AID to some of the economic policies of these LDC's,which I believe are the main reasons behind their increasing poverty.I believe Foreign AID with its good intentions, is often a band aid solution,increasing dependency by governments and their people.
No doubt it can be helpful, although community based planning and cultural understanding is a must. Many NGO's have the right ideas and hopes although go about implementation the wrong way,forgetting about cultural values, beliefs and so on-and thus come back to their projects finding some unused,(World Vision in PNG)
We need to address the current policies in which are being advocated to many of the LDC's(Lower developing countries) by the HDC's (Higher developing countries)
Look at some of the East Asian countries who were also in this similar predicament only a few decades ago their recent uprising has been attributed to a combination of sound economic policies-
fundamentally sound development policies.Many LDC's are prescribed with policies based on a Neo-Liberal agenda in which tilt the playing field between them and the HDC's.Predominately all of the policies are ones in which are THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE to the policies that were persued by the US, EU and China on their road to success. (Such as protecionism for growth and Govt spending)
I will not go into detail here due to space, but these are factors in which have to be taken into account.
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Mark -
submitted 17/04/2009
It seems to me that while we need more and better aid, what is more important is that we have more just international trade laws. Laws that favour rich nations (including ours) at the expense of the poorest nations cost these nations more than they recieve in foreign aid. Laws that we support are directly responsible for global poverty. Australia needs to lobby the G20 nations to make trade laws more just.
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Rosemary -
submitted 9/04/2009
I think it would be a cool idea if workplaces, schools, gyms, shopping malls and other public places had food and clothing bins where people could put clothes they have grown out of and food cans and boxes they have too much of, to be sent to poverty-stricken countries to help out with the food crisis. Maybe it would be a good way to get more people to donate things if donating were easier, it can be trouble to donate over the internet if people don't have credit cards. Also by donating things like clothes and food you can be sure that what you donate is being used properly. And it's better than throwing away perfectly good food that you accidently bought too much of or clothes you've outgrown.
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Simon -
submitted 6/04/2009
While I applaud the Rudd government's initiative in increasing Australia's foreign aid from 0.3 to 0.5% of GDP, for the Millennium Goals to be successful each developing country must give 0.7% of their GDP.
Whilst I acknowledge we are in the midst of a financial crisis, and governments needs to be restricting their spending, surely helping alleviate the poorest people on the globe out of poverty, is something we can't forget about it.
Several developed nations, such as Norway already give well over 1% of their GDP in foreign aid, there is no reason why Australia can't.
Please Mr Rudd, help the poor and disadvantaged, they can't speak for themsleves, but we can give them a helping hand.
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James -
submitted 5/04/2009
Global Poverty, now thats and interesting question.
It can only be solved one way, rid the world of capitalism and communism.
Uh?, I hear you say.
We live on a planet that does not follow the constraits of humanity and its ever increasing greed and violence. We live on a planet that will do and think as it wishes. Confused?
We folks are the planet and are controlled by her/him/whatever sex you wish to imply to an androgenous being.
So we have two choices here, one is, we continue to mindlessly advance ourselves into hell, or, we change direction, ie, we become compassionate beings of love and kindness and live with respect to the only known liviable planet we know of.
Hard to grasp, fair enough, we have lived the past 50,000 years or so in this state in hell.
So when thousands of tonnes of grain go rotting in Australia and many other countries, because the farmers can't get it to market or even sell it, this folks, is the reason why global poverty exists.
Until we get rid of the aboved said, ain't nothing going to change, and those who think it can be changed with the current world political system, are living in a fools paradise.
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M Cox -
submitted 5/04/2009
I agree with the ideas Todd expressed, and it is important that Australian citizens contribute financially to these kinds of causes. However, world government's (including our own) control FAR more wealth than we do as citizens. If we can target our advocacy work (through the education of all Australians) to influence Government spending, this would have a far greater impact than us each donating a dollar a day.
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Todd -
submitted 3/04/2009
I believe we are placing too much responsibility on the government to solve this issue. I believe the government should be putting adequate money into awareness programs so the Australian community can pick up the bill. The government needs money during the GFC to put into infrastructure and new environmentally friendly power sources and utilities. These in turn keep Australians employed and keep our economy from crashing. If we as individuals contribute to poverty we may have to sacrafice an extra coffee at the end of the week, where as the government may have to give up developing a new highway or train network. Which would benefit us more?
If each Australian gave just one dollar a week to various aid organisations for a year we would contribute over $1,000,000,000. I know the government must take leadership in this cause but as individuals we must stop being ignorant to the world around us and lend a helping hand.
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Gina Olivieri -
submitted 2/04/2009
The Millennium Declaration and subsequently the MDGs told us what we have to do. Australia must commit 0.7% GNI to sustainable and effective aid.
In addition, we can make daily choices that have a fairer impact on the developing world, such as choosing fair trade coffee, chocolate, tea and clothing. We can also make better environmental choices (and we all know what they are!) since those living in poverty are often the worst affected by environmental disasters and will continue to be affected by global warming.
One of the most important things we can do is make poverty mainstream. All young people should leave school with a thorough knowledge of poverty and its causes, as well as the MDGs and an understanding of the role they play as individuals in overcoming this problem. I agree wholeheartedly with other suggestions that point out the big problem is that emiminating poverty is considered a radical idea - the kind of idea discussed by dreadlocked hippies and steel-capped revolutionaries in our university cafes rather than by our pinstriped politicians and corporates. When politicians talk about aid it shouldn't sound like we are doing favours, but rather that it is a solid investment for Australia AND the rest of the world.
Young people are in a privileged position where we can create a culture of possibility among our peers, turning the overwhelming attitude of 'no we can't' into 'yes we can' and more importantly, 'yes we will'.
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Coxy -
submitted 25/03/2009
Samantha is correct, aid is really important in the development process. You can argue that fair trade and debt relief are just as important (and they are!), but this doesn't diminish the importance of aid programs. They are as critical now as they ever have been.
Opinions that aid is ineffective or not important in solving poverty are completely incorrect, and I see them as 'cop outs' for not giving at both an individual and political level. We know that aid works when 'spent' properly. 'Spending it properly' does not mean one government giving straight to another... such bilateral government-government giving should be avoided in favor of grassroots and community based development aid spent on basic needs and sustainable practices.
Many NGOs have been engaging in quality development initiatives for years. 'Best practice' development programs and approaches are constantly being developed by these organisations, and it is widely agreed that community-based decision making is the most effective way of achieving human and community development.
Should the government look at ways to better the QUALITY as well as QUANTITY of its aid program? I think so. I also feel that Australian aid organisations should be utilised more in the development process at a political level.