Issue 1 November 2008 Newsletter
Connections
for Development (CfD)
News
for Development – November 2008
Contents
Editors Letter
News
Millennium Development Goals – What Are They?
Millennium Development Goals – How close are we to the targets?
RAFFA – About
Events for your dairies
Funding news
Editor’s letter
Welcome to our first edition of News for Development, a monthly information resource published by
Connections for Development for its members.
The main function of this newsletter will be to act as a
news digest service, information provider, and bulletin board for Connections
for Development members, third sector providers, our other stake holders and
anyone interested in international development issues.
The newsletter will be a window through which our members
and other stakeholders get to know of what is happening at Connections for
Development, for example information about events, policies, appointments,
changes, and any other developments happening at the organisation.
It will offer an opportunity for member organisations to
write about projects that they are engaged in their countries of origin. In this issue we have published an article by
Ruddi Page Chief Executive of RAFFA International Development Agency about
their work in South Africa –Johannesburg. In future if you would like to submit an
article about your overseas work please contact me.
The newsletter will contain one topical international
development issue. In this issue Paul
Lam-Kilama our Information and Engagement Officer provide a short and brief
update of the Millennium Development Goals.
We shall list key and relevant events, seminars,
conferences connected to the voluntary and community sector taking place in Scotland, Wales,
England and Northern Ireland.
The information in the newsletter comes from a wide range
of sources including subscription to news services, articles by CfD staff, and
members. Opinions and statements within
it may not reflect the views held by Connections for Development.
Please not that we have a slot on our website in which we
update our membership on latest news on ID.
For more information on what CfD does, please go to www.cfdnetwork.co.uk
Paul Lam-Kilama
News
New Appointments at
Connections for Development
Chief Executive
Officer - Mr Shahid Sharif has been appointed as the Chief Executive
Officer at Connections for Development.
He replaces Jim Baker who has moved on to join Age Concern. Prior to his appointment Shahid worked as the
Chief Executive Officer of Voice East Midlands, an organisation that provides
support to the BME voluntary sector groups in East
Midlands. He has also had a
stint in international development- he was a Consultant in Pakistan through a
project that was funded by UK Department of International Development (DfID) to
provide specialist services support to a local authority to capacity build and
improve its governance arrangements through focus on human resources,
information management systems, , integrated approach to its planning and
service delivery. He brings to CfD a
wide range of experience gained in the public, voluntary and private sector in
areas of policy, planning and performance review, personnel, training, equality
and diversity and customer services.
Policy and Research
Officer – Chinwe James is our new Policy
& Research Officer. She replaces
Betty Okot who has joined the University
of Keele as a
researcher. Chinwe has recently
completed her M.Sc. in Public Health / Health Promotion from University of Leeds Metropolitan.
Prior to that, she worked as a Project Assistant Co-ordinator for sexual health
& development in partnership project with WHO and UNICEF. She was primarily
involved in strategic engagement through research works, policy making and
setting in order to promote development.
Information and Engagement Officer- the new IEO is Paul Lam-Kilama an Economist who
joins CfD from St Pancras Housing Association where he worked as their Trusts
and Foundation Fundraiser. Paul Has
fifteen years experience in the voluntary sector having worked with the Big
Lottery, Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), African Health for
Empowerment and Development. He has been
a trustee of Greenwich Voluntary Action Council.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) were developed out of the eight chapters of the United Nations Millennium Declaration,
signed in September 2000. The eight goals and 21 targets include
- Eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger - Halve, between
1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one
dollar a day. - Achieve full
and productive employment and decent work
for all, including women and young people. - Halve, between
1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. - Achieve
universal primary education - Ensure that, by
2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete
a full course of primary schooling. - Promote gender
equality and empower women - Eliminate
gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005,
and at all levels by 2015. - Reduce child
mortality - Reduce by
two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. - Improve maternal
health - Reduce by three
quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal
mortality ratio. - Achieve, by
2015, universal access to reproductive health. - Combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria, and other diseases - Have halted by
2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. - Achieve, by
2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need
it. - Have halted by
2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria
and other major diseases. - Ensure
environmental sustainability - Integrate the
principles of sustainable development into country
policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources. - Reduce
biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the
rate of loss. - Halve, by 2015,
the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply). - By 2020, to
have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100
million slum-dwellers. - Develop a global
partnership for development - Develop further
an open trading and financial system that is rule-based, predictable and
non-discriminatory. Includes a commitment to good governance, development
and poverty
reduction—nationally and internationally. - Address the
special needs of the least developed countries. This includes tariff and
quota free access for their exports; enhanced programme of debt relief
for heavily indebted poor countries; and cancellation of official
bilateral debt; and more generous official development assistance
for countries committed to poverty reduction. - Address the
special needs of landlocked and small island developing States. - Deal
comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through
national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in
the long term. - In cooperation
with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries. - In cooperation
with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies,
especially information and communications.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - How close are we to the UN
targets?
Back in September 2000 the United Nations held a special millennium
summit. The international community pledged itself to do more for less
fortunate by setting eight goals for development (MDG) to be met by 2015.
The goals were ambitious and specific. They included targets for halving the numbers
of people living on less than a dollar a day, putting every child in primary
school, cutting child mortality by two
thirds and reducing the number of women dying in childbirth by three
quarters. There was a target to halt and
then reverse the spread of AIDS, to ensure environmental sustainability and to
promote gender equality
Where
are we today?
Millennium Development goals
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger The
goal of cutting in half the proportion
of people in the developing world living on less than $1 a day by 2015 remains
within reach. There was continued
economic growth in all developing countries in 2007. There were success stories in much of Asia the proportion of people living in extreme poverty
fell from 41% - 29%. In Africa the number living below the poverty line instead
dropped from 475 in 1999 to around 40% today.
Goal 2: Achieve
Universal Primary Education
The number of
children of primary school age who were out of school fell from 103 million in
1999 to 73 million in 2006. These successes
underscore that much can be accomplished with the political will of governments
and with adequate support from development partners.
Goal 3: Promote
Gender Equality and Empower Women
School doors have been widely open for girls in nearly
all regions as many countries have successfully promoted girls’ education as
part of their efforts to boost overall enrolment. Girls’ primary enrolment increased more than
boys in all developing regions between 2000 and 2006. As a result two out of three countries have
achieved gender parity level. Despite
impressive gains girls account for 55 percent of out of school population. Southern Asia
has made the most progress in gender parity since 2000. Some progress made by sub Saharan Africa,
Western Asia and Northern Africa. Women have more income earning opportunities
than ever before. Overall women occupy
almost 40 percent of all paid jobs outside agriculture compared to 35 per cent
in 1990.
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Despite progress, deaths of under five children remain
unacceptably high. Between 1990 and 2006
about 27 countries mostly in sub Saharan Africa made no progress in reducing
childhood deaths. The leading causes of
childhood deaths, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, and measles easily prevented
through simple improvements in basic health services and proven interventions.
Goal 5: Improve
Maternal Health
The high risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth
continues unabated in sub –Saharan Africa and Southern
Asia. Maternal mortality
remains unacceptably high across much of the developing world. In 2005 more than 500,000 women died during
pregnancy, childbirth. Ninety nine per
cent of these deaths occurred in the developing regions with sub Saharan Africa
and southern Asia accounting for 86 per cent
of them.
Goal 6:
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases
Despite small victories, AIDS continues to take a
terrible toll, especially in sub Saharan Africa. Thanks to improvement in prevention
programmes, the number of people newly infected with HIV declined from 3
million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2007
and with the expansion of AVR treatment services the number of people
who die from AIDS has started to decline from 2.2 million in 2005 to 2.0 in
2007.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability.
Millions of tons of ozone depleting substance have been
prevented from entering the atmosphere.
But immediate action is needed to contain rising greenhouse gas
emissions. Developed countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol agreed to
reduce their greenhouse gas emission by 5% by 2012.
Goal 8:
Develop a Global Partnership for Development
At the 2005 UN World summit developed countries pledged
to increase aid from $80 billion to $130 billion. While the majority of these commitments
remain in force, a few countries have announced new targets some increase and
others reduction in aid flows.
Read
the Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 on www.un.org/millenniumgoals
CfD Member Profile
RAFFA
International Development Agency: Changing the Paradigms
By Rudi Page, CEO, RAFFA
The mission of RAFFA is to promote community
development and reduce poverty by encouraging enterprise and increased
productivity amongst individuals. It is a holistic approach to human
development, encompassing spiritual direction, economic sustainability and
social action. It is a unique, UK
based agency that provides local and International support to local communities
by recognising the achievements of Practitioners
who are working to transform the more traditional NGO leadership and management
models in sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
RAFFA is a Faith-based organisation. We work
with local churches to organise "Community Open Days" which provide
information, advice, guidance and counselling. Professionals in
healthcare, rehabilitation, education and housing are encouraged to share their
knowledge and skills for the benefit of their local communities. This approach
is flexible and community organizations can develop and adapt initiatives that
are appropriate to their individual circumstances.
RAFFA has developed "Horizons
Africa" to facilitate a continent wide 'Community Health & Social Care
Service', focussing on cancer, disabilities, HIV/AIDS, mental health and sickle
cell. We have received numerous offers of support from healthcare professionals
from the UK African Diaspora, UK Caribbean communities and the wider British
public.
RAFFA took the
initiative to revitalise the Birmingham-Joburg City Partnership by providing
the opportunity for Mayfield
School, Heathfield Rd, Birmingham,
B19 to establish links with the Nkanyesi Centre. This was achieved
through teacher knowledge sharing and children's arts activities. RAFFA is
providing support for the Nkanyesi Centre and Primary School, Soweto. The centre was established in
September 1998 by a group of mothers of children with multiple disabilities, at
a time when there was no provision to ensure that disabled children received
education, stimulation, care and safety. The driving force behind the
centre is Thembekile Prisca Tshabalala, mother of the late Nkanyezi Tshabalala
who died from cerebral palsy.
The centre caters for all children with multiple disabilities from the age of 1
year, irrespective of their race, colour and religion, depending on the
disability level. The program consists of various activities ranging from
stimulation to self help. As most of the children are severely and
profoundly disabled they often need to be stimulated with activities such as
Gross Motors, Fine Motors, Self Help skills including feeding, personal hygiene
training and activities of daily living (ADL). The Centre facilitates Family
Support Groups and Outreach Programmes to promote awareness and understanding
amongst local communities.
RAFFA, has a track record for establishing partnerships across continents by
organising symposiums in the UK,
Africa and the Caribbean. RAFFA recently
acquired the management rights to the London-Joburg Initiative (est 2003), the
first Caribbean Diaspora-led Trade Mission to South
Africa representing the UK.
For more
information, please contact Rudi Page, CEO on rudi@raffa.org.uk or www.raffa.org.uk
Events for Your Dairies
Wales Council for Voluntary
Action
Conference:
a national conference for trustees of voluntary organisations in Wales
on latest thinking and best practice in governance and trusteeship.
Date: 6.11.08
Venue:
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Contact:
WCVA helpdesk by email: help@wcva.org.uk
or tel. 0800 2888 329
Caribbean Trade Conference
To promote increased trade between UK companies and the Caribbean
and explore the mutual vast investment and business opportunities. The conference will also highlight the
details of support available for UK trade and investments- courtesy the City of Birmingham.
Date:
Monday
10th November 2008
Venue:
Hyatt
Regency Hotel, Broadstreet, Birmingham.
To register for a
seat at the conference, go to www.Caribbean4life.com
For further information please contact:
Victor
Shaw Telephone 08448 848 657 Mobile:
07877 824 119
Email: info@caribbean4life.com
Joint Conference African Families Foundation and Connections for
Development on “Does Gender Equality Mean Identicality?” to be chaired by
Harriet Harman MP QC Minster for Women
Date:
Wednesday 12th
November 2008
Venue: Portcullis House, Victorian
Embankment,
Westminster SW1A 0AA
Time: 9am – 12pm
Contact: email afrifam@ymail.com
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation
Seminar
– a
round table meeting to discuss the impact of the financial crisis and economic
downturn on the third sector and consider collaborative action that can be
taken to address the shock.
Date: 26.11.08
Venue:
Augustine Church Centre, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
Contact
email Helen.swatton@scvo.org.uk
or tel. 0141 225 8019
Funding Opportunities
These funding opportunities have been pulled together by
Connections for Development (CfD) for you as members. Please note down the closing dates in your
calendar and read carefully the eligibility criteria for all the funding
streams. If possible check with the
funders before you apply. For further assistance
or support with the applications please contact your nearest Council for
Voluntary Service or contact us on 0207 537 2724 or email Paul on paul@cfdnetwork.co.uk.
The Hilden Charitable Fund – funds
are available for projects operating in overseas countries for community
development, education, and health. In
addition to this three, the trustees will particularly welcome projects that
addresses the needs and potential of girls and women. You can apply for both capital and revenue
funds. Trustees will consider
applications from any countries within the developing world.
You
can contact Hilden
by fax on 0207 603 1525 or by email: hildencharity@hotmail.com
or visit their website on www.hildencharitablefund.org.uk
Big
Lottery Fund, Comic Relief and Baring Foundation
These 3 funders are currently the biggest trusts and
foundation funders that give grants to support UK organisations that undertake
international development work. They are
currently carrying out reviews of their international grants programmes. News regarding information of their new
programmes, applications details and deadlines will be communicated to you
members as soon as they are ready. We
expect them to release their new programmes end of December 2008 or January
2009. So watch this space.
London Councils European Social Fund
Co-Financing Programme
London Councils has launched the second round of ESF
funding. 13 boroughs have provided
funding to be matched by ESF to create a £9m programme. London councils welcomes tenders from
organisations to deliver in one of the 13 boroughs: Barking and Dagenham,
Bromley, city of London corporation, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham,
Hillingdon, Kingston, Lambeth, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets,
Wandsworth, and Westminster.
For details about the project to be funded and how to
apply, please visit their website on www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants/esf
The
deadline for the tender is 12 noon Monday 17th November 2008.
Funding
for Global Justice Education Projects (England
and Wales)
Groups and organisations in England
and Wales
that wish to promote global justice may be eligible to apply for funding
through the Catholic Agency for International Development Education fund’s
Small grants programme. Grants of up to
£3,000 are available for UK based projects that increases awareness of poverty
and injustices in the world and the structures that causes them; discern how
our lifestyles contribute to injustice and how this can be changed so that we
are free to live more justly; encourage individuals in their social, political
and economic choices to make an option for the poor; foster partnership between
people in countries of the North and the south, through which we can all
recognise how much we to give and to receive; and celebrate the Christian
vision of human solidarity, development and the integrity of creation. The application deadline for large projects
is the 12th December 2008.
Applications to the small grants programme can be made at any time.
http://www.cafod.org.uk/funding
Contact
Details:
Contact person for this newsletter is Paul Lam-Kilama –
Information and Engagement Officer. Our
website is www.cfdnetwork.co.uk
