CHRISTIAN AID IRELAND Summer 2012
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Number 39
INDIA
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W EST AFRICA
Food crisis deepens
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C ARTOON COMPETITION
in a Martyn Turner W original
MARCHING FOR JUSTICE
www.christianaid.ie Christian Aid Ireland is the official relief and development agency of the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Nonsubscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Moravian Church, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Salvation Army, and the Irish Council of Churches. It is a member of ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together), the worldwide ecumenical network for emergency relief.
Christian Aid is a signatory to the Dóchas Code of Conduct on Images & Messages. More details can be found on www.dochas.ie Please send any feedback about images in this publication to ahorsman@christian-aid.org
Acting Chief Executive, Christian Aid Ireland Dr Nazma Kabir Belfast Office: Linden House, Beechill Business Park, 96 Beechill Road, Belfast BT8 7QN Tel: (028) 9064 8133 Email: Belfast@christian-aid.org Contacts: Deborah Doherty, Head of Church & Community Adrian Horsman, Head of Comms & Media
Dublin Office: 16-17 Clanwilliam Terrace Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 611 0801 Fax: (01) 661 0949 Email: Dublin@christian-aid.org Contacts: Nazma Kabir, Head of Programme Development Peter Byrne, Churches Liaison/ Development Officer
Cork Office: Hill View Bandon, Cork Tel: (023) 88 41468 Email: Cork@christian-aid.org Contact: Andrew Coleman, South West Co-ordinator NI Company no. NI059154 NI Charity no. XR94639 RoI Company no. 426928 RoI Charity no. CHY 6998 www.christianaid.ie
Christian Aid Ireland is on Facebook
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Christian Aid Ireland
FAREWELL TO THE “FRIENDLY FACE OF CHRISTIAN AID” When Anne Buchanan decided to retire after 20 years in the Belfast office, the phrase most often repeated on her farewell messages from colleagues was, “You were the first person I met at my interview and it was great to be greeted by a friendly face”. For supporters who called into or telephoned our former offices in Elmwood Avenue or Wellington Park, Anne was the person they met at the front desk, answering their questions, dealing with problems and relieving them of their money too!
Anne Buchanan with Aled Jones at the Christian Aid concert in May.
A visit to Christian Aid partners in Senegal and Ghana in 1994 helped Anne to realise the importance of the fundraising work done in Ireland and to meet face to face with those who benefitted most from that support. As Christian Aid in Ireland grew and developed, Anne played a pivotal role as the Chief Executive’s PA and as Clerk to the newly formed Christian Aid Board. She brought her excellent administrative skills to new responsibilities in recruitment and Human Resources - always meticulous in her planning and thorough in her preparation for these important tasks. Office hours where not strictly adhered to by Anne! Always arriving early and often staying after the office closed, Anne committed herself to Christian Aid. To her it was an outworking of her own deep and personal belief that we are called to love and care for one another in ways that are exemplified in, and inspired by, Jesus’ earthly ministry. We shall miss Anne in the office, keeping us right! We know that Christian Aid will continue to benefit from her gifts and abilities through her home congregation of Groomsport Presbyterian, but above all we wish her a long and happy retirement.
Christian Aid is a Christian organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. We work globally for profound change that eradicates the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. We are part of a wider movement for social justice. We provide urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes.
CONTENTS
A message from the Chair of the Board of Christian Aid Ireland The Board of Christian Aid Ireland are delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Rosamund Bennett as the new CEO of Christian Aid Ireland. Ms Bennett has more than 20 years experience in the Corporate Sector and until recently was Head of Communications at the Northern Bank. Prior to this she was Head of Marketing for both Northern Bank and National Irish Bank, with all Ireland responsibility. Rosamund says: “I am delighted to be appointed as the new CEO of Christian Aid Ireland. I feel very passionately about the aims and values of Christian Aid and I want to make sure that as many people as possible in Ireland have the opportunity to get to know more about what we do and how we can work together to help eradicate poverty. On a personal level, I am married to Karl, a primary school teacher and we have 3 children, Louis 12, Judy 10 and Reuben 6. I grew up in Banbridge but now live in Islandmagee and am an elder in Whitehead Presbyterian Church. I look forward to sharing with you my plans and vision for Christian Aid Ireland in future editions of this magazine. I feel very privileged to be offered this opportunity.” The Board very much look forward to working with Ms Bennett and would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge their appreciation of Dr Nazma Kabir who undertook the role of Acting CEO in the interm period.
Rt Revd Trevor Williams (Bishop of Limerick & Killaloe)
8 NEWS ■ 4 MIGRANT WORKERS
IN ISRAEL Irish trade union gets involved ■ 5 CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA
Emergency funding from Irish Aid ■ 6 CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
From plant swapping to concerts
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FEATURES ■ 8 AN EPIC MARCH IN INDIA
‘We need to feed our children’ ■ 11 CARTOON COMPETITION
A ‘Twister’ from Martyn Turner
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REGULARS ■ 12 CAMPAIGNS
The Tax Justice bus is coming! ■ 15 DIARY DATES An easy walk or a real hike?
Chair of the Board, Christian Aid Ireland
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■ Cover Supporters at a warm-up rally in Ranchi, Jharkhand, in India. They are preparing for this October’s 100,000 strong march on Delhi. Read the full story on page 8. Photo: Simon Williams
Christian Aid Ireland
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OVERSEAS
WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN ISRAEL IMPACT, the Republic of Ireland’s largest public service trade union, is working in partnership with Christian Aid to defend workers’ rights in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation. Mark Wilson reports Kav La’Oved has repeatedly documented how employers abuse migration policies by threatening workers with deportation, seizing their passports, or forcing them to work against their will.
Baly Sol (53) – not her real name – a migrant from the Philippines who often has to go without food.
Violations of workers’ rights occur daily in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory – such as non-payment of wages, lack of health and safety, sexual or physical abuse – despite their rights being protected under Israeli law. IMPACT’s developing world fund donated almost €500,000 to trade union and education projects in the developing world in 2011 and will do the same in 2012. Over €5.5 million has been donated since the fund was established almost 30 years ago. All IMPACT members contribute to the fund, which receives 3% of the union’s membership subscriptions. Most of the money goes to medium and long-term projects aimed at supporting trade unions and community projects in the developing world. A three year project with Christian Aid began in 2010 to support Arab and migrant workers’ rights initiatives in the Middle East through our partner Kav La’Oved. 4
Christian Aid Ireland
Kav La’Oved is an Israeli organisation which works to defend the rights of Israel’s most disadvantaged workers, such as migrant labourers, Palestinians from the occupied territory and new immigrants to Israel. There are approximately 200,000 migrant workers in Israel today – mostly from countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, the Philippines and Thailand that are mostly employed in construction, agriculture or as care workers.
Baly (53) was born in the Philippines, and came to Israel 6 years ago when a friend told her she could get her a job caring for an elderly person. She now works 6 days a week, looking after a woman who is infirm. She gets paid less than the minimum wage, often goes without food, and never receives benefits such as holiday or sickness pay. Kav La’Oved run a drop-in centre for migrant workers that offers advice, counselling and legal aid on their employment rights. Baly says ‘I get 2900 ILS per month. When I came to Kav La’Oved I found out that the minimum wage was 3900 per month’ Similarly, Azzam (28) (name changed to protect identity) works in Mishor Adummim, in an Israeli settlement industrial factory. He earns 120 shekels a day (approximately €24/£20) and works 9½ hours a day. He’s come to the trade union office to get advice on his rights to sickness pay, as he’s been ill for 5 days and his employer refuses to pay him. Kav La’Oved works with the trade union to provide a drop-in centre every Saturday for settlement workers in the Jericho region. Azzam says ‘On the first day, the employer asked us to sign a paper, but we didn’t know what it was. It turns out it was to acquit us from our rights.’ Kav La’Oved runs a hotline that workers can call for advice and support. Some calls develop into legal cases where Kav La’Oved provides free representation. You can find out more about Kav La’Oved’s work on its website
www.kavlaoved.org.il (Click on the ‘English’ button).
Thank You to everyone who has already donated to the appeal.
EMERGENCY APPEAL
If you would like to donate, please visit www.christianaid.ie or contact our Dublin or Belfast office.
FOOD CRISIS
IN WEST AFRICA
Rt Revd Trevor Williams talking to some of the young men taking part
Nongferi village, Burkina Faso. The farmers pictured here are growing vegetables on a plot of land given to 52 vulnerable families, as part of a two year resilience programme. Many of the families participating in this project are also in receipt of direct food assistance as they have nothing to eat right now.
Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal to help people affected right across the region. Here is how we will use the money received so far. We will provide food for one month for over 3,300 people who have been internally displaced by recent violence and moved from northern Mali to the Mopti region in southern Mali. We will also provide cash transfers for another fifteen hundred people for 4 months, helping them to restore their dignity and to purchase household and other basic items. In addition we will provide food for 3,200 vulnerable local people affected by the food crisis, and
seeds for another approximately 8,000 families in Mopti. In the neighbouring country of Niger we will provide food for a month for 3,000 families and we will run a cash for work programme in the Abalak department in the region of Tahoua, Niger. Niall O’Rourke, Christian Aid Ireland’s Emergency Officer, said, ‘At the moment over 18 million people across the Sahel are at risk of hunger. This figure includes more than one million children at risk of severe malnutrition.’ He added, ‘The funds given by Irish Aid will allow us to scale up our response to the crisis, providing life-saving assistance
Mrs Bintu Nyampa is one of those involved in the cooperative market garden project (main picture). She also received 100kg of cereal as immediate help from Christian Aid and local partner ATAD. Bintu said, ‘Thanks to the assistance we received our family will have enough food for two or three weeks. After this we have no other source of food’. Photo credits: Niall O’Rourke
‘We urgently need to provide more assistance and we call on other international governments and the donor community to step up and meet the funding shortfall’ in the communities where we work. The needs on the ground are huge and it is anticipated that the crisis will be most acute in the period July – September. Christian Aid’s work in the Sahel region of West Africa is designed not only to address immediate basic needs through the provision of food and cash, but also to support communities in building their resilience so that they can overcome their food security challenges both during and after the crisis. Christian Aid Ireland
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Stephen Lynas
Christian Aid has been responding to the food crisis in West Africa since March of this year. In June, Irish Aid released f290,000 for Christian Aid’s emergency response to the crisis.
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK BALLYWALTER SCHOOL
ANCHOR BOYS
These P4 pupils in Ballywalter Primary School, Newtownards, had fun raising money for Christian Aid Week by making ‘tools’ – like a hammer and saw – out of Christian Aid stickers.
Anchor Boys from 5th Lisburn company at Elmwood Presbyterian Church with leader Keith O’Rorke take shelter under a mosquito net. They raised £100 for Christian Aid.
CHRISTIAN AID CONCERT
One thousand four hundred people filled the Waterfront Hall in Belfast for the Christian Aid Week concert in May. The star of the show was Aled Jones, while the BBC’s Natasha Sayee introduced the various acts on stage. Natasha also spoke about her trip to Malawi with Christian Aid, and what it meant to her. The concert’s organiser, Deborah Doherty, said that it was an amazing evening. ‘Thank you so much to everyone who supported our special Christian Aid Concert in the Waterfront Hall. I was overwhelmed with the calls, letters and e mails from those of you who expressed your enjoyment of this event.’ ‘So far we have raised a net total of £12,500 which is fantastic,’ Deborah added.
Concert compere Natasha Sayee, from BBC Northern Ireland, is pictured here with Amy Doherty, Lizi Watt, Anne Doherty, and Aled Jones. Picture courtesy of the Ulster Tatler.
COFFEE IN CO. CORK There was an excellent turn-out for the coffee, cake and plant sale hosted by Claire McCutcheon at her home in Bandon, Co Cork. Claire, pictured here standing on the left holding a balloon, is a member of the Church of Ireland congregation in Bandon Union parish. Photo: Andrew Coleman
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Christian Aid Ireland
‘I could go on at length about the many different performances which our audience enjoyed, but Aled Jones singing “How Great Thou Art” accompanied by the Belfast Community Gospel Choir was a tremendously moving finale and will resonate with us all for a long time.’
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FUNDRAISERS
A TITANIC ACHIEVEMENT Cycling 310 miles from Belfast to Cobh in Co. Cork, a team of intrepid cyclists completed the Titanic Challenge in just four days, during Christian Aid Week. Adrian Horsman was one of them. Beginning in the shadow of the new Titanic Centre at the water’s edge, at the very place where the great ship first touched the sea one hundred years ago, the team headed south through Banbridge and Newry before taking a break at St Nicholas’ Church in Dundalk. There, under the famous green spire, the Revd Sandra Pragnell and members of her congregation had homemade soup and sandwiches ready for the cyclists. After an overnight stop in Kells, Co Meath, we pushed on through Mullingar – where
The Titanic Challenge cyclists on arrival at the White Star pier in Cobh, Co Cork. From left, Mark Wilson, Chris Williamson, Jonny Hanson, Adrian Horsman and Johnny Scott.
we were hosted by All Saints Church – and then on to Portlaoise. On the third day, we stopped in Abbeyleix at the site where some of the carpets were made for the Titanic, followed by lunch as guests of Kilkenny College. The final day began in Waterford, with a quick stop at St. Mary’s Church of Ireland in Dungarvan where we were generously looked after by members of Dean Paul Draper’s congregation. Then there was a hard climb up the long hill out of Dungarvan, and a very fast last ten kilometres into the town of Cobh late in the afternoon. The welcome was amazing! With music playing next to the White Star pier, we were greeted with loud cheering and applause on the street, and a formal civic welcome from the acting Mayor of Cobh, Councillor Paddy Whitty, and local TD Denis Staunton. The Rector of Cobh, Revd Brian O’Reilly, treated us to a slap-up celebratory dinner that evening! Along the way, we also received extensive media coverage in local newspapers and radio stations in Newry, Dundalk, Mullingar and Waterford. This gave us the opportunity not only to talk about our fund-raising cycle ride through Ireland, but more importantly about Christian Aid’s vital work tackling poverty all over the world.
SWAPPING PLANTS IN LIMERICK
YOUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Grace Thomas (aged 4) presents her fundraising box to Helen Maries at the Christian Aid office. Limerick Quakers held a hugely successful ‘coffee and plant swap’ for their friends and neighbours at the Friends’ Meeting House in Limerick city during Christian Aid Week. Organiser Janet Gooberman said ‘I asked people to bring a plant, take a plant, swap a plant, or none of the above. The idea was to be informal and to have some fun!’
Grace raised her money using the ‘Count Your Blessings’ scheme during Lent. Photo: Deborah Doherty.
Photo credit: Janet Gooberman Christian Aid Ireland
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COVER NEWS STORY
INDIA’S EPIC MARCH FOR JUSTICE Florence Mutesasira
Over 100,000 people will take part in the Jan Satyagraha march in India this October. The month-long march to India’s capital Delhi will be one of the largest non-violent campaigns the world has ever witnessed. Marchers aim to give a voice to India’s poor and marginalised by raising awareness on land rights issues. They are calling on the Indian Government to deliver on reforms that will allow the poor fairer access to land. India is one of the most unequal societies in the world. Of India’s population of 1.2 billion, an estimated 400 million are poor. While the rapid economic growth over recent decades has created wealth for the nation, poverty remains widespread with most of India’s wealth lying in the pockets of a small percentage of the population.
companies and large corporations. Many of the landless end up in the cities, homeless or living in slums with little access to clean water, sanitation, education, health services or work. Christian Aid partner Ekta Parishad, is a non-violent social movement in India working on land and forests rights. They mobilise people to put pressure on the government to give India’s poor and marginalised communities access and rights to land. The organisation believes that land is the key to lifting hundreds of millions of Indians out of poverty.
More than half of India’s poor make a living through farming or fishing. Thousands upon thousands are being bought or bullied from their land in a government endorsed rush for land by mining
Jan Satyagraha March, October / November 2012
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Photographs of these pre-march rallies around India were all taken by Simon Williams.
Christian Aid Ireland
In October 2011, Ekta Parishad began a 13-month long journey, going from state
‘India is one of the most unequal societies in the world. Of India’s population of 1.2 billion, an estimated 400 million are poor.’
to state across India meeting with local communities and connecting grassroots organisations to mobilise and prepare people for the Jan Satyagraha march.
international level. After the march the Forest Rights Act was implemented, giving tens of thousands of adivasis rights and access to forest land.
The climax of this journey will see 100,000 landless people, some barefoot, march for a month, covering over 350 kilometres from Gwalior (near the Taj Mahal) to Delhi in October/November 2012 to demand land rights and legal reform. Most of the people expected to take part are from the dalit and adivasi (indigenous people) communities who face great discrimination and human rights violations because of their caste.
Another result was the setting up of a National Land Reform Committee, with experts put forward by Ekta Parishad and assigned by the government. It researched land issues and made recommendations on more equitable policies that could alleviate poverty in the country. However their recommendations appear to have received little or no acknowledgement or action to date.
The Jan Satyagraha March builds on the success of the 2007 Janadesh (‘People Truth’) march. That was also organised by Ekta Parishad, and drew 25,000 people to walk over 350 kilometres to India’s capital. They called on the government to make reforms to India’s land distribution systems and so allow the poor access to land. Janadesh 2007 gave a voice to millions of India’s landless poor at national and
‘Until each and every homeless and landless poor person in this country gets their land rights, our journey, our mission is not going to stop’, says Jan Satyagraha campaign coordinator Ramesh. ‘Everywhere you can feel the whole campaign is gradually building, at every level – in understanding, in solidarity, in financial contributions – and most of all in terms of opening the space for dialogue with our own state.’
‘LAND IS WHAT WE NEED TO FEED OUR CHILDREN’ distance stands a new bird watching tower built by the government. Kalawati Bai is preparing to march in Ekta Parishad’s month-long march in October for land rights and legal reform, with two of her children, aged 5 and 6.
Kalawati Bai shows berries growing wild that the villagers of Bhatapura depend on when food is low. Behind her in the Photo: Christian Aid/Sarah Filbey
The land on which Bhatapura, in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, is situated has recently been designated a Golden Bird wildlife sanctuary, though villagers say they cannot recall even one golden bird sighting in living memory. With several communities deeper into the protected zone already moved from their
homes, the families of Bhatapura fear they may be next. Villagers suggest that government forest officials deny them their right to gather firewood and berries from the surrounding forest lands, on which they depend for income and to eat. With no rights to the land, they are unable to grow crops. ‘Land is what we need to feed our children – I will do or die in the foot march and I will not return without our land rights or any promises’, says Kalawati Bai. Christian Aid Ireland
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FUNDRAISING
LIVE BELOW THE LINE In early May, fifteen thousand people around the world volunteered to live for a week on just one pound a day. Christian Aid’s Helen Maries explains why she joined in and what it was like. There’s not much you can get for £1. You can’t get a bottle of Club Orange. You can’t get a bus ticket. You can barely get a loaf of wheaten. But in early May, I joined my colleagues in the Belfast office to budget five pounds (about six euro) for all food and drink over five days. The point? To stand in solidarity with the 1.4 billion people currently living in extreme poverty, for whom surviving on this small amount each day for everything – not just food – is their harsh reality. I was pretty excited about the ‘Live Below the Line’ challenge in a way, a chance to do something to raise money for Christian Aid that didn’t rely on my (not-so) sporty nature.
‘I trotted off to the supermarket to spend my £5 note, coming home with all that I would consume for the next five days.’
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Helen with her five pound shopping basket. Photo: Paul Moane/Aurora PA
As I was coordinating the office’s efforts I felt a certain pressure that I should do things ‘properly’. On the Monday I trotted off to the supermarket to spend my £5 note, coming home with all that I would consume for the next five days. My first lesson: when little has to stretch quite far, good planning is essential. My lack of thought meant that as I found ways to make the money go further, I had to keep reorganising the basket. I can’t say I was looking forward to the menu, the same every day, but I still felt like I’d done well. Aside from having headaches at the beginning of the week, I really missed the event of ‘having a cup of tea’. By day three the smell of kidney beans made my stomach turn a little but I was determined to persevere. Through the challenge I uploaded video blogs to the Christian Aid Ireland Facebook page, which prompted a lot of interaction from friends encouraging me and telling me I was amazing. It’s quite difficult to keep what you’re doing in
perspective when, in reality, you still have so much more than most of the world’s population. During the week I started to get shooting pains up my legs. This was probably my body in shock from a fairly sudden lack of sugar and salt, and over time it would’ve adjusted to the diet. The pains (and even saying that I am aware of the actual insignificance of them) prompted me to think a lot about access to clean water, and that many are forced to walk miles for it. Although the challenge was difficult, I really enjoyed the fact that it provoked me to think hard about the things I value. It wasn’t easy but I have been challenged by this tiny glimpse I’ve had into the reality of ‘living below the line’. Join us next May to Live Below the Line! Follow Christian Aid Ireland on Twitter or on Facebook.
TAX CARTOON COMPETITION – WIN A TURNER ORIGINAL We are really excited to announce a new competition for all budding artists, cartoonists, comic book fans and really anybody who wants to pick up a pencil and have a go. There is no age limit and you don’t have to have a degree in fine art to take part. We are looking for a cartoon on the theme of tax dodging and to highlight the injustice that some unscrupulous multinational companies dodge taxes which denies developing countries of billions each year, money that could be spent on essential public services.
hoping to get from this competition.
The best cartoons can portray a complex issue in a funny, thought-provoking way that can help people to understand something quickly and inspire them to find out more and that is exactly what we are
To inspire you we have asked Irish Times political cartoonist Martyn Turner to draw a cartoon highlighting the issue of tax dodging by multinational companies and you can see the result above, which
All the details about how to enter the competition, the terms and conditions and a background briefing to the issue of tax dodging are available to download from our website at www.christianaid.ie/tax
! ta()?x*% CARTOON competition
shows the lengths that some companies will go to in order to dodge taxes. Martyn has also very kindly agreed to help judge the entries and has donated the prize – the original ink drawing of the above cartoon. Now it’s over to you. For more information contact David Thomas on (028) 9064 8133 or email dthomas@christian-aid.org
Christian Aid Ireland
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CAMPAIGNS CLIMATE CHANGE AT STORMONT In May Christian Aid and other members of ‘Stop Climate Chaos Northern Ireland’ organised a lobby at Stormont. More than thirty MLAs, including the Environment Minister, came along to hear their constituents’ concerns about climate change. The response from the politicians was overall very positive with all but two of them pledging their support for a Northern Ireland climate change act. This would set specific, legally-binding targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in Northern Ireland. Representatives from all the major parties were there and every party had MLAs in favour of climate change legislation. East Belfast Ulster Unionist MLA Michael Copeland said ‘Northern Ireland in common with the rest of the world ignores this issue at its peril. There can in reality be no compromise on the future of the planet and the burden of doing what must be done must fall and be shared equally.’ Environment Minister Alex Attwood MLA confirmed his support for climate change legislation.
Christian Aid’s David Thomas said ‘The minister confirmed at our meeting that it is his intention to introduce a Northern Ireland climate change bill, but that this may not happen until 2014.’
One of the politicians who came along to the lobby, Basil McCrea MLA, with Christian Aid climate change campaigners Kate Preston and Veronica Browne. Photo: BellMack Photography
Dave added ‘Climate change is already impacting poor communities in many of the countries that we work in and the need to cut emissions is urgent. We need to show Mr Attwood and the other MLAs that there is a reason to hurry.’ You can find out whether your MLA has supported a Northern Ireland climate change act by visiting the Stop Climate Chaos website, www.stopclimatechaosni.org, and if they haven’t yet please contact them and encourage them to do so.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ENDORSES THE TAX CAMPAIGN
Revd Katherine Meyer, Convener of the Presbyterian World Development Committee 12 Christian Aid Ireland
At their General Assembly in May the Presbyterian Church passed a resolution endorsing Christian Aid’s tax campaign. The resolution was proposed by the Convener of the World Development Committee, Revd Katherine Meyer, and stated:
2) and requests that both the Irish and UK governments support the call for a new international accounting standard requiring companies to report on profits made and taxes paid in every country in which they operate – so called country-by-country reporting.
That the General Assembly:
They join with the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Irish Council of Churches, the Religious Society of Friends and the Moravian Church who have all passed similar resolutions at their respective annual general meetings.
1) recognises the importance of taxation in developing countries for enabling development and building accountability between state and citizens;
RIO+20 ‘THERE IS SOME HOPE’ Christian Aid has described the outcome of the recent “Rio+20” UN Conference on Sustainable Development as ‘lacking in progress’. But it was not all bad news. Dr Alison Doig, Christian Aid’s senior advisor on Sustainable Development, said, ‘There is some hope that Rio will yet have a positive legacy, because leaders have committed to create a new set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) which will set the direction of global development work from 2015.
‘The SDGs could help make global food production more sustainable and ensure that many millions more people can enjoy clean water and sustainable, modern energy. But this will only happen if citizens keep up the pressure, as work to shape the goals continues.’ Dressed in Ireland and Brazil football kits, these children had fun kicking a giant inflatable globe around South King Street in Dublin, ahead of the UN conference in Rio de Janeiro.
TAX JUSTICE BUS TOUR In September we are taking our message of tax justice to the road as we tour our “tax justice” bus round Dublin, Limerick and Belfast. On board the bus will be staff from Christian Aid along with Ricardo Barrientos, one of our partners based in Guatemala.
towards an end to the tax dodging that denies developing countries an estimated US $160 billion each year.
G20 ACTIONS THANKS
Ricardo works for our partner Instituto Centroamerican de Estudios Fiscales (ICEFI) who are a research and advocacy organisation working on issues such as tax dodging, financial secrecy and how tax revenue could be better used to benefit the poorest in Central America. Ricardo will be meeting with supporters, campaigners, church leaders and politicians in Ireland to encourage them to work
If you would be interested in meeting with Ricardo to hear about his work in Guatemala then check our website or phone the Belfast office (028) 9064 8133 or the Dublin office (01) 611 0801 to find out when the bus will be in your area.
Ricardo Barrientos, from ICEFI, a Christian Aid partner in Guatemala.
Thanks to everyone who sent back the campaign postcards from the last issue of the magazine. These have been sent on to the Prime Minister ahead of the G20 summit. Including the rest of the UK there were around 20,000 actions sent.
Christian Aid Ireland
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NEWS RACING FOR SOUTH SUDAN Former Leinster rugby outhalf Ian McKinley raised over €2,600 for Christian Aid’s work in South Sudan when he took part in the Wicklow Adventure Race. The money will go to our partner, the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. Ian’s brother Philip, and family, will be based in South Sudan with Bishop Anthony of the ECS during the summer of 2012. Ian had to retire from professional rugby at the age of just 21, after the loss of sight in one eye following a sports injury. The funds he raised will go towards emergency work with refugees, assisting them with food, healthcare, hygiene and disaster risk reduction strategies.
FAREWELL TO OUR FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE ‘My appreciation and admiration for those who keep on carrying on has always been very high – so thank you for what you do and continue to do in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Margaret Boden
LUNCH WITH THE PRESIDENT
Numerous friends, supporters, staff, board members, journalists and politicians came to Margaret’s farewell lunch in April. Here, Wendy Austin of the BBC shares a memory with Margaret.
A message from Margaret ‘This is just a short note to say thank you for all the kind messages, cards and letters which came my way when I retired as Chief Executive in May.
Christian Aid board member Sandra Dukelow from Co Cork, with Alf McCreary of the Belfast Telegraph, at Margaret’s farewell lunch in May.
I really appreciated the warm thoughts that accompanied them as I really believe that there is a sense of community within the Christian Aid family in Ireland. ‘As the article in the last issue of our magazine indicated, I have been associated with Christian Aid throughout my life and have been fortunate to get to know some wonderful people both here and overseas.
Nazma is pictured here with President Michael D Higgins, Jim Clarken of Oxfam Ireland, and Hans Zomer of Dóchas.
Rev Dr Roger Purce, speaking at the farewell lunch. Photo credit: Adrian Horsman
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Dr Nazma Kabir, Head of Christian Aid’s Programme Development Unit in Dublin, was a guest at a lunch reception at Áras an Uachtaráin in honour of the visit by the King and Queen of Lesotho.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY DIARY DATE
24-26 AUG
4:48 CHALLENGE Join Christian Aid’s Team Poverty in August 2012 for the trekking challenge of a lifetime. Climb the highest peak in each of Ireland’s four provinces in just 48 hours. The three-day event begins with Slieve Donard on Friday, then Lughnaquilla and Mweelrea on Saturday and finishes with Carrauntoohill on Sunday. The 4:48 Challenge ascends more than 3,300 metres, covering 40 kilometres across the four mountains. Up for the challenge? Then dust off your trekking boots, join us and raise much needed funds to help the world’s poorest get out of poverty. Visit christianaid.ie/trekking for more details and a registration form.
A 50 year age gap separated the oldest and youngest climbers in last year’s challenge, Roy Copeland and Aaron Hanson.
DIARY DATE
1ST SEPT
Difficulty Level:
SHEEP HEAD’S HIKE 2012 Over 150 people from Cork and beyond are expected to join Christian Aid on Saturday September 1st 2012 for the annual Sheep’s Head Hike. ‘This event is a great way to spend time with friends and family, make new friends, and make a significant difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.’ says Christian Aid’s Andrew Coleman. This year the Sheep’s Head Hike offers a second family-friendly 5km route, as well as the more challenging 10km route. There will be rest stops along the way and refreshments at the end of the hike. Visit christianaid.ie for more details.
Andrew Coleman is followed by members of the Sheep’s Head committee as they test a new route for this year’s hike.
DIARY DATE
2ND SEPT
Difficulty Level:
LAGANSIDE WALK When: Sunday 2nd September 2012 Where: Laganside, Belfast City Location: The Visitor’s Centre adjacent to Lock-Keeper’s Cottage Time: 2:30pm- 5:00pm
Join us for our family-friendly sponsored walk along Belfast’s Laganside, and help raise much needed funds for Christian Aid’s overseas work. Suitable for walkers of all ages and capabilities, including wheelchairs and toddlers in buggies. There is free parking at Cooke/Inst. Rugby Club car-park on the Milltown Road. A pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll along the Laganside footpath – this walk really is suitable for all ages.
Please register early with Ann McIntyre (028) 9064 8133
Difficulty Level: Christian Aid Ireland
15
tax*%
! ()?
CARTOON competition CARTOON
competition
WIN an original cartoon by Irish Times cartoonist Martyn Turner Christian Aid is looking for innovative, witty, hard-hitting cartoons to highlight the injustice of tax dodging and its impact on developing countries.
www.christianaid.ie/tax Entry details are available via the link above. Closing date for entries is Friday 26th October 2012. Northern Ireland Charity number XR94639 Company number NI059154 Republic of Ireland Charity number CHY 6998 Company number 426928.