RESULTS' Outreach Coordinator, Jeremy Picone, describes his experience on his first day in his challenge on living on just $2 a day.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Live Below the Line
Today marks the first day of the Live Below the Line Campaign, where RESULTS members will be spending just $2 a day each on food to experience, and raise awareness first-hand the effects of extreme poverty.
Live Below the Line is an incredible new awareness and fundraising campaign that's making a huge difference in the fight against extreme poverty.
Live Below the Line is an incredible new awareness and fundraising campaign that's making a huge difference in the fight against extreme poverty.
Quite simply, it allows thousands of Australians to better understand the daily challenges faced by those trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty, and builds a movement of passionate people willing and able to make a meaningful difference for those who need it most.
The week of Live Below the Line is a week like no other. From May 16th - 20th, thousands of Australians will spend just $2 each day on food, and use their daily experiences to bring extreme poverty to the centre of conversation in homes around Australia. We'll all be challenged, we'll struggle without caffeine, and have a faint feeling of being not quite full for the whole week.
FYI: The UN Human Poverty Index (HPI) for 2006 only has a ranking for 18 of the 21 countries with the highest Human Development Index. In the report, Australia is ranked 14th in the OECD, with a HPI of 12.8.
THIS WEEK a group of RESULTS members will be taking part in the Live Below the Line campaign in an effort to raise awareness in the fight against extreme poverty.
Christine Clarke, RESULTS' Fundraising Coordinator, and her family are all getting involved this year to better understand the daily challenges faced by those trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty.
Christine Clarke:
I’m doing this because I want to try and appreciate what it would be like to have few choices about what I eat and yet try and stay well and give my family a nutritious diet so they grow and survive childhood and develop as they should.
I am not looking forward to going without my glass or wine or maybe a chocolate with a cup of tea at the end of a busy day with Brian, but I believe we will not go hungry!
I am inspired by my children for being prepared and enthusiastic about doing this with us, and willing to experience some small hardships, and possibly be questioned at school next week from friends and peers who may question: “Why wouldn't you do that?"!
Tess Clarke (12-yrs-old):
I am doing this because I want to raise awareness to others about the Global Poverty Project and show people that no matter how young you are you can make a difference.
I am not looking forward to eating pumpkin soup with no cream and porridge for breakfast.
I am not looking forward to eating pumpkin soup with no cream and porridge for breakfast.
I'm inspired by my mother and RESULTS. I mean they were the ones that told me about it, but it all started when I watched a video clip 'The Girl Effect' and it impacted on me and made me want to do more for others.
I'm inspired by the people who live harder than this every day and who I have never heard complain.
UPDATE
Watch the Clarke family (at the link below) explain their reasons why they're taking on the Live Below the Line Challenge on Channel 10's current affairs program 'George Negus at 6.30' last Friday.
Ally Goodwin:
I'm doing this because I want to understand, at least in part, what it's actually like living life where every tiny choice affects whether or not you or your family can eat next time you're hungry.
I also hope that my taking part will help raise awareness of what life's like for so many people everywhere, which can so often seem so far away when we are indeed the minority.
I'm not looking forward to going to work (in a cafe) and taking everyone's meals to them, which I know at the time will seem luxurious and gigantic!
UPDATE
Watch the Clarke family (at the link below) explain their reasons why they're taking on the Live Below the Line Challenge on Channel 10's current affairs program 'George Negus at 6.30' last Friday.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Foreign Aid Budget boosted
The foreign aid budget was announced yesterday.
We will see an increase in the aid program of nearly half-a-billion dollars compared to 2010-11.
Our aid level will increase to 0.35 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI), and Australia remains on track to reach an aid level of 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015.
This is positive news to be recognised.
Actions you can take:
1) Respond to a short article in The Sydney Morning Herald 'Boost to Neighbours'
2) Make a comment on more general Budget articles in any newspaper. For example:
Not tough but definitely responsible
(Comment on the responsibility by working towards the targeted aid level of 0.5 per cent)
(Comment on increasing aid as an example of Rudd's 'legacy')
RESULTS hopes to provide its own analysis of the Budget by tomorrow in terms of our Current Campaigns.
In the meantime, you can review the analysis of the Budget by the Australian Council for International Development here:
ACFID Budget round up
Finally, and belatedly, an article 'Helping those beyond our shores is good business', from May 9, by Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon, in support of increasing our aid:
We will see an increase in the aid program of nearly half-a-billion dollars compared to 2010-11.
Our aid level will increase to 0.35 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI), and Australia remains on track to reach an aid level of 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015.
This is positive news to be recognised.
Actions you can take:
1) Respond to a short article in The Sydney Morning Herald 'Boost to Neighbours'
2) Make a comment on more general Budget articles in any newspaper. For example:
Not tough but definitely responsible
(Comment on the responsibility by working towards the targeted aid level of 0.5 per cent)
(Comment on increasing aid as an example of Rudd's 'legacy')
RESULTS hopes to provide its own analysis of the Budget by tomorrow in terms of our Current Campaigns.
In the meantime, you can review the analysis of the Budget by the Australian Council for International Development here:
ACFID Budget round up
Marc Purcell, Executive Director of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID): "This is a responsible move. 18 out of our 20 closest neighbours are developing countries. Some of them rank amongst the poorest nations in the world. It is the right thing for Australia to build a more secure, peaceful neighbourhood through the aid program."
ACFID applauds the increase in core funding to health in the aid budget, moving from 14 to 17% of total Australian aid. “Australian aid saves lives. It helps to inoculate children against life-threatening diseases and saves mothers from death during childbirth," Mr Purcell said.
Finally, and belatedly, an article 'Helping those beyond our shores is good business', from May 9, by Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon, in support of increasing our aid:
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Budget 2011: Aid Budget
The Federal Aid Budget will be released later tonight.
It is likely that this is one of the areas that will fair well in the budget.
This is because there is a bilateral commitment to achieve an aid level of 0.5% by 2015.
However, there still might be some negativity in the media on this issue.
RESULTS encourages you to write online comments and letters-to-the-editors in support of an increasing aid program.
See the below post of a recent Editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald, and yesterday's piece in The Age: Gates calls for more foreign aid
BILLIONAIRE philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has weighed in to Australia's budget debate, urging the Gillard government to hold firm on its plan to double Australia's foreign aid in the next five years.
"We're having to remind them that the needs of the poorest are not the way people should balance their budgets," he said.
Both the government and opposition are committed to increasing Australia's foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI), or more than $8 billion a year, by 2015-16.
"The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway … have been above [0.7] per cent for quite some time. The United Kingdom, who of course has had a 10 per cent budget deficit, amazingly will get to [0.7] per cent by 2013."
Australia donates at less than half that rate. This year's aid budget is 0.33 per cent of GNI.
UPDATE
A slight increase, but it looks like Australia is on its way of sticking to its commitment to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent by 2015-16.
Here's the breakdown:
It is likely that this is one of the areas that will fair well in the budget.
This is because there is a bilateral commitment to achieve an aid level of 0.5% by 2015.
However, there still might be some negativity in the media on this issue.
RESULTS encourages you to write online comments and letters-to-the-editors in support of an increasing aid program.
See the below post of a recent Editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald, and yesterday's piece in The Age: Gates calls for more foreign aid
BILLIONAIRE philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates has weighed in to Australia's budget debate, urging the Gillard government to hold firm on its plan to double Australia's foreign aid in the next five years.
"We're having to remind them that the needs of the poorest are not the way people should balance their budgets," he said.
Both the government and opposition are committed to increasing Australia's foreign aid to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI), or more than $8 billion a year, by 2015-16.
"The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway … have been above [0.7] per cent for quite some time. The United Kingdom, who of course has had a 10 per cent budget deficit, amazingly will get to [0.7] per cent by 2013."
Australia donates at less than half that rate. This year's aid budget is 0.33 per cent of GNI.
UPDATE
A slight increase, but it looks like Australia is on its way of sticking to its commitment to increase foreign aid to 0.5 per cent by 2015-16.
Here's the breakdown:
Budget 2011: High hopes for aid revamp
Aid groups are hoping that in tonight's budget will shake up the priorities of Australia's multi-billion dollar foreign aid program, shifting money away from programs to improve governance in developing countries and education initiatives.
At present, governance takes more than one-fifth of the $4.3 billion aid budget - more than any other area. World Vision Australia's chief executive, Tim Costello, said: "Health and education getting more weight in the AusAID budget is really important." The executive director of the Australian Council for International Development, Marc Purcell, said he wanted ''at least 20 per cent of the budget directed towards health systems in developing countries, and a similar proportion towards education''.
At present, governance takes more than one-fifth of the $4.3 billion aid budget - more than any other area. World Vision Australia's chief executive, Tim Costello, said: "Health and education getting more weight in the AusAID budget is really important." The executive director of the Australian Council for International Development, Marc Purcell, said he wanted ''at least 20 per cent of the budget directed towards health systems in developing countries, and a similar proportion towards education''.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Poor can still bank on micro-credit
Microfinance is an industry that has fallen on hard times itself, since the controversial sacking of the Grameen Bank founder, Muhammad Yunus. However, microfinance has proven to be a powerful tool to help the world's poorest people to lift themselves out of poverty, and improve their entire family's nutrition, education and housing.
The State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign 2011 report indicates that 128 million of the world's poorest families had current loans at the end of 2009, demonstrating good progress towards reaching 175 million of the poorest families by 2015. This target is still very much achievable if micro-credit is properly managed, and not hijacked by the likes of loan sharks and profiteers.
Below Maree Nutt advocates for a more sensible and reasonable approach in utilising microfinance as a proven tool in the fight against poverty:
But Maree Nutt, the Australian national manager of the anti-poverty group Results, said micro-credit, carefully managed, benefited families, particularly as almost all borrowers are women.
''It's been proven more effective when that money goes to women, because women spend it more directly on benefiting the family, on what the family eat, on whether the kids go to school.''
Results has called for AusAid to more than double its micro-credit aid to $45 million a year by 2013.
('Poor can no longer bank on micro-credit', The Sydney Morning Herald, Ben Doherty, 9/4/2011)
Read some of the letters by some of our RESULTS members, backing microfinance, that have recently been published in the newspapers HERE.
The State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign 2011 report indicates that 128 million of the world's poorest families had current loans at the end of 2009, demonstrating good progress towards reaching 175 million of the poorest families by 2015. This target is still very much achievable if micro-credit is properly managed, and not hijacked by the likes of loan sharks and profiteers.
Below Maree Nutt advocates for a more sensible and reasonable approach in utilising microfinance as a proven tool in the fight against poverty:
But Maree Nutt, the Australian national manager of the anti-poverty group Results, said micro-credit, carefully managed, benefited families, particularly as almost all borrowers are women.
''It's been proven more effective when that money goes to women, because women spend it more directly on benefiting the family, on what the family eat, on whether the kids go to school.''
Results has called for AusAid to more than double its micro-credit aid to $45 million a year by 2013.
('Poor can no longer bank on micro-credit', The Sydney Morning Herald, Ben Doherty, 9/4/2011)
Read some of the letters by some of our RESULTS members, backing microfinance, that have recently been published in the newspapers HERE.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Microcredit at the Crossroads
Noble Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, the grandfather of microcredit, has had his appeal, over his controversial sacking from the Grameen Bank, dismissed by Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The man who pioneered microcredit in Third World countries with tiny loans to poor Bangladeshi villagers says the industry has lost its way.
Forced to step down from the grassroots bank he founded nearly three decades ago, Muhammad Yunus says the industry has been corrupted by racketeers.
''Unfortunately, not everyone who uses the word 'microcredit' is dedicated to serving the needs of the poor,'' the Nobel Peace Laureate said after his dismissal.
These are just some of the headlines that have appeared in today's newspapers across Australia:
Court ruling ends microcredit pioneer's career
Microcredit has lost its way, says creator
RESULTS needs you to send a letter-to-the-editor of either newspaper (or your local newspaper) commenting on the situation.
You can send your letters to either letters@smh.com.au OR letters@theage.com.au
You can also use our most recent Fact & Action Sheet - Maintaining Growth in Microfinance and Ensuring Benefits for the Poor - to call for a greater role for aid programs in the light of the controversy surrounding the commercialisation of microcredit.
WRITE TODAY!
Also watch out for another article in Saturday's newspapers: "Microcredit at the Crossroads"
To catch up on the situation as it as been happening read our other blog Microfinance Under Fire
The man who pioneered microcredit in Third World countries with tiny loans to poor Bangladeshi villagers says the industry has lost its way.
Forced to step down from the grassroots bank he founded nearly three decades ago, Muhammad Yunus says the industry has been corrupted by racketeers.
''Unfortunately, not everyone who uses the word 'microcredit' is dedicated to serving the needs of the poor,'' the Nobel Peace Laureate said after his dismissal.
These are just some of the headlines that have appeared in today's newspapers across Australia:
Court ruling ends microcredit pioneer's career
Microcredit has lost its way, says creator
RESULTS needs you to send a letter-to-the-editor of either newspaper (or your local newspaper) commenting on the situation.
You can send your letters to either letters@smh.com.au OR letters@theage.com.au
You can also use our most recent Fact & Action Sheet - Maintaining Growth in Microfinance and Ensuring Benefits for the Poor - to call for a greater role for aid programs in the light of the controversy surrounding the commercialisation of microcredit.
WRITE TODAY!
Also watch out for another article in Saturday's newspapers: "Microcredit at the Crossroads"
To catch up on the situation as it as been happening read our other blog Microfinance Under Fire
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