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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/07/the-coalition-is-set-to-slash-foreign-aid-but-we-can-still-make-a-difference
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| The Coalition is set to slash foreign aid – but we can still make a difference | The Coalition is set to slash foreign aid – but we can still make a difference |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Despite | Despite |
| the substantial amount of ink spilt since last week’s release of the Commission | the substantial amount of ink spilt since last week’s release of the Commission |
| of Audit’s recommendations, one piece of advice almost certain to be | of Audit’s recommendations, one piece of advice almost certain to be |
| implemented has attracted little notice. | implemented has attracted little notice. |
| It’s “better manage[ment]” of Australia’s overseas aid program, included | It’s “better manage[ment]” of Australia’s overseas aid program, included |
| in recommendation 31. This includes an untying of aid spending to our gross | in recommendation 31. This includes an untying of aid spending to our gross |
| national income and a limiting of any future aid increases to a rate no greater | national income and a limiting of any future aid increases to a rate no greater |
| than that of inflation. | than that of inflation. |
| In other | In other |
| words, forget about the recent bipartisan promises made to boost Australia’s | words, forget about the recent bipartisan promises made to boost Australia’s |
| aid spend to 0.5% of gross national income – a promise that falls far | aid spend to 0.5% of gross national income – a promise that falls far |
| short of what is required of the world’s wealthier nations to meet the United | short of what is required of the world’s wealthier nations to meet the United |
| Nation’s millennium development goals. | Nation’s millennium development goals. |
| Development | Development |
| budgets and commitments are traditionally one of the first casualties when | budgets and commitments are traditionally one of the first casualties when |
| money is tight. As | money is tight. As |
| a former foreign minister once said, “there are no votes in aid.” | a former foreign minister once said, “there are no votes in aid.” |
| The | The |
| reasons for this, says the associate director of the Indo-Pacific Governance | reasons for this, says the associate director of the Indo-Pacific Governance |
| Research Centre Andrew Rosser, is that domestic aid supporters are | Research Centre Andrew Rosser, is that domestic aid supporters are |
| predominantly NGOs, | predominantly NGOs, |
| church groups, aid contractors, and universities – all groups lacking the economic | church groups, aid contractors, and universities – all groups lacking the economic |
| and political clout of the business lobby or trade unions. | and political clout of the business lobby or trade unions. |
| But such | But such |
| analysis is the beginning of the story – not the end. | analysis is the beginning of the story – not the end. |
| Yes, it | Yes, it |
| would be wonderful if successive Australian governments kept their promises to | would be wonderful if successive Australian governments kept their promises to |
| dedicate a reasonable and reliable proportion of the nation’s income to reversing the grinding poverty, hunger and disease of | dedicate a reasonable and reliable proportion of the nation’s income to reversing the grinding poverty, hunger and disease of |
| those living below the poverty line in places like East Timor, Papua New Guinea | those living below the poverty line in places like East Timor, Papua New Guinea |
| and the Pacific Islands. | and the Pacific Islands. |
| Certainly, there are sound, | Certainly, there are sound, |
| practical reasons why they should. These include increasing Australia’s security and maintaining and | practical reasons why they should. These include increasing Australia’s security and maintaining and |
| expanding trade opportunities. Foreign development aid creates the connections, | expanding trade opportunities. Foreign development aid creates the connections, |
| trust and goodwill that serves our national and commercial interests. | trust and goodwill that serves our national and commercial interests. |
| But we don’t have to wait | But we don’t have to wait |
| for Australian governments to act in the national interest when it comes to | for Australian governments to act in the national interest when it comes to |
| foreign development aid. We can do something to help our nearest neighbors now. | foreign development aid. We can do something to help our nearest neighbors now. |
| We can choose to act not just because it’s in the national interest, but | We can choose to act not just because it’s in the national interest, but |
| because we care and helping those in need is the right thing to do. | because we care and helping those in need is the right thing to do. |
| It’s | It’s |
| hard to overestimate how important it is to many Australians to feel they can | hard to overestimate how important it is to many Australians to feel they can |
| make a difference about issues that matter to them. For | make a difference about issues that matter to them. For |
| many, charity starts in the home or with neighbours. Such locally-oriented | many, charity starts in the home or with neighbours. Such locally-oriented |
| givers feel best when they are assured their contribution got where it was | givers feel best when they are assured their contribution got where it was |
| going, and made a difference they can see. But even those with a more national | going, and made a difference they can see. But even those with a more national |
| or international focus want to know they're doing the right thing, and that their | or international focus want to know they're doing the right thing, and that their |
| efforts aren’t being lost to corruption or inefficiency. | efforts aren’t being lost to corruption or inefficiency. |
| So what | So what |
| should we do in the face of what could be significant cuts to Australia’s | should we do in the face of what could be significant cuts to Australia’s |
| development aid? My advice | development aid? My advice |
| is don’t get cynical, depressed or angry. Instead, | is don’t get cynical, depressed or angry. Instead, |
| get active. Be inspired. | get active. Be inspired. |
| I like the story of the young Aussies who dared one another to try eating on less than $2 a day after they’d been working on an anti-poverty initiative in Bangladesh together. From humble beginnings in a | |
| backyard in Melbourne, Live Below the Line has become a global movement that | backyard in Melbourne, Live Below the Line has become a global movement that |
| has raised more than $6m, providing young people throughout the Asia | has raised more than $6m, providing young people throughout the Asia |
| Pacific with an education and empowering them to break out of the cycle of | Pacific with an education and empowering them to break out of the cycle of |
| poverty. | poverty. |
| Take the | Take the |
| challenge of living below the poverty line, fast for 40 hours or do it in a | challenge of living below the poverty line, fast for 40 hours or do it in a |
| dress. If you’re time poor or unwell, don’t worry. She who doesn’t try to do | dress. If you’re time poor or unwell, don’t worry. She who doesn’t try to do |
| everything does something. Think of Anita Roddick, whose tiny | everything does something. Think of Anita Roddick, whose tiny |
| cosmetic shop in Britain built on the principle of social and environmental | cosmetic shop in Britain built on the principle of social and environmental |
| change became the world-wide Body Shop chain. Or Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, which | change became the world-wide Body Shop chain. Or Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, which |
| provides the poor in India with micro-finance to start a business. | provides the poor in India with micro-finance to start a business. |
| We | We |
| can’t let our individual moral priorities be determined by what our government | can’t let our individual moral priorities be determined by what our government |
| does or doesn’t do. Each of us has the power to make a difference to this world | does or doesn’t do. Each of us has the power to make a difference to this world |
| by being the change we want to see, right here and now. | by being the change we want to see, right here and now. |
| • Leslie Cannold is an ambassador for the 2014 Live Below | • Leslie Cannold is an ambassador for the 2014 Live Below |
| the Line Campaign | the Line Campaign |