UK deals in real change while Canada shuffles the deck

 Canada’s Federal Budget announced last week held few surprises. For weeks now there have been talks about eliminating the deficit and filling gaps in needed labour skills. But for those working in international development, the announcement that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) would become a subsidiary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) came as a shock. Even CIDA staff revealed that they learned of the change the same way I did, from a tweet sent Thursday by CBC’s Evan Solomon.

The news, unanticipated as it was, is not all bad. NGOs in Canada and concerned citizens have long advocated that international cooperation warrants a senior ministry. With this budget we got our wish. But at what cost? The government says its decision was a reflection of increased “linkages between our foreign policy, development and trade objectives.” For years, Canadian governments, liberal and conservative alike, have stated the need for greater coherence in Canada’s foreign policy. But does DFAIT’s absorption of CIDA signal an end to the clear focus on the eradication of poverty? Will the amalgamation result in a development agenda focused more on Canada’s own trade and foreign policy interests?

Not necessarily so. Crossroads International also supports public-private partnerships by leveraging the skills of Canadian citizens and through partnerships with private sector actors. This year alone Canadian coffee roasters will support more than 180 Bolivian families growing coffee to access the Canadian market. The partnership benefits all parties, but the focus is on providing opportunities for the Bolivian producers. Engaging private sector actors can be effective and yes, there are benefits to Canadians, but for my development dollar I want the focus to be on the people who need it.

With Canada’s development assistance in decline, current estimates are at just 0.25 per cent of our gross national income (GNI), we could take a page from the U.K. They displayed great leadership this week when they announced in their budget that they would be dedicating 0.7 per cent of their GNI to reduce global poverty. This makes the U.K. the first of the G8 countries to reach a globally agreed target for wealthy nations first posited by Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson in the 60s. This was achieved despite the threat of a triple dip recession and in an austerity budget. The U.K. knows that global development will deliver a more balanced and resilient global economy and trigger a domino effect of improved health, education, security and good governance.

Canada has been a leader in global development; remember in 2008 when our government was lauded for its efforts to untie aid? This took leadership. It put the needs interests of the poor first. That is the kind of leadership we need. Our money has helped spur economic development so people can feed their families and send their children to school. It saved lives by increasing access to health care. It has empowered women, advanced human rights and contributed to good governance around the world. It has made a real difference in the lives of millions and it is crucial that our long-term plans for development dollars not be trumped by business and diplomatic interests. Regardless of economic interests at home, this money is allocated to put an end to extreme poverty, and we cannot lose sight of its purpose. We have to stop shuffling the deck and start dealing in real change.

Girls Creating Change

If we ever thought, even for a moment that girls were treated equally and with respect, the illusion was so clearly and brutally shattered last month with the horrific news about Malala Yousafzai, the 14 year old girl from Pakistan who was hunted down and shot by the Taliban for the sin of simply going to school.   This is clearly an extreme, but it sheds light on the fact that many girls around the world do not get to enjoy the most basic of human rights. 

As you may know, the United Nations declared October 11, 2012 as the world's first International Day of the Girl Child and Canada has led the international community in adopting this day. The example of Malala Yousafzai is one of many that show why such a day is so important.   Around the world, girls face many significant barriers when trying to get educated and make a living, such as early and forced marriage, abuse and extreme poverty.  This day helps to not only shine a light on the discrimination that girls face, but also on the amazing and inspiring work that women and girls are carrying out to change their communities and their world.

We need to seize this moment and turn our collective outrage at what happened to Malala into a call to action. We can speak out and we can support the very courageous women and girls who are fighting on the frontlines. And we can choose to invest in the women and girls who are making change happen. 

At Crossroads, we have chosen to invest in women and girls.  When we see a promising idea, we will support partners to pilot and scale up programs and then to share what they have learned with others.  One exceptional example is the Girls’ Empowerment Clubs piloted with Crossroads longtime partner, the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA).   Launched in 2008, the Girls Empowerment Program allows 400 school-aged girls from across Swaziland to find a safe space to share their experience of abuse. They receive counselling, learn about their rights and how HIV is transmitted, and engage in discussions around sexual abuse and violence. They are also encouraged to become leaders themselves.  Initial results are promising. More girls are coming forward with their experiences of abuse and getting help. In the first year alone, teachers reported that teen pregnancy dropped by half.  And school attendance and academic performance of club members has markedly improved.  The program hopes to keep empowering girls in the years to come and ensure that they are better equipped to assert their rights and become the leaders of tomorrow.

We are also very fortunate to have the support and leadership of Cebile Manzini Henwood is Executive Director of SWAGAA as a member of our board of directors. One of the best things about my job is that I get to meet and work with some truly amazing women.  Cebile has many accomplishments and professional credentials, but more than all of that  she is a feminist survivor advocate who is passionate about women’s rights and about life and she believes that we are all here for a purpose and we only finding meaning in life when we begin to fulfill that purpose.  You can learn more about Cebile, SWAGAA and our work in Girls Empowerment through the podcast available at this address: http://www.cintl.org/podcasts

Read more about the importance of the UN Day of the Girl Child and SWAGAA’s Girls Empowerment Programs in Karen’s opinion piece, published in the Vancouver sun on October 10th, 2012. The piece also appeared in the Saskatchewan Star Phoenix the next day : 

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Smart+investments+protect+rights+girls+change+world/7369946/story.html#ixzz2AiCXuJoR