One of the highlights of the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Summit was a forum run in partnership with the Australian Youth Forum (AYF). Participants collaborated to develop solutions around ‘how Australia can show global leadership in achieving the Millennium Development Goals’. Youth from across Australia were also able to participate through an online forum. The ideas from the forum have been collated in the following report, which the AYF sent to both the Minister for Youth and AusAid. These important decision makers are presented with four key recommendations, which come directly from Australia’s youth:
- Increase Official Development Assistance to 0.7% of gross national income
- Ensure aid is better targeted towards those in need
- Deliver more aid through non-government organisations
- Establish AusAID as a separate government department
Check out the full report here.
The Queensland S4S Team has been busy over the past few months, with events at The Queensland Academy of Creative Industries, The Queensland Academy of Science, Maths and Technology, Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, Queensland Academy of Health Science and Marsden State High School. Have a read of what some of our S4S seed groups are getting up to!
With arguable success, organisations like AusAID have increasingly engaged the PNG government through contractors of technical assistance – a move aimed to increase native decision making power over policy and development initiatives. Under the terms of conventional development practice, decisions had been seemingly forced upon the PNG’s central government. Free universal primary education for example, being a pillar for the first National Education Plan (NEP), was implemented using a model that was simply inappropriate for those areas beyond the National Capital District. Indeed, the same challenges currently haunt the 2ndNEP – serving to highlight the capacity (and capability) gaps between Port Moresby and its neighbouring provinces. Read More
If you noticed the Oaktree Twitter feed going a bit wild this week, it’s because a bunch of us had the pleasure of attending the United Nations Department of Information (UNDPI) conference at Melbourne’s Exhibition Centre.
The theme, “Advance Global Health: Achieve the MDGs” was chosen to refocus our efforts on achieving goals 4, 5 and 6: “reduce child mortality”, “improve maternal health” and “combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases”. Read More
Sifiso Dlamini is a Senior Peer Educator (Year 11) at Siqongweni Secondary School which is located near Pietermaritzburg. He is 20 years old. Sifiso is known in his school community for being a respectful, committed and hard working student.
Sifiso strongly believes that everyone has the power to change their own lives. He knows many young people around him who have many challenges to overcome in their lives, but he always encourages them to work through their problems and strive for a better future. Read More
August 9 is National Women’s Day in South Africa. On the 9th of August 1956 over 20,000 women of all walks of life in South Africa marched together to protest against the “pass” laws. Having a pass was the only way that African persons were allowed to enter areas reserved for white people only. Women who were protesting were at risk of arrest, detention and further sanctions on their freedom. Read More
Although the state is anticipated to earn over $1.2 billion in petroleum revenue this year alone and by the end of the year, to have accumulated over $6 billion in the Petroleum Fund, profits in the non-petroleum economy are much less impressive, just $96 million per annum.
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Counting down to 2015, what will it take to halve extreme poverty??
Be here next month, same time, same place, to grapple with the Millennium Development Goals on – the oaktree eXchange
Conversations in the last few weeks have spent little time focusing on Australia’s level of commitment to international aid and development. There has also been a lot of detail about nothing when it comes to a tangible timeline and our solid commitment to alleviate the impacts of climate change on the world’s poor.
Every minute 17 children die of preventable diseases, but it appears there have been more important issues in the minds of politicians. Read More
What are your thoughts on the Liberal Party’s call to create a Minister in charge of a Department for International Development? What will this mean for AusAid’s effectiveness, and more importantly, the world’s poor? Is a Minister enough, or will it take more to deliver outcomes for people in desperate need?
Paul Ronalds, former Deputy CEO of World Vision and Senior Adviser to the PM, will be right here online talking about exactly that on Tuesday August 17 from 4pm onwards. Jump onto The oaktree eXchange and have your say on aid effectiveness!
