10 October 2006

International aid and economic expert to visit NZ

One of the authors of an international report focusing on how the War on Terror has diverted billions of dollars of aid away from the poorest regions of the world and into strategic military zones, is in New Zealand later this week.

Antonio Tujan Jr is based in The Philippines. He’s the Chairperson of the Board of Convenors for Asia Pacific Research Network, and is a Member of the Managing Committee of ‘Reality of Aid’.

Mr Tujan is one of the world’s foremost commentators and critics of trade liberalisation, globalisation and developments related to the World Trade Organsiation (WTO).

One of his most recent reports, produced by the Reality of Aid, says that since September 2001, international goals of poverty eradication guided by human rights, have been sidelined for the war on terror, resulting in increasing poverty for the world’s poorest.

Mr Tujan was a Founding Member of IBON Databank Philippines, a socio-economics research and publishing non-governmental organization, established in 1978.

He is active in other international networks and campaigns such as the global coalition on network on the APEC and the International Initiative on Corruption and Governance.

He is an active writer and speaker and was last in New Zealand for the NGO parallel conference during the APEC meeting in Auckland in 1999.

Mr Tujan is in New Zealand this week to speak at the Council for International Development AGM this Friday, 13th October. He will be speaking at 1-30pm at the Centre for Global Action, James Smiths Building, 49-55 Cuba St, Wellington.

ENDS

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