One billion Catholics back global poverty campaign

One billion Catholics back global poverty campaign

Sydney, February 9, 2007._ Caritas Australia has joined Catholics throughout the world to pressure the richest countries to live up to their promises to end poverty.

Catholic aid and development networks Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE launched the campaign “Make Aid Work. The World CaN’t Wait” in Rome today aimed at building a global mobilisation urging the world’s most powerful leaders to keep promises made at the 2005 G8 Summit and deliver at this year’s G8 summit.

Finance Ministers of the world’s seven most industrialised countries (G7) meet 9-10th of February in Essen Germany in preparation for the G8 meeting in June 2007. Caritas and CIDSE say poverty in the developing world must be their priority.

“Our campaign is aimed at engaging Catholics throughout the world in speaking out against the injustice of global poverty” said Jamie Isbister, acting CEO of Caritas Australia.

“We have the promises now we need the commitment – millions of lives are depending on it. Unless these pledges are backed with concrete action, we are in grave danger of failing to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 “

Christiane Overkamp, Secretary General of CIDSE, said “It is a scandal that 121 million girls and boys in developing countries do not have the chance to go to school. We need to see an increase in development aid, but also to improve how we deliver that aid. Delivering promised debt relief will finally allow Africa to invest in its own future instead of servicing unfair loans also need to be followed through”.

“The quantity of aid we give is important but the quality of our aid is also crucial. Recent reports in Australia suggest that not enough of our aid is focused on challenging poverty and delivering to those who are most in need. We are focused on the G8, but all countries, including Australia, need to ensure the MDGs are front and centre of their development agendas’ said Mr Isbister

“We welcomed the increase in Australia’s aid to $4 billion by 2010 and a key emphasis of the Make Aid Work campaign is to ensure that this increased funding bolsters the focus on health and education in the Australian aid program and for all aid donors”, concluded Mr Isbister.

ENDS

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