Category: Uncategorized
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On it’s tenth anniversary, the Global Fund is in crisis
First posted on Left Foot Forward Saturday was the tenth anniversary of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. There are some incredible results to celebrate: 7.7 million lives saved; 3.3 million people on AIDS treatment; more than one million pregnant women on treatment to protect their babies from HIV; more than 8.6 million…
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Gordon Brown’s blueprint for reform of global education may soon become reality
As reported on Left Foot Forward With almost 70 million children of primary school age not in school, a figure set to rise by 2015 and not fall to zero as promised in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), urgent action is required,Gordon Brown said this week. In his new report, “Delivering on the promise, building opportunity:…
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Gareth Thomas MP: Where do we go after the millennium development goals?
First posted on Left Foot Forward by Gareth Thomas MP (Labour, Harrow West), shadow universities minister and minister for international development until 2010 The millennium development goals have been remarkably successful in galvanising political leaders, civil society organisations, parts of the private sector, trade unions, and donors in the pursuit of tackling global poverty. Britain has undoubtedly…
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Conservatives to meet aid target by counting ‘made up’ debt relief as aid
First posted on Left Foot Forward The Conservatives are to count the cancelling the debt of countries as part of the aid target to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid by 2014, including countries such as Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe. Although governments have previously counted such cancellations as aid spending, they have not used that spending to…
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LGBT Labour Event – Towards a progressive foreign policy on LGBT rights
Our friends at LGBT Labour are hosting this event this week. Towards a progressive foreign policy on LGBT rights 6.30pm to 8pm, Tuesday 17th January The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament 76 countries still prosecute people on the grounds of their sexual orientation. In 10 of those nations, you can be sentenced to…
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Voucher schemes and low-fee private schools are not the answer
Kevin Watkins, senior research fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues in a recent article for the Guardian that a global fund is needed to meet the MDG Goal to achieve universal primary school education by 2015. In arguing for a global fund Watkin’s criticises the Conservative government for advocating the use of voucher schemes and support…
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LCID write for this month’s Total Politics magazine
In this month’s Total Politics magazine, we critique the Conservative-led government’s record on international development so far; When David Cameron addressed the Conservative Party conference in September, he cited his party’s protection of the aid budget as an example of his government’s international leadership. That ring-fencing is welcome, especially when contrasted with the actions of…
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Aid should not be cut by £1.2bn because of Osborne’s mismanagement of the economy
As posted on Left Foot Forward Whilst the Conservatives’ misguided austerity drive is hurting hard working families up and down the country, this government has at least claimed that they would not be balancing the books on the back of the world’s poorest people. Indeed, only on Monday did secretary of state Andrew Mitchell say in an interview with…
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Rushanara Ali MP: Where’s the International Leadership on International Development?
Rushanara Ali, Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow and part of the Shadow International Development team writes in Huffington Post this week about the importance of leadership at the Busan Forum on Aid Effectiveness saying; Busan should not just be another photo opportunity where leaders substitute rhetoric for action. This is an opportunity…
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Osborne announces £1.17 billion cut in UK aid budget in Autumn Statement
Today Chancellor George Osborne has announced an effective £1.17billion cut in the aid budget. He said; Let me turn to other areas of public spending, starting with overseas aid. This Government will stick by the commitments it has made to the poorest people in the world by increasing our international development budget – and the…
Labour Campaign for International Development 