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GCAP e-letter 18 December 2007 - Edition #16

GCAP Together for Equality English

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THE GCAP E-LETTER 2007

December 18^th 2007 - Edition #16

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The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing alliance of trade unions, community groups, faith groups, women and youth organisations, NGOs and other campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. The white band is our symbol and expression of solidarity against poverty.

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Dear Friends,

The year is drawing to a close and all over the world members of many GCAP coalitions are preparing to spend the holidays with loved ones. May I start this last e-letter of 2007 by wishing you all a very peaceful and happy holiday season and a year ahead filled with hope and success in your work and personal lives.

Remember you have until December 20th to submit your views on the best GCAP mobilisation options document 2008 along with regional and local campaigning events and ideas. Please view here the mobilisation options document 2008 and send your comments to Irfan.mufti@civicus.org if you have not already commented.

Now some updates:

Bali - Many of you will have been following the news from the climate change conference in Bali and share our concern that the outcome lacked a commitment on reducing harmful emissions. GCAP representatives worked tirelessly on the ground to keep the poverty and climate change issue at the forefront of discussions so we had hoped that adoption of the Bali Roadmap would have included binding targets to reduce carbon emissions, alleviating the poor who are feeling the effects of climate change so acutely. The news of a new climate adaptation fund for poor countries was greeted warmly by GCAP but with reservations about how the fund will be managed and concerns that not enough money has been committed to it so far.

Thanks to all who mobilised on the 8th of December, your participation showed civil society’s desire for action on climate change. Check out our webpage, the Bali Blog for a sense of what the meetings were like and let us know your thoughts on how GCAP should move forward on this issue in the months ahead.

Lisbon - The historic EU/ Africa Summit in Lisbon also concluded without the desired effect although we were proud to see so many African governments stand their ground by refusing to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements being pushed so hard by the EU. What this means however is that as of Jan 1st, the EU will go ahead with imposing trade tariffs on the countries which refused to sign, adding to the hardship suffered by many already and offering no real alternative to the leaders who rightly expressed concern over the way the deals had been done. GCAP Europe and GCAP Africa continue to lobby on behalf of those who will be affected by these deals and call for some interim agreements. Visit the Africa-EU Summit 2007 page

Rights Campaign – Kumi Naidoo represented GCAP and CIVICUS last week at the launch of the Every Human Has rights Campaign which will mark the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights next year. GCAP has agreed to support this campaign in 2008 as part of the ongoing mobilisation focusing on poverty and human rights and linking the petition to whiteband.org. GCAP will be a campaign hub partner for Council of Elders on this campaign. Please click here to sign the petition and see what you can do to support this important initiative.

Japanese G8 – GCAP’s G8 group have agreed an action to send a traditional New Year’s card to Japanese embassies in G8 countries and elsewhere calling on the governments to keep poverty eradication front and centre of their presidency. Where possible, the card will be presented as part of a media opportunity and supported by a press release. Anyone interested in getting more information can contact sarah.gregory@civicus.org

Structural –After the final approval of the GCAP future structure document 2007 by the IFT, a seven-member transition committee has been formed. The committee will help the IFT support team with the timely and effective implementation of the recommendations of the structure document and transition plan. The options for registering a GCAP Trust are being explored and the terms of reference and election process for the new and transition Governing Council has been approved by the IFT. The process will start in January 2008.

Finally, we invite you all to spend a moment online to send a much needed Christmas message of support to our Ethiopian colleagues Daniel and Netsanet who await the verdict in their trial again in Ethiopia on the 24th of December. Your words will provide great comfort whatever the outcome. Click here to get involved.

Kindest regards,

Irfan Mufti, GCAP Campaign Manager & the IFT Support Team

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Mobilisation Update

Reminder: Reporting on what happened in your country in 2007

If you have not already done so, please mail Tebogo.sililo@civicus.org in no more than 250 words for the country report section of the GCAP annual report. Please include:

• key mobilisation dates and activities

• political demands and impact.

Please also attach 2 photographs from your campaign this year.

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Media and Communications Update

In the past week the joint GCAP Europe/Africa press statement on the EU Africa summit has been issued and generated some coverage.

A photo stunt around the message of missed targets was set up in Bali last week and a press conference to link to the launch of the Indonesia MDG report, which GCAP SENCA led on. A reaction to the outcome of the meeting in Bali was issued over the weekend as well.

Media support to the G8 card campaign will be in the form of a draft media advisory for coalitions to use to invite press to their presentations. This will be on whiteband.org org soon.

Media activity to support the WSF week of action and possibly 3rd anniversary of GCAP will be scheduled for the second part of January. Details to follow.

Contact: ciara.osullivan@civicus.org for more information on GCAP media activities.

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e-Communications Update

Help Us Improve GCAP Websites

The GCAP website survey will soon close and we'd like to hear from you before the deadline, at the end of 2007. No matter what you do for GCAP, we'd appreciate if you could spare a moment to answer some questions. If you frequently use a particular GCAP website, we invite you to comment on it. If; however, you manage a GCAP website, we invite you to comment on WhiteBand.org instead.

Please select your preferred language: English - Español - Français - Português

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Some useful links