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GCAP eletter 14

 GCAP Together for Equality English

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 THE GCAP E-LETTER 2007

 November 20th 2007 - Edition #14

  

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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,

Having allowed a little time for everyone to catch a breath after the hectic mobilisation activities in October, we felt the time was right to update you all on the latest GCAP developments and resume our weekly newsletters.

Firstly, to anyone who the words of congratulations may not have reached, many thanks and well done for your tremendous work during the October.  You mobilised millions and raised awareness of the need for urgent measures to end poverty.  The impact is still being measured but we have already gathered encouraging reports (see details of reporting procedure below) and are proud that there is evidence of growing participation and strong political impact on this Whiteband day of action.  There was a presentation of the official certificate for 43.7 million from Guinness World Records last week so do forward details of this to your members/colleagues who took part – see below a picture and release for use in internal communications.

GCAP has initiated a discussion among its constituents (mainly IFT, Mobilization Taskforce, regions and other constituency groups) on the possible options/ strategies/ alternatives to Stand Up and Speak Out for the year 2008. A decision will be taken by the end of December.   Please do make some time in the coming weeks to make sure you have sent us all the reporting questionnaires that we require to make sure your voice is heard.

The political element this year was carried through to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in late October when the chain of global performances of the Poverty Requiem was concluded and some good lobbying efforts gave GCAP high visibility.  One outcome has been an IMF announcement that funding has been secured to relieve Liberia’s debt- news welcomed by our GCAP coalition but which we hope will not be delayed unduly and spells the beginning of a longer period of re-growth for their war- torn country.  A follow-up lobby letter was drafted and issued in all languages so that coalitions to keep the heat up after the day of action.  Click here if you wish to download it and use it again.

The discussion and consultations on the proposed future organizational structure of GCAP concluded this week. The IFT provisionally approved the draft future structure proposal 2007 pending comments from Middle East and Africa. A small steering committee based on the representation from Co-Chairs, IFT support team and structure group has been formed to oversee and facilitate implementation of transition plan. The new structures will be in place in the next 18 months.

Recent weeks have also brought many difficult moments for GCAP coalitions from political and natural disasters, impacting on the lives of the poor and destabilising the efforts of our campaigners.  A powerful cyclone hit Bangladesh, killing thousands ,devastating the lives of millions and presenting a huge challenge to GCAP members already under strain to respond to the flooding earlier this year. We are heartened to hear that our GCAP colleagues in CAMPE in Bangladesh are working around the clock to help and have already donated one days salary to kick-start relief efforts.  We are concerned however that their reports depict a situation far worse than some initial media coverage indicated. Chile too has been victim of natural disaster when an earthquake hit the North of the country leaving over 15,000 people homeless and prompting an emergency response from civil society as well as the state.

Political upheaval has been in the air too. Pakistan has undergone a period of extreme instability under emergency rule imposed by General Musharraf causing considerable unrest across the region.  Tragically, active GCAP Philippines member, Niki Hayudini, was killed in a bomb blast at Manila’s House of representatives on November 13th. Niki had worked tirelessly to mobilise Filipinos on October 17th as part of Stand Up & Speak Out, involving youth in ending poverty in his home city of Basilan. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. GCAP issued a statement condemning the attack and GCAP Philippines members attended a memorial service last weekend.  Our sympathies and solidarity lies with all who have been affected by these events.

Coming up

We will ensure GCAP’s visible presence at the UNFCCC meetings on climate change in Bali, Indonesia. December 8th is the big day of action you can get involved in  so please visit the Call for Action from GCAP national platforms on whiteband.org, and e-mail Ben Margolis at bmargolis@oxfam.org.uk for more information or to be involved in GCAP plans for the meetings.  We will also be making sure GCAPs position is heard at the EU/Africa summit in Lisbon, Portugal (December 8 – 10). More details on both these events will be available at www.whiteband.org.

Following so many frustrating delays over two years our GCAP Ethiopia colleagues Daniel and Netsanet have been told they will know their fate on Thursday Nov. 22nd. Kumi has offered to be in the courtroom in Addis to support them and we are working to ensure their story gets covered by African and international media.  There is an important action below which we would like you all to support.

Finally, Support Team Intern Joe Cressy, who added so much to our mobilisation efforts on October 17th, especially on the Banners project, has moved on to work in Kumi’s office.  We will miss him but are glad that he, like Katsuji, remains in CIVICUS in Johannesburg should we need to call on him for his energetic inputs from time to time. 

Irfan Mufti, GCAP Campaign Manager & the IFT Support Team


MOBILISATION Update

 
Reporting on what happened in your country on October 17th
If you have not already done so, please mail sarah.gregory@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 and return this no later than November 28, 2007.

Following up on the mobilisation with letters to politicians
To encourage more political impact we send all coalitions a note signed by the GCAP IFT Co-Chairs which could be adapted and sent to local politicians, heads of state etc. to encourage follow up.  It is still posted here, so use this at any appropriate lobby moments.

Banners Project Report
30 countries from every region of the world displayed Banners on the 16th and 17th of October. The Banners were large (10 kilometres in Pakistan), colourful (multi-colored in Afghanistan) and representative of the population (Canada had chapters from across the country create banners).  In the Fiji Islands students carried their banners in the streets and in Accra, Ghana campaigners surrounded the Independence Square with banners.  In South Korea banners adorned the sides of buildings and in Switzerland campaigners highlighted the promised 0.7%GNP for foreign aid on banners.

To keep this project alive now there are two simple things you can do:

  • E-mail sarah.gregory@civicus.org with photos and details of of your Banners Against Poverty so that we can compile reports from each country. Where did they come from?  How long were they?  Where were they displayed?
  • Prepare to send a small segment of your banner to an as yet undetermined physical address so that we can create a global banner for a future mobilization.

Events Coming Up

  • December 3 – 14 – UNFCCC climate change meetings in Bali.
  • December 8th – Day of action on Climate Change
  • December 8-10th – EU Africa Summit in Lisbon.  Members of GCAP Europe and GCAP Africa will be issuing a statement and will have a presence in Lisbon.
  • December 10th – launch of year to mark 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  GCAP to be invited to speak at launch in Johannesburg.
  • January 26, 2008 –World Social forum Week of Action

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

 

Reporting coverage from October 17th
Thanks to all who sent in their media reports from October 17th.  This is a work-in-progress so if you have not yet done so please e-mail what you can to ciara.osullivan@civicus.org and send any hard copies fax or post- check with Ciara for details.  We are cross checking coverage with the report compiled by the UNMC and will eventually have a hard copy available to bring to GCAP events and well as the coverage posted on www.whiteband.org with links to the media reports.  

Informing your GCAP affiliates that the Guinness Certificate was officially presented.
The photo of the official presentation by a Guinness World Records representative was taken in Milan last week with Kumi Naidoo accepting the cert on behalf of GCAP.  Please see if you can post this with the explanatory press note on your institutional website or in your next internal newsletter. Download from http://www.whiteband.org/media/pressreleases/guinness-world-record-official-presentation or http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/press/photos/guinness


Media around mobilisations in 2008
As discussions are now underway on what shape the 2008 GCAP mobilisation should take, we welcome your comments on the media implications of each model as well.  Please send any comments/ recommendations or views on how to strengthen GCAPs media profile and around days of action to Ciara.

Media activity since October 17th and ahead

  • November 13th – Official presentation of the Guinness World Records certificate for the 4.7 million people mobilised on the 17th of October in a 24 hour period.  This happened in Milan a release and photo were issued.
  • November 14th – Statement from GCAP Liberia and GCAP Global on the IMF announcement that Liberia’s debt would be relieved thanks to contributions from members.
  • November 15th – Statement condemning terrorist attack on Manila Congress and lamenting death of GCAP activist Niki Hayudidi
  • November 16th & 19th – Press advisory on the upcoming verdict in trial of GCAP Ethiopia members Daniel and Netsanet
  • November 20th – Press note prepared on Bangladesh floods
  • December 1st – Release on GCAP’s presence at Bali Climate Change conference to be issued
  • December 6th – Release on GCAP’s presence at Lisbon EU Africa Summit to be issued
  • December 8th – Release on GCAP coalition actions around DAY of Action on Climate Change and quotes.

 

E-COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE


GCAP Online community: Please help us updating the list of GCAP Websites Operators, by contacting Henri. The GCAP online community will be contributing to the general GCAP online strategy for 2008/2010 that will include:
•    developing a better global branding
•    tailoring global/regional and national email letters and e-actions
•    supporting national and local e-actions
•    supporting countries willing to develop new national sites
•    sharing best practices among GCAP sites
•    etc.

Whiteband.org: The whiteband.org serves as a global portal for GCAP and its constituencies and strives to strengthen the GCAP network. Click here to read its mission statement.
The website has been refurbished, its language navigation has improved and several volunteers are working hard to upload content in the various languages. If you want to support, or to give feed-back, please contact the language volunteer editors:
•    Arabic: Hikmat: hikmat@annd.org
•    French: Marie-Gabrielle: mgdenizet@club-internet.fr
•    Portuguese: Dermeval: airesjr@gmail.com
•    Spanish: Analia: info@lasociedadcivil.org and Sofia: sofia@lasociedadcivil.org
Copy to: Henri
Login access is being created for all national coalitions that will allow you to update your page, and photo gallery, and to post blogs. Please contact Henri, in order to get your login name and password. Henri will also provide guidelines and online support.

Testimonies-whiteband.org: The newly created Testimonies-whiteband.org is a common space for campaigners and the general public to get involved and share their personal experiences with the GCAP campaign or first-hand experiences with the movement’s core issues. On this website, GCAP’s primary goals will serve as a framework from which to organize personal stories that intersect with GCAP campaign, accountability, debt, aid, trade and gender issues. You can register here. Once your registration is approved, you can post stories and photos.

GCAP Videos page : Our friends from UBUNTU created a specific page for GCAP videos. See the videos which have been posted already. You can easily add your video here.

Deadline extended: Join the GCAP E-Activism Study (by Brian Cugleman): So far, many websites operators have joined the GCAP E-Activism Study. If you are not yet participating, we invite to complete the online questionnaire and to invite others to do so by linking it on your GCAP website's homepage.  The study's closing date been extended till the end of December which means the sooner you join, the more feedback we can collect for you.

To join, just place one of the following hyperlinks (in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish) on you GCAP website's homepage. And use this sentence in your hyperlink "Could you spare a moment to tell us what you think about our websites".


Some useful links


The GCAP IFT Support Team

Irfan Mufti, Campaign Manager 
Ciara O’Sullivan, Media and Communication Coordinator (E-letter editor)
Sarah Gregory, Outreach and Mobilization Coordinator  
Henri Valot, Web and New Media Coordinator 
Caitlin Blaser, Campaign Officer
Tebogo Sililo, Support Team Volunteer

GCAP IFT support team
C/O CIVICUS
PO Box 933, Southdale 2135
Johannesburg – South-Africa
Email: info@whiteband.org
Tel: + 27 11 833 59 59    Fax: + 27 11 833 97 79

GCAP Works on
Accountability Trade Aid Debt Gender Climate Chaos