Will GCAP Make Poverty History?

 “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”                                      

Martin Luther King jnr

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) decided in Beirut in March 2006 to continue its work. Policy demands contained in the Johannesburg statement were confirmed in Beirut, with an emphasis on national accountability. Indeed, the issue of governance was brought to the fore and campaigners from the South and the North mentioned the importance of dealing with governance in their countries while also tackling global issues of debt, trade and aid. The decision was taken to keep our global policy messages at a broad and inclusive level in order to incorporate diverse sections of civil society at the global level. However, at the regional, national and local levels, more clearly focused and detailed policy constructions and messages targeting national governments and national change agendas are necessary.

We see now GCAP coalitions developing their demands and messages, based on the broad policy framework of the Beirut Declaration.

National platforms have increased from only 15 in January 2005 to approximately 115 in September 2006.  The formation of autonomous national platforms was part of the plan, building at the national level on existing organizations and networks, based on their own national concerns and contexts. The process of building a global campaign based on national coalitions and networks is very much a process in the making. The potential for building on existing coalitions, networks and organizations, of mobilization, varies by region and country depending on the political environment, the existence or strength of NGOs and existing coalitions and networks.

New partners are coming on board every week. Since there were less global events this year, coalitions focused on their own calendar, and respond to social and economic justice needs. The G20 was meeting in Australia, and Make Poverty History (MPH) Australia has been acting and supporting the involvement of other coalitions concerned, such as the South-African coalition. Hopefully, the actions promoted by MPH Australia will inspire follow up in South Africa in 2007. Equally, the Japanese coalition was involved in the civil society preparations for the G8 in Germany, as Japan will host the 2008 G8.

The way the campaign operates is therefore changing. GCAP 2006 is less driven by global events. The emphasis is on national demands and activities. GCAP campaigners support each other and national coalitions by sharing experiences, best practices, knowledge, analysis, materials and tools.  As a consequence, the 2005 International Facilitation Group became the International Facilitation Team (IFT), in which all regions are represented.  It took time to establish this international steering committee, but it is now fully operational; its members voice concerns, actions, from all parts of the world. The IFT represents national coalitions, international organisations, youth and children, workers and religious constituencies. Similar structures were established at the regional level, with the Asian, African and Latin American Facilitation Teams.

Where Are We Coming From?

GCAP was initiated as an international alliance of organizations, networks and national campaigns to pressure world leaders to act on poverty and hold them accountable for commitments they have made regarding debt, trade and aid.  It was conceived as a direct response to the opportunity (and challenge) presented by the congruence of three major international events to take place in one year, 2005. GCAP’s demands set forth in the Johannesburg Statement, adopted by consensus of 60-70 diverse organizations called broadly for eradication of poverty, trade justice, debt cancellation, significant increase in the quantity and quality of aid, and national efforts to eliminate poverty, with achievement of the MDGs as a first step.  GCAP’s goals were and are by necessity broad, to accommodate the very wide spectrum of viewpoints expressed by those present. Given accountability of representatives to their own organizational constituencies, the construction of a statement broad enough to encompass the whole, yet sharp enough to present an effective policy and lobbying platform meant that the consensus was a fragile one, and its maintenance a key challenge.

Justice delayed is justice denied

“First, was the realisation that there is a huge gap between the rhetoric of working to make the world a just place and the reality of implementation, particularly from those that wield immense power. So while we acknowledge the progress made every day in the lives of ordinary people around the world as a result of action taken by ordinary citizens for the public good, we must also acknowledge that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’’

An assessment of achievements reached in the course of 2005/2006 in relationship to the goals of the Johannesburg Statement would need a close monitoring. Multilateral debt write off, commitment to the largest single ODA increase ever, reduction of export subsidies by 1 billion/euros/year by 2013, and other gains made at the three international fora must be limited by the conditions attached to them. Above all these include forced expansion of liberalization and privatization, leading to erosion of public services and greater impoverishment.

Some gains were made in the area of gender equality through extensive collaboration among women’s groups.  The GCAP Feminist Task Force contributes to a growing recognition of the interrelationship of issues, help reconsidering the Johannesburg Statement, making stronger connections between issues of debt, aid and trades and the complex web of other human rights and social development issues.

While it is difficult to measure the policy impact of GCAP, there were some notable achievements in terms of constituency building.  The value of the various planned activities, concerts, stunts, demonstrations, lobbying, etc. was thought to be in their combination, rather than one or another singled out.  Some of the achievements were the increased mobilization with synergy created by the combination of high profile activities: concerts, stunts, demonstrations, march, etc., and the extensive global recognition of the white band, to symbolize a growing global social movement around issues of poverty. The political influence with elected political officials and leaders made possible by the mass mobilization, and the recognition and respect for GCAP in international fora, with space created for civil society input, e.g. the GA Informal Interactive Hearings. Finally, GCAP supporters wrote valuable MDG shadow reports, produced useful tool kits and information materials and established new and productive working relationships

A Global Call and a Modern Campaign

Some associations and partnerships have influenced the way in which GCAP is perceived, both to its benefit and its detriment.  Some saw GCAP as focusing on high visibility to the detriment of grass-roots mobilisation. At the same time, building on existing coalitions is central to GCAP’s strategy.  All our efforts this year were directed to dovetail with existing mobilizations and movements in order to gain support and achieve widespread mobilization. The need to create effective ties to national entities of such international bodies as the ITUC, and faith-based organizations operating at the local level has begun, with emphasis shifting from global fora and events to the regions and national platforms. 

Is this Global Call a Modern Campaign? Definitely, as the emblem of the campaign –the white band- and its national variations are in itself very appealing to the youth constituencies. GCAP uses a combination of actions: lobby work at the UN, the EU the AU and at government levels; evidence based advocacy with the public presentations of MDG shadow reports; media work and celebrity support, stunts, concerts; traditional marches, vigils and pickets; but also online campaigning, e-action using email, sms, faxes.

2006 Month of Mobilisation

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Month of Mobilisation 2006 was launched on September 16.  Coinciding with the World Bank (WB) / International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings, the launch aimed to highlight the harmful impact of World Bank and IMF policies on poor countries. Under the slogan of ‘We Must Have a Voice’,  GCAP highlighted the role the IMF and World Bank play in restricting the ‘voice’ of poor countries in determining their own economic policies, as well as highlighting the lack of ‘voice’ that poor countries have in the way the two institutions are governed. 

The Month of mobilisation culminated with the Stand Up against poverty event: between 11am on Sunday 15 October and 11am on Monday 16 October, 23,5 millions  people from all over the world stood up against poverty. They rose from sitting or kneeling to a standing position for one minute, while someone read a STAND UP pledge.

Will GCAP Make History?

GCAP did not make poverty history in 2005, but GCAP is truly based on the amazing efforts done by all the existing anti-poverty campaigns of the world. GCAP might make history by connecting CSOs and supporting their engagement with decision-makers at all level. If one should recognize that GCAP remains a fragile alliance, we see CSOs getting together and developing common actions and demands, based on the Beirut Platform. Some are using GCAP outreach to showcase their specific and unique experience and knowledge. Most of us know that CSOs are essential in the difficult exercise of “localising the MDGs” and of the promotion of the UN agreed goals.

There is an emergency. The crisis of poverty and inequality has reached an unbelievable scale. Over thirty thousand children are dying every single day just because they don’t have clean water, enough food or the most basic of medicines. More people have died from extreme poverty in the last ten years, than all of the wars of the 20^th century put together. And the most tragic thing about all of these deaths is that we can afford to stop them. The world has never been richer, yet we have never left so many to die. For all civil society and members of the public, GCAP is your call to get involved and show the world that we are a strong voice that cannot be ignored.

IFT Support team at CIVICUS - January 2007

CIVICUS provides support to the GCAP International Facilitation Team, with a small team, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. One of CIVICUS’ overall goals is to work towards breaking down barriers to effective collaboration within civil society. The MDGs initiative allows for the possibility to achieve this goal. Engaging around the MDG campaign will boost civil society’s capacity to engage national governments and intergovernmental bodies, while increasing their collective experiential knowledge of the politics and operational dynamics of engagement with governing institutions.