Ahead of this month's G-8 meetings in Italy a group of Micah Challenge partner organisations met to make a statement to the G-8 members on the continued importance of working towards the Millennium Development Goals. The following is a comment on that meeting:

"Emergency" is a word that resounds loudly and often in the lands where earthquakes hit. In the Abruzzo region, after the terrible earthquake in early April, life there moved into emergency mode. But similarly, the world at large is in a state of emergency, a different kind of emergency where global poverty is devastating lives and continues to broaden its grip. Now is the time to reverse the tide and to approach this global emergency with emergency type measures. And evangelicals are in the forefront of this process.

It’s done: NZAID is merged back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the key focus statement is changed from ‘poverty alleviation’ to ‘sustainable economic growth’.

However, perhaps the Government did listen to some of our protests. Although NZAID is merged back into the ministry, we are assured that it will not be the same as in the days before its establishment. NZAID will continue to exist as an organisation within MFAT, with specialist staff, its own budget, and its own priorities (although these will have to be aligned with overall foreign affairs policy). Initially at least, the changes are designed to ensure budget savings by rationalising management and financial systems through the whole Ministry. While we continue to oppose the use of development aid as a foreign policy tool, the promise of continued budget increases is welcome. If the saving achieved by the merger means that the total amount of money goes further, then we will all be cheering!

The new statement of NZAID priorities, while, as promised, putting economic growth at the top, continues to include the basic poverty oriented development principles:

"Through its development assistance, NZAID supports activities that encourage economic growth; help to create safe, just and inclusive societies; fulfil basic needs; achieve environmental sustainability; and reduce hardship."
NZAID Currents magazine, April 2009

"We call upon Christians around the world to express their solidarity in light of the recent acts of deplorable violence in the Peruvian Amazon that have left at least 40 people dead and more than 100 wounded in clashes between indigenous communities and Peruvian police. Indigenous groups have been protesting against a series of laws signed last year by President Alan Garcia that expands foreign energy, agricultural and mining investment in the Amazon jungle. These laws undermine the local population’s right under international law to consultation regarding the development of the land and its resources. The native population’s main concerns is the Legislative Decree 1090, which shrinks the size of Peru's Forestry Heritage protection system, leaving roughly 60 percent of Peru's jungles unprotected and open for potential exploitation."

What can you do to encourage the Government to take seriously the issues of global poverty? What can you do to make people around you more aware of the issues? What can you do to get your Church or youth group involved and doing something?

Start planning now!