Campaign blog

The foyer of the Department of International Development was transformed into a gallery when we unveiled the artwork created for the Put your foot down campaign yesterday. The artwork created by Riitta Ikonen uses customised shoes that you sent us to tell the stories of women affected by violence and HIV and AIDS.

Ivan Lewis, the Minister in charge of HIV and AIDS, spoke at the unveiling. He emphasised that DFID was strongly committed to doing more on violence against women, and promised that the UK would encourage other rich countries and the international community to do more on this issue. In the coming months, we’ll be following up both of these commitments.

The Minister also spoke with ActionAid partner Christiana Sutton Koroma, a women’s rights campaigner who recently worked with ActionAid to secure a series of important changes for women in Sierra Leone, and agreed to meet some of the women Christiana works with when he travels to Sierra Leone in a few weeks time.

I am preparing for an interview about Vedanta with Al Jazzera, who are planning a half hour long programme looking at Vedanta’s proposed mine in Niyamgiri Orissa, India.

Journalists have already visited the proposed mine site, where the local community are mounting an active resistance. The area is inhabited by the Khond tribes, indigenous people whose way of life is intimately connected to Niyamgiri. Their food, water supplies and culture depend on the mountain where the mine is planned. The Khond even see the mountain as the home of their supreme god.

The Khond people are the real stars of the show. My job is to help viewers link what is happening to India to our work here in the UK. Because Vedanta is listed on the London Stock Exchange, ActionAid is working in both the UK and in India to help the community try and stop the mine.

It is great that Al Jazeera are so interested in telling this story. Every time I think about Vedanta destroying the Khond’s sacred mountain, it makes me feel so sad and angry. If hearing about it makes you angry too, there is something you can do to help.  In the UK, you can add your support by sending an email to the Indian High Commissioner appealing for the project to be halted. ActionAid will keep you posted on the outcome and I will let you know when the programme airs.

More good news for our campaign to tackle tax havens. 

Gordon Brown outlined his priorities for the G20 summit in a speech yesterday, stating, “At the London Summit we will set out new measures to crack down on the tax havens that siphon off money from developing countries - money that could otherwise be spent on bed nets, vaccinations, economic development and jobs.”

We’ve been saying this for a little while, but until recently senior politicians have seemed reluctant to acknowledge the impact of tax dodging on developing countries.  This change of tone is real progress – but we still need to keep up the pressure to translate it into real change at the G20 summit in April.

To help keep the issue on the agenda, ActionAid is taking part in a public seminar in Jersey, examining the impact of tax havens and proposals for reform this Thursday – just before the G20 finance ministers meet to discuss final proposals for the main summit.

As the Observer pointed out this weekend there are so many protests around the G20 that it is hard to choose which to attend. I’ve decided the best way to decide is to focus on the issues which matter most to me: the impact of the global financial crisis on the poor and the threat of dangerous climate change.

I will definitely be going to Put People First on March 28. This event is organised by a host of charities, environmental groups and unions. It takes a holistic view of the different crises facing us: food, financial and climate. ActionAid is running two workshops to help people think about the connections.

If I were choosing what to do based on the coolest name, Fossil Fools Day on April 1st would have to be my top choice. Sadly I don’t have time to organise an action myself, so I think I will have to give this one a miss.

I am more likely to get involved with Climate Camp in the City. They are gathering at noon on April 1st for 24 hours of camping, workshops, protest, and positive alternatives. I won’t be able to make it at noon, but I will be going along after work. To make up for being late I aim to take at least 10 people with me.