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Original poster

Bicnod's going to the G8 for you lot - come and post your thoughts, questions, ideas

116 replies

Bicnod · 13/06/2013 14:07

Right, so I'm off to the G8 Summit on Sunday representing YOU LOT as part of the IF Campaign. This is a Very Scary Thing.

Original thread here - I was chosen because I am extremely clever and interesting, and not just because Justine picked my name out of a hat

I'll be there as part of the IF@G8 bloggers project - see here for mugshots - I'm the one at the bottom hugging a random child. I'm slightly unnerved by the blogging prowess of the others

The main point of the IF campaign is that there is enough food in the world for everyone, but not everyone has enough food. One in eight people go to bed hungry every night and over three million children die each year through malnutrition.

I think we're all agreed that this is not on.

IF the G8 leaders act now to increase aid, clamp down on tax dodgers, support small scale farmers and stop land grabs, then 2013 could be the beginning of the end for global hunger. More info on all the ishoos here

So what do you lot think? What do you want me to say to the G8 leaders if I get the chance? Are we still interested in biscuits or have we moved on? I can't remember if we ever got an answer from DC on that point.

Any opinions, questions, stories, general musings welcome.

I love MN by the way - I've been here since 2008. I first posted (different username) while on a work trip to Ethiopia. I found out I was pregnant with DS1 on the day I flew and needed some reassurance - I got it and have been here ever since.

I want to do you all proud so please pile in.

:)

OP posts:
liger · 14/06/2013 13:32

On the trade vs Aid debate I have found some concise bits of info for you. The guardian article is an up update overview of the debate happening at the G8 global level.

m.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/apr/22/trade-facilitation-barriers-international-commerce

And I found this 2 minute video which sums up the trade barrier argument better than I could

m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Q0Db6wfX59E&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQ0Db6wfX59E

Also related to the above and the IF campaign focus on Transparency of companies is the way many developing loose out on trade as the processing of the raw goods they produce is done elsewhere. It is the processing which adds the value, and therefore the bulk of the financial gain made from producing goods sourced from the developing world does not trickle back to support the communities that produced them.

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 12:26

Right - off to deal with some RL stuff. Will be back to check on thread later.

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed so far - you're brilliant and I love you all. Mwah.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 12:24

Thanks johnworf - you're absolutely right, it's a worldwide issue.

As I understand it, when the IF Campaign talks about ending world hunger it means for everyone everywhere, so very relevant.

OP posts:
johnworf · 14/06/2013 11:54

Bicnod I mean primarily in this country but hey, there are so many people around the world in the same situation then yes, it should be a global matter...and I'm not just talking about the 3rd world countries either. It's everyone.

There is enough wealth in the world to feed and clothe those in need. Get it trickling down to them.

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 11:26

@Salbertina - it's really interesting to hear the urban perspective.

So some of the pledged aid needs to be targeted towards supporting people in urban areas to grow their own food, not just focused on small-scale farmers in rural areas.

Also a very good point about getting leaders from developing countries to guest at the G8.

It's a bit of an odd line up actually isn't it?

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Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 11:21

@SacreBlue - thanks for the heads up - will watch it later. Probably over dinner instead of EastEnders. Now THAT is true commitment and self-sacrifice.

Or you can give me a beautiful synopsis in layman's terms of what was said?

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Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 11:16

x-posts again liger

Thank you - it would be really helpful to have some more info on the trade barrier issue.

Yes yes to the role of women and mothers in tackling hunger.

One of the IF Campaign aims is for the G8 to ensure more aid is directed towards supporting small-scale farmers, the majority of which are women, to grow their own food to support their families.

There's also the issue of land grabs which hasn't come up yet: big companies (usually multinationals) buying up acres and acres of land and chucking small farmers off with little or no compensation. This disproportionately impacts on women as the majority of small-scale farmers are women, and their rights to land ownership are often severely lacking.

What do we think about that? I think land grabs sit quite nicely with the transparency ishoo - companies should be forced to be honest about how their actions are impacting on local people. Then maybe they wouldn't do it, or at least local people would have more opportunity to demand adequate compensation.

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Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:59

@liger - HA! Just noticed our Ethiopia connection. That is spooky.

I found out I was pregnant with DS1 a few hours before I was due to fly out. Had a huge panic about malaria tablets (I didn't take them - I rerouted my trip to be low risk instead) and no time to think at all.

Spent three weeks collecting stories and photos on the food crisis to bring back for the fundraising team to use to raise emergency funds. I wrote a very small blog while I was out there - couldn't send much back as very little internet access - will see if it's still up on the website.

Most of the time I was completely cut off from home (limited internet/phone didn't work) - it was a weird bubble to live in.

That trip was one of the reasons I care so much about this stuff. I spoke to devastated mothers who couldn't feed their children and saw malnourished babies in clinics who probably wouldn't make it. Heartrending stuff. And all the time knowing, that by pure accident of birth, my little bean would grow up to have everything he needed and more besides.

OP posts:
liger · 14/06/2013 10:58

Cross posts with Salbertina on dead aid

Also agree hugely with the tidal wave of urban poverty that is not being addressed.

But also the lack of investment in agriculture in Africa over the last 30 years. There is huge untapped potential in food production across the vastness of Africa, much is due to conflict, but much is to do with lack of access to markets and lack of support for innovation.

liger · 14/06/2013 10:52

'Any advances' - not 'and advances'

liger · 14/06/2013 10:51

Yes you got the right end of my rather long stick Smile I'm writing as much to contribute the the thread not just overload you with thoughts.

The IF campaign is saying the system is broken, transparency is one of their key stances. Trade barrier work to negate and advances gained through bilateral aid. It should be questioned I think. I will get back to you with some specifics.

I also want to write more about the role of women and mothers in tackling hunger and malnutrition - especially as we are Mumsnet. I need to do some stuff in the real world but ill be back.

You're doing great Biconod!

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:47

@PennieLane - yes yes to stopping the tax dodgers.

This is one issue that really makes my blood boil. Developing countries lose more to tax dodging than they receive in aid each year. That is CRAZY.

I read a story recently about a small market trader in Ghana who actually pays MORE TAX than the huge multinational (SabMiller BTW) next door. It's just wrong.

And you're right - this is completely relevant in our own country as well as in developing countries.

OP posts:
Salbertina · 14/06/2013 10:46

Agree- concept of "dead aid" -

Freepdfdb.com/pdf/dead-aid

By Damisa Moyo, a Zambian economist

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:40

liger - xposts - you're a multi-tasking goddess :)

Thanks - that's really really useful.

Your question is pretty humungous and my brain is a wee bit fuddled.

So you are asking if it would be better to stop bilateral aid altogether and focus on removing trade barriers with the countries we want to support instead? Is that right?

I know diddly squat about trade barriers - can you give me some examples?

OP posts:
Salbertina · 14/06/2013 10:40

Thanks, Bicnod! Guess priority should be to get key decusionmakers from such countries as guests to the G8 table

Salbertina · 14/06/2013 10:37

Just to add from my (urban) SA perspective, vast numbers of people are moving away from rural areas to the cities due to lack of employment, poor schools etc. don't honestly think initiatives to support small scale farmers wd do much to stem this tide unless massive subsidies, land reallocation etc etc involved.

Better in the short to medium term to help the many who have relocated to learn the skills to tend their small front yard (if they are lucky enough to have one!) set up community allotments etc

Innovations like this -
nb-wonderbag.com/Pages/WonderbagImpactSubpage

are also key- its labour intensive and often unsafe to cook in a shack which limits how much cooking is done at home. Cooking on paraffin stoves is the primary cause of the many home fires here.

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:31

@Salbertina - thank you for your PM :) You clearly know a lot about this stuff. You mentioned education as being key and I totally agree. I know that one of the IF campaign aims is to have more Aid directed towards nutrition specifically so will find out what that actually means and if that includes nutrition education etc.

I also agree about transparency being a crucial issue. What do we want the G8 specifically to do to ensure this is addressed?

The IF Campaign is pushing for the UK government and big companies to be more open about their actions that affect people in developing countries, but what could be done to ensure developing country governments are themselves more transparent and therefore more easily held to account by their own people?

OP posts:
liger · 14/06/2013 10:28

Typed that Essay on phone whilst boobing DD

liger · 14/06/2013 10:24

The issue of transparency is tied up in issues of accountability and governance.

There are several different types of Aid.

When the uk government gives to NGO's it's very tightly monitored and funds move through systems that are in independant of the country where works take place. Any problem with funds being misused would be at the very local level and be small in the scheme of things. NGO's have lead the way in developing monitoring and evaluation techniques - many of which are now used across local government In the UK.

When the UK government gives to the UN it is also fairly rigorously monitored and separate from the government coffers in the recipient country. A separate question here would be the value of the enormous bureaucracy of the UN system in relation to the quality it offers in some areas if it work.

When the UK government gives aid money directly to another government in terms of a bilateral agreement ( where misapropiration of funds is more possible) you run into issues of accountability. The UK government are accountable to us as taxpayers, but the recipient government is only accountable to their taxpayers. In many countries with serious poverty issues these chains of governance are weak, we can only attempt to influence them and support them in achieving good governance. They have no obligation to account to us for the aid that we give them.

So I personally think a key question for the G8 is about the future of bilateral aid, and whether breaking down trade barriers would be more appropriate in its effect in lifting people out of poverty, especially after DFID got their fingers burned in Rwanda and Ethiopia where they had big bilateral agreements over the first half of last decade.

Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:19

@johnworf hugs gratefully accepted

When you say wealth inequality and those at the bottom being driven into poverty do you mean in the UK specifically?

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Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:14

@LackaDAISYcal - thanks for the MN best.

That reminds me, I need to work out what to wear

Good point about supermarkets/food retailers giving surplus stock to charity. Will add it to the list. The IF Campaign is about stopping hunger worldwide, and that includes the UK, so very relevant.

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Original poster
Bicnod · 14/06/2013 10:05

Morning lovely people :)

Just getting my head together and will read through thread and respond.

OP posts:
SacreBlue · 14/06/2013 10:02

Hi Bicnod, thanks for the invite Grin

You may find the pre conference interesting, it's on now but you can watch later too

I will have a think and come back in a bit :)

liger · 14/06/2013 09:59

Hi Biconod!

You're doing great! I hope you are less frazzled this morning! Hey we have something in common - I also realised I was pregnant with DS1 on a work trip to Ethiopia, how spooky is that! But mine was in 2005
BA lost my luggage, so I ended up running a workshop in the highlands in the one ( linen) outfit I travelled in - I had to wrap myself in blankets for dinner and breakfast !!