Interact

Autumn 2008

interactThe magazine of

ISSN 1816-045X

The future fordevelopment

Also in this issue:Zimbabwe behind the headlines

Speaking out for East TimorWater rights in El Salvador

issue 021 12/9/08 17:05 Page 1

interact Autumn 2008

Contents3 first person: rising to the challenge

4 agenda: foundation stones

4

insight: the future for development

6 The courage of our convictionsThe world needs a new vision of development

8 Ending poverty in a carbon-constrained worldDevelopment must be in the name of social justice

11 Hungry for changeA new model of agricultural production is essential

voices

13 What does development mean to you?Fresh thoughts on development

viewpoint

14 Opening up our visionParticipants in the People’s Summit show the way

15 Helping the grass growSoil and water conservation in Somaliland

Published September 2008 by Progressio

Unit 3, Canonbury Yard

190a New North Road

London N1 7BJ

tel +44 (0)20 7354 0883

fax +44 (0)20 7359 0017

e-mail [email protected]

website www.progressio.org.uk

Progressio Ireland

c/o CORI, Bloomfield Avenue

Off Morehampton Road

Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland

tel +353 (0)1 6144966

e-mail [email protected]

Charity reg. in Ireland no. CHY 14451

Company reg. no. 385465

Editor Alastair Whitson

Executive Director Christine Allen

Design Twenty-Five Educational

Printing APG (ISO 14001 accreditation for

international environmental standards).

Printed on REVIVE 100% chlorine free

recycled paper.

Recycle this magazine!

Progressio is the working name of the Catholic Institute for International Relations Charity reg. in the UK no. 294329 Company reg. no. 2002500

The views and opinions in Interact are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect Progressio policy.

16 analysis: Zimbabwe: between hope and fear

17 viewpoint: Zimbabwe: behind the headlines

18 action: East Timor: who cares?

20 viewpoint: Thirsting for change in El Salvador

The future fordevelopmentWords don’t have fixed meanings. Like travellers,they pick up baggage on their journeys, and arechanged by what they see and experience in theplaces they visit.

Development is one such word. Packed intothis one word is a continent of meanings thateven a full issue of Interact magazine can onlybegin to explore.

The word ‘development’ has always made meuncomfortable. It speaks too much from aNorthern perspective: we talk about ‘developingcountries’ as if they are a bit slow on the uptake,but if we help them out with a bit of aid andinstruction, they can be just like us – developed.

But if we are stuck with this word, we need toreclaim its meaning. Because the developmentthat Progressio aspires to is not about tellingpeople which way to go, but supporting them inthe direction they wish to travel.

Uncharted territories in early maps of the worldwere inscribed with the legend: ‘Here bemonsters’. Now we find that the monster we havecreated – the monster of perpetual economicgrowth, which enriches the rich and impoverishesthe poor – is everywhere. As Andrew Simms andothers argue in this Interact, we have becomepreoccupied with feeding this monster – notourselves.

Ultimately, the voices in this Interact are callingfor one thing: a vision of development that putspoor people first. One that refuses to accept ajourney that leaves so many people behind.

Let’s draw a new map together.

editorial

Cover picture: Children in Aileu, East Timor. Photo: Nick Sireau/Progressio

18

15

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 2

Autumn 2008 interact 3

and a goal to fulfill and no-one willbe satisfied with themselves unlessthey feel that they have fulfilledtheir duty to the very best.

And what more worthwhile orsacred mission can there be than tohelp someone or to save the life of ahuman being? I felt that this is thecore of our work in the Women’sForum for Research and Training andin this particular programme, so I decided to do it no matter howdifficult it was.

So I am very proud of myself andmy work. It was hard for me in thebeginning during the earlyworkshops, but later on thingsbecame easier. Right now I feel that Ihave gained a lot of knowledgeabout HIV and AIDS and the differingskills of interacting with others –with new people from differentspheres with different perceptions –and of coordinating differentactivities, taking care of all the smalldetails.

I feel confident in what I amdoing, so that I am able to facilitateand answer the questions of the

first person

IN THE BEGINNING I was very afraid andhesitant to be part of a HIV andAIDS programme. [Rasha works on

a HIV and AIDS awareness project runby the Women’s Forum for Researchand Training in Yemen, assisted byProgressio development workerSilvester Kasozi.] I felt that it was notgoing to be easy because of the waypeople feel about this sensitive issue– and because I am a woman.

But then I felt maybe this is thechance I have been looking for toprove myself. I am not the type ofperson that likes to do ordinarywork. I like to do something which isdifferent, something that for othershas always seemed difficult,something that others look at as achallenge. I felt ready to take thatchance.

Moreover I felt that it was a greatresponsibility, because I believe thateveryone should be committed tothe work that he or she does. It isnot just a matter of doing your workbut rather a duty. I believe that thereare no extra pieces in the universe,everyone on this earth has a mission

[awareness-raising workshop]participants satisfactorily withoutreferring to the trainer [Progressiodevelopment worker SilvesterKasozi]. Previously the developmentworker gave me a lot of guidance,but now he leaves me some parts ofthe training to do by myself to boostmy confidence and to help me to bemore skilled in doing that job.

I feel very satisfied with the workthat has been done so far becausefrom the comments of the peoplethat we have trained it is clear thatthey appreciate the knowledge andskills they have acquired. The largenumber of people that we havemanaged to reach in the short timesince we started the programme istestimony to the fact that our effortsare paying off too.

Rising to the challenge

Progressio development workers andcolleagues from partner organisations

discussing strategies for tackling HIVand AIDS in Yemen (August 2008).

Dav

id T

anne

r/Pr

ogre

ssio

Rasha Mohammed Abdulwahabworks for Progressio partnerorganisation the Women’s Forum forResearch and Training. She worksalongside Progressio developmentworker Silvester Kasozi, who istraining her to run HIV and AIDSawareness workshops in Yemen.

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 3

Foundationstones

the right to education, toemployment, to a goodreputation, to respect, toappropriate information, toactivity in accord with the uprightnorm of one’s own conscience, toprotection of privacy and torightful freedom, even in mattersreligious.’ (Gaudium et Spes 1965)

‘Development must be directedand judged by the extent to whichit benefits human beings in thetotality of their being.’ (SollicitudoRei Socialis 1987, para 29)

For Progressio, the person-centredapproach is enshrined in the use ofdevelopment workers: people who sharetheir skills and knowledge with others,with humility and respect. They give andthey receive, they share and learn withlocal communities. It stresses therelationships between people not thefinancial transactions. People who arepoor and marginalised have their ownperspectives and analysis too – that iswhy our advocacy work is rooted in theexperience and analysis of communitiesfrom the South.

The common good However, the focus on the humanperson can never be an excuse forindividualism. Within Catholic SocialTeaching, the common good is animportant concept that encapsulatesresponsibilities, solidarity andinterdependence. Over time, thecommon good has also widened tocover the responsibility towards all ofcreation and with it to futuregenerations as yet unborn. The desirefor the common good, alongside thepreferential option for the poor, is theroot of solidarity. The common good isnot limited or sectarian – it seeks thegood of all by involving all.

‘Everyday human interdependencetightens and spreads by degreesover the whole world. As a resultthe common good, that is, the sumof those conditions of social lifewhich allow social groups and theirindividual members relativelythorough and ready access to theirown fulfilment, today takes on anincreasingly universal complexionand consequently involves rightsand duties with respect to thewhole human race. Every socialgroup must take account of theneeds and legitimate aspirations ofother groups, and even of thegeneral welfare of the entirehuman family.’ (Gaudium et Spes1965)

For Progressio, the common good is bothwhat we seek and the way we seek tobring it about. The common good tells usthat progress or development ismeaningless unless it benefits all, and thepoorest in particular. We work with allpeople of goodwill, whatever their beliefsystem, inspired by a vision of a betterworld for all. Development is a sharedtask with those who are poor, and we areprivileged to play a part whether this bewith partner organisations which areinvolved in advocating change or throughour development workers.

The preferential option for the poorThe common good and human dignitycould just be comfortable concepts wereit not for this aspect of Church teaching.It places the concern about andperspective of the poor at the centre ofits mission and for those who followChrist, at the centre of their lives.

‘…This is an option, or a primacy inChristian charity, to which theChurch gives witness down theages. It affects every Christian whoseeks to imitate the life of Christ.But it equally applies to ourresponsibilities within society, andtherefore to our life-style and, if weare to be consistent, to thedecisions we make concerning ourownership and use of goods.’(Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 1987, para42)

Therefore poverty isn’t so muchsomething that happens ‘out there’ but ishappening to ‘us’ as a global community.

4 interact Autumn 2008

agenda

PROGRESSIO WAS FOUNDED IN 1940 – asthe Sword of the Spirit – by layCatholics concerned at the Catholic

Church’s failure to respond to the rise offascism. From the start, the organisationwas inclusive in its ethos and approach,but over the years, alongside the ideas ofthe people who work with and supportus, we have continued to drawinspiration from our Catholic heritageand particularly Catholic Social Teaching.

This edition of Interact looks atpeople’s visions and hopes for the futureof development. In exploring what wemean by development, we look here atsome of the themes of Catholic SocialTeaching that are reflected in our work.The ethos and values are inspired by theGospel message, but will resonate withanyone with a concern for and interest inauthentic human development. It is avision that is fundamentally human, andthat reflects a vision for the future that isshared by the people of all faiths andnone with whom we work.

The dignity of the humanpersonThe belief in the dignity of people givesrise to human rights which are enshrinedin legal processes. But Church teachinggoes beyond that and asks us to seepeople as sacred, and therefore to bevalued and cherished.

The desire and search to be fullyhuman is at the centre of Progressio’sdevelopment purpose. Being fully humanis more than just having the basics, buttakes on board wider aspects of culture,freedom and a sense of control overone’s life and future.

‘…Therefore, there must be madeavailable to all everythingnecessary for leading a life trulyhuman, such as food, clothing, andshelter; the right to choose a stateof life freely and to found a family,

agenda

Progressio’s vision of development draws onthe social teaching of the Catholic Church

and the Gospel message, but can be sharedby all, writes Christine Allen

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 4

We cannot address development withoutlooking at our own role in it: asconsumers, as travellers, as politicians.Being aware of this responsibility requiresus to have a change of heart about howwe see the process of ‘development’. Thiscalls all of us to be engaged in a radicalproject where the resources of the earthcan be fairly shared by all, includingfuture generations.

‘It is impossible to see what rightthe richer nations have to keep uptheir claim to increase their ownmaterial demands, if theconsequence is either that othersremain in misery or that thedanger of destroying the veryphysical foundations of life onearth is precipitated. Those whoare already rich are bound toaccept a less material way of life,with less waste, in order to avoidthe destruction of the heritagewhich they are obliged byabsolute justice to share with allother members of the humanrace.’ (Justice in the World 1971,para 70)

As a development agency we areconcerned about poverty. But thisteaching calls us to go one step further –to see the world from the perspective ofthe poor and to have an analysis ofpower: Who benefits from decisions?Who loses out? When women are sooften powerless, the power analysisbrings us a gender perspective; whenlocal communities are not properlyconsulted by authorities, this perspectivegives us an insight into good governance.

Call to action The social teaching of the Church tells usthat because of these elements, thepersonal is the political. Individuals arecalled to act, and to respond to needs inwhatever way they can. But the way inwhich we work should respond tohuman dignity, and be done in solidarityand respect.

‘Solidarity is validated within asociety when members of the samesociety recognise each other aspersons.... The Church feels calledto take its stand beside the poor,to discern the justice of theirrequests and to help satisfy theirneeds, within its overall concernfor the common good…. The same

criterion must be appliedinternationally…. Throughsolidarity we come to see the“other” in each person, peopleand nation, not as something tobe exploited at little cost toourselves and then discarded whenno longer useful, but as aneighbour and helper who likeourselves must also be a sharer inGod’s banquet.’ (Sollicitudo ReiSocialis 1987, para 39)

Whether it be through financial or othersupport for organisations like Progressio,getting involved in campaigns orbecoming a development worker, theimperative is not to sit by but to getinvolved. Through this solidarity we willalso experience more fully what it meansto be human.

The full vision of progress –live Simply, Sustainably and in SolidarityOne of the reasons why Progressio hasbeen involved in the livesimply challengeis because it resonates so well with ourholistic view of development. Models ofdevelopment have to be more than justeconomic, but people and creationcentred.

Our global solidarity means listening tothe communities and responding to theirneeds; it means development workersliving in solidarity, not being paid likeinternational consultants; it means thatthe perspective of the poor andmarginalised are central to our policyanalysis and advocacy work.

‘The development we speak ofhere cannot be restricted toeconomic growth alone. To beauthentic it must be well-rounded;it must foster the development ofeach [person] and of the whole[person].’ (Populorum Progressio1967, para 14)

‘… the whole concept ofdevelopment changes dramaticallywhen considered from the point ofview of the interdependence ofthe world community. Truedevelopment cannot be conceivedof simply in terms of theaccumulation of wealth and goodsby some, if such wealth is acquiredat the expense of many millions ofhuman beings and without anyproper consideration of the social,cultural and spiritual dimensions ofhumanity.’ (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis1987, para 9)

As you can see from the stories andreflections elsewhere in this edition ofInteract, this vision is put into practice bypartners, development workers and thepeople we support. Thank you for beingpart of it.

Christine Allen is Progressio’s executivedirector.


agenda

Quotations are from Gaudium et Spes, a keydocument of the Second Vatican Council (1965);Populorum Progressio, an encyclical letter by PopePaul VI (1967); Justice in the World, a documentproduced by the Roman Catholic Synod ofBishops (1971); and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, anencyclical letter by Pope John Paul II (1987).

Children in a village in the Peruvian highlands near Cusco.

Gra

ham

Fre

er/P

rogr

essi

o

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 5

2005 WAS A PIVOTAL YEAR fordevelopment. UK civil societyand the UK government led theway in putting poverty at thecentre of the political agenda.

Three years later and muchof that optimism has beenswamped by climate changeand a global food crisis. As weassess progress towardsMillennium Development Goal7 (to ensure environmental

interact Autumn 20086

We will not achieve our goals unlessthe world changes its vision of

development, says Joanne Green

sustainability), we see a muchbigger ecological problem thanwe thought we had at the turnof the millennium.

Like climate change, thecurrent food crisis is a symptomof deeper problems. It shouldprompt us to look atfundamental flaws in theNorthern-driven economicdevelopment model: a modelwhich pushes intensive, export-led agriculture on Southerncountries to satisfy the interestsof multi-national companies, atthe expense of food securityand environmentalsustainability for the poorestcommunities.

Aquifers and rivers are beingpumped dry. According to theComprehensive Assessment ofWater Management inAgriculture, if today’s foodproduction and environmental

trends continue it will lead towater scarcity in many parts ofthe world. Mono-croppingcomes at the expense of localcrop biodiversity. In Ecuador,10 years ago they had 40varieties of potato. Now theyonly have four – exposing poorfarmers to much greatervulnerability, especially withclimate change.

In the words of MarcialLopez, a farmer from Nicaraguawith whom Progressio works:‘Small producers have beenconfused by the lure of greaterwealth to adopt methods andsolutions that are reallyworking in the interests ofcorporations rather thansociety.’

Instead of prompting us toquestion the current model,such food crises provideopportunities for vestedinterests to push for solutionsthat further promote theirinterests, as witnessed by theoutcomes of the recent CBD(UN Convention on BiologicalDiversity) and Food Summitmeetings. One example is theintensity with which geneticmodification is pushed as thepanacea for food security. Suchan approach concentrates on atechnological ‘quick fix’ andignores the fact that people arehungry because of unequalaccess to natural resources andfood, not insufficient foodproduction. There is enoughfood to feed everyone in thisworld. But less than half of thegrain we produce is directlyeaten by people. Most goes intoanimal feed and, increasingly,agro-fuels – another so-calledsolution to climate change thathas actually decreased access to

THE COURAGE of our convictions

Members of the Movimiento Indígena y Campesino de Cotopaxi, which is supported by Progressiodevelopment worker Fernando Ruiz and the Institute of Ecuadorian Studies.

Fern

ando

Rui

z/Pr

ogre

ssio


‘Small producers have been confused bythe lure of greater wealth to adopt

methods and solutions that are reallyworking in the interests of corporations

rather than society’

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 6

7


7Autumn 2008 interact

Farmers in Intag, Ecuador, preparing ingredients for an organic fertiliser.

Myr

iam

Sal

azar

/CEA

/Pro

gres

sio

transformed reality ofdevelopment and globalisation.

Will the UK, so long aleading voice in globaldevelopment, have the courage

environments and changecorrespondingly.

We need a new vision ofdevelopment in whichgovernments move beyondshort-term technological fixesto address the long-ignoredroot causes of the food crisisand restructure economicsystems and global institutionsto be pro-poor. Poor peopleneed a food system that iscapable of withstandingeconomic and environmentalshocks.

The recent IAASTD(International Assessment onAgriculture, Science andTechnology for Development)report recommended a muchgreater focus on small-scaleagriculture and one that worksin harmony with nature. Theimportance of poor countriesand communities determininghow they feed themselvescannot now be ignored.

Such a vision ofdevelopment should be agreedunder the auspices of the UN –bringing together Northerngovernments, Northern foodproducers and Northernconsumers with Southerngovernments, Southern foodproducers and Southernconsumers to implement a

food and further depletednatural resources.

We cannot have more of thesame and we are in no positionto take risks with untestedtechnologies, especially asclimate change will reducewater availability and increasethe importance of having abroad crop biodiversity onwhich we can depend. It is nocoincidence that our planet isalready at its environmentallimits and poor farmers arealready too vulnerable. Povertyand the environment areinextricably linked becausepoor people become moremarginalised as theirenvironment is degraded.

The system needs to changeso that it isn’t biased towardsthe interests of the rich andpowerful and fails to protectthe poorest. We need adifferent vision ofdevelopment.

Governments andinstitutions must adapt andchange. And citizens ofdeveloped countries also have aresponsibility. I write thisknowing that my society andmy attitudes and lifestyle andchoices are part of the problemlike never before. Our insatiableappetites for more are hittingthe poorest communities thehardest.

Despite what some may say,there is a trade-off betweenfurther economic developmentin the North and meeting goalson the environment andpoverty reduction. The currentsystems are not sustainable.And technology is not theanswer.

We need a new vision ofdevelopment in which apeople-centred food systemallows the voices of small-scalefarmers to be heard. Where theneeds of poor producers andconsumers are met. Whereautonomy and self-sufficiencyare theirs.

We need a new vision ofdevelopment in whichnorthern consumers face theimpact our choices have onpoor communities and their

The system needs to change so that itisn’t biased towards the interests of therich and powerful and fails to protectthe poorest

of its convictions and admit thatwe face some very hard choices? Asone of the world’s richest, mostpowerful and most pollutingcountries, we look to ourgovernment to take the lead inchallenging unjust structures,learning from our failures andfacing up to our responsibilities.Will we change our bias to the richand instead learn from poor peopleand communities on what thisnew vision should look like? Foreveryone’s sake, I hope so.

This is an edited version of a speechby Joanne Green to the ECOSOC(United Nations Economic and SocialCouncil) High-level Segment onMeeting the Millennium DevelopmentGoals, in New York on 2 July 2008.Joanne Green was then Progressio’sadvocacy manager. She is now Headof Policy at Cafod.

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 7


environmental limits. Nextthey evolved resilient localeconomies that helped themcope with extreme andunpredictable weather. Thesewere, of necessity, based onreciprocity, sharing and co-operation, and not unlimitedgrowth fed by individualistic,beggar-thy-neighbourcompetition.

Today, as collectively we faceand exceed the limits of the

Tuvalu, in the South Pacific,and learned from other smallisland states, may hold lessonsfor how many millions morecan withstand the upheaval ofglobal warming on our smallisland planet.

To survive for so long onremote shards of land, exposedto the full force and vagaries ofnature, these islandcommunities first had torespect their obvious

SEVERAL YEARS AGO theInternational Red Crosssent me on behalf of the

World Disasters Report to assessthe early impacts of climatechange on vulnerablepopulations. What I saw in


We need to change our locked-in thinking about economic development andreorganise around the principles of social justice, writes Andrew Simms

ENDINGPOVERTY

in a carbon-constrained world

The policies designed to pursuegrowth have become a mask for

making the rich, richer

Mar

k H

owar

d/Tw

enty

-Fiv

e Ed

ucat

iona

l

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 8


Autumn 2008 interact

earth’s bio-capacity, we arechallenged at the global level tolearn, in a few short years,lessons that such smallcommunities often tookmillennia to arrive at. Our taskis enormously complicated bythe intricate interdependenceof the modern global economy,the unbalanced distribution ofpower and benefits within it,and a pace of internationaldecision making that, until theice started to melt so rapidly, I would have described asglacially slow.

We already know that peopleliving in poverty are hit firstand worst by global warming.This and the challenge ofreducing poverty in a carbonconstrained world calls for anew development model whichis climate proof and climatefriendly. There is no either/orapproach possible; the worldmust meet both itscommitments to achieve theMDGs and tackle climatechange. The two areinextricably linked.

Here we crash headlong intoanother, equally large problem.It is clear that conventionaleconomic growth will happenin poor countries as aconsequence of effectivepoverty reduction. But at aglobal level, the policiesdesigned to pursue growth havebecome a mask for making therich, richer, whilst leaving thepoor with few benefits andabandoned to deal withgrowth’s environmentalconsequences. During the1980s, from every $100 worthof global economic growth,around $2.20 found its way topeople living below theabsolute poverty line. A decadelater that had shrunk to just$0.60c, and the actual meanincome of those living under$1 per day in Africa also fell.

There has been, in effect, asort of ‘flood-up’ of wealthfrom poor to rich, rather than a

‘trickle-down’. It means,perversely, that for the poor toget slightly less poor, the richhave to get very much richer,implying patterns ofconsumption which, in a worldfacing climate change, cannotbe sustained.

It now takes around $166worth of global growth – madeup of all those energy-hungrygiant flat screen TVs and sportsutility vehicles – to generate asingle dollar of povertyreduction for people inabsolute poverty, comparedwith just $45 dollars in the1980s.

Earnings of between $3 and$4 per day is the approximatelevel at which the strong linkbetween income and lifeexpectancy breaks down. So, letus ask what would happen ifwe agreed $3 per day as theminimum level of income toescape absolute poverty?

Using the ecologicalfootprint measure, if the wholeworld wished to consume atthe level of the United States,we would need, conservatively,over five planets like earth tosupport them. But, under thecurrent pattern of unequallydistributed benefits fromgrowth, to lift everyone in theworld onto a modest $3 perday, would require theresources of around 15 planetslike ours. Where, you mightask, will the other 14 comefrom?

To tackle poverty in a carbonconstrained world, then, weneed a new developmentmodel, based on bettermeasures of progress, and ashift from relying on unequalglobal growth to seriousredistribution. If we think ofthe planet as a cake, we canslice it differently, but we surelycannot bake a new one.

Climate change is not theonly reason that we have tolearn to live with far fewerfossil fuels. Development mustalso contend with the high andrising price of oil, and theimminent global peak and longdecline of oil production.

What, if any, guides do wehave to surviving thesemultiple shocks?

One country, muchmaligned, provides a glimpse ofa near future that many moremay face. Almost like alaboratory example, positionedon the flight path of the annualhurricane season, since 1990Cuba has lived through theeconomic and environmentalshocks that climate change andpeak oil hold in store for therest of the world.

The impact of the suddenloss of cheap Soviet oil and itseconomic isolation wasextreme. Oil imports droppedby over half. The use ofchemical pesticides andfertilisers dropped by 80%. Theavailability of basic food stapleslike wheat and other grains fellby half and, overall, theaverage Cuban’s calorie intakefell by over one third in aroundfive years. But serious and long-term investment in science,engineering, health, education,plus land redistribution,reduced inequality and researchinto low-input ecologicalfarming techniques, meant the

country had a strong socialfabric and the capacity to act.

At the heart of the transitionafter 1990 was the success ofsmall farms, and urban farmsand gardens. Immediate crisiswas averted by foodprogrammes that targeted themost vulnerable people, theold, young, pregnant womenand young mothers, and arationing programme thatguaranteed a minimumamount of food to everyone.Soon, half the food consumedin the capital, Havana, wasgrown in the city’s own gardensand, overall, urban gardensprovide 60% of the vegetableseaten in Cuba. The threat ofserious food shortages was

9

There has been, in effect, a sort of‘flood-up’ of wealth from poor torich, rather than a ‘trickle-down’

Pacific island communities like Tongahave evolved resilient local economiesbased on reciprocity, sharing and co-operation.

cont...

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 9



overcome within five years.Cuba demonstrated it is

possible to feed a populationunder extreme economic stresswith very little fossil fuel. Theapproach was dubbed the ‘anti-model’ because it was bothhighly managed and led bycommunities, it focused onmeeting domestic needs ratherthan exports, was largelyorganic and built on thesuccess of small farms.

Currently, according to ourcalculations, in a givencalendar year the world as awhole goes into ecological debtaround October 7th – by whichtime we have consumed moreand produced more waste thanecosystems can deal with. Theresults are seen in climatechange, oceans emptied of fish,and desertification. Forty yearsago Robert Kennedy said thateconomic growth measuredeverything apart from thatwhich really matters. But it is

possible to assess if we areachieving human developmentwhilst living within ourenvironmental means.

The new economicsfoundation ‘Happy PlanetIndex’ compares the relativesuccess of nations at deliveringlong life expectancy and highlevels of well being, comparedto the size of their ecologicalfootprint. The results revealmany middle income countriesperforming well, with good lifeexpectancy and well-being, andrelatively low footprints.Strikingly, some of the bestperformers are small islandstates. Somehow, they haveworked together to producemore convivial communities,whilst respectingenvironmental limits.

How can we learn from theseexamples, change our locked-inthinking about economicdevelopment, and reorganisearound the principles ofresilience, social justice,sufficiency, ecologicalefficiency, and the capacity toadapt?

We might begin by asking, asacid tests:• Will what we do make

people more or less

vulnerable? • Will it move us toward truly

sustainable, one-planet-living?

• Will it move us fast enoughto prevent irreversible,catastrophic climate change?

When the people of Tuvalu firstencountered Europeans in the19th century, they gave themthe name palangi. Victoriantravellers translated the word tomean ‘heaven bursters’, areference to their ship’s guns.Now, some of our lifestyles trulythreaten to burst the heavens.At the very least, to achievepoverty reduction in a worldthreatened by climate change,we know that the good news isthat we now know, from theliterature on human well-being,that making the rich, richerdoes nothing to increase theirlife satisfaction. On thecontrary, numerous studiesconfirm that once your basicneeds are met, you are just aslikely to have high lifesatisfaction, whether yourecological footprint is large orsmall. My conclusion is that anew development model isneeded as much, if not more, incountries like Britain and the USas the majority world. We haveto demonstrate that good livesdo not have to cost the earth.

Impassable ecologicalobstacles lie on the path downwhich we chase the shadows ofover-consumption to deliverour well-being, expecting thepoor to be grateful for anycrumbs that fall from ourplates. The good news is thatanother way is not onlypossible, as the philosopherA.C. Grayling writes, it is better,richer and more enduring.

This is an edited version of aspeech by Andrew Simms, policydirector and head of the climatechange programme at nef (thenew economics foundation), tothe UN ECOSOC special session onclimate change and theMillennium Development Goals,New York, 2 May 2008.See www.neweconomics.org formore information.

Rich countries must radically cuttheir own consumption to free-upthe environmental space in whichothers can pursue the Millennium

Development Goals

An 'organoponico' in Miramar, Cuba: one of many large organic vegetable gardens run by localcommunity groups as part of the 'Urban Agricultural Programme'.

Jero

en O

erle

man

s/Pa

nos

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 10


ARADICAL transformationin the way that theworld’s population

produces and consumesagricultural products is neededif we are serious about povertyreduction and tackling climatechange.

The current model ofagricultural production, basedon the exploitation of land andwater resources, the use ofchemicals (pesticides andfertilisers) and hybrid seeds hasnot benefited the world’spoorest. Modern agriculture hasresulted in increasedproduction but today morethan 800 million people remainhungry.

There is enough foodproduced in the world to feedthe population. In 2007 theworld produced 2.3 billion tonsof grain, 4% more than in2006, and since 1961 theworld’s cereal output hastripled, while the populationhas doubled. But today, lessthan half of the grain producedin the world is directly eaten bypeople; most goes into animalfeed and agrofuels.

Inequitable access to food –and not insufficient foodproduction – is the main reasonwhy people go hungry. Tradeliberalisation and unfair traderules have forced developingcountries to open their marketsand lands to global agribusinessfor the production of globalcommodities. This is having adevastating effect on theworld’s poorest people.

In the face of a global foodcrisis, where spiralling foodprices for cereals have resultedin people all around the globetaking to the streets to demandaction from governments,change is imperative. Butchange in what, by whom andwhere?

Progressio thinks that theanswer lies in a groundbreakingnew report by the UnitedNations, the InternationalAssessment on Agriculture,Science and Technology forDevelopment (IAASTD). For thefirst time, the international

community has stopped toreflect on the unintendedconsequences of the intensiveand export-oriented model ofagricultural productionprevalent today.

The IAASTD report, launchedin April, calls for a radicaltransformation in the world’sfarming system to give small-scale farmers a central role inagricultural production. Thismeans recognising that farminghas a diversity ofenvironmental and socialfunctions and that nations andpeoples have a right todetermine their most suitablefood policies in a democraticway.

To Progressio and ourpartners this is not new. Formany years, we have beensupporting rural communitiesin developing countries in theirefforts to grow crops agro-ecologically, that is, in anenvironmentally and sociallysustainable way. For example,in Ecuador Progressio isworking with partnerorganisations supporting small-scale farming communities tomanage their water, land andseeds in a sustainable way.

Through the promotion ofseed-saving and seed-exchange,the protection of naturalresources and organicharvesting of palm, corn,cocoa, plantain, yucca, peanutsand rice, these producers growthe food to feed their familiesand sell the surplus in the localmarket. This way of farming isenvironmentally andeconomically sustainable. Poorfarmers do not rely on external

outputs such as hybrid seeds orfertilisers and therefore,fluctuations in the prices ofthese products do not affecttheir capacity to grow food.

The experience of ourpartners in developingcountries shows thatsupporting agriculturalpractices that promote self-sufficiency and autonomy ofpoor farmers can significantlyreduce their poverty. So, whatshould a new agriculturalmodel look like? In the wordsof Edgar Gonzales, a small-scalefarmer in Peru:

‘My vision of the future is atraditional agriculture that isaimed at satisfying the foodand livelihood needs of farmersand their families, rather thangenerating profit andaccumulating wealth.’

Sol Oyuela is Progressio’senvironmental officer.


HUNGRYfor change

Women in Columbe Alto, Ecuador,selecting potato seeds.

Myr

iam

Sal

azar

/CEA

/Pro

gres

sio

Changing the way we produce and consume food is crucial to reducingpoverty throughout the world, says Sol Oyuela

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 11


voices

Silvester Kasozi is a Progressiodevelopment worker in Yemen,working as a HIV and AIDStrainer with the Women’sForum for Research andTraining

For me ‘development’ means a shift inthe way people view, see or perceiveissues that affect them. However, thatis only part of the journey towardsdevelopment itself. The shift inperceptions has to be complementedwith the ability for people to dothings differently to bring about achange in their lives for the better.Only by translating knowledge intopractice can development be fullyrealised.

From what I have seen with myown eyes in Yemen and from myinteraction with locals, developmentto them is a meaningful democracywhere their rights are upheld, andwhere in due course they are able toaccess and/or afford basic necessitiesfor their lives such as food, medicalservices, education and shelter.

A vivid example would be theinvitation of participants to aworkshop to raise their awarenessabout HIV and AIDS. Although HIV

Mónika Galeano Velasco is aProgressio developmentworker in Honduras,working on human rightsand HIV and AIDS

For me, development is linked topeople’s access to education, andparticularly equal access toknowledge for men and women.When people gain knowledge,they are able to know, understand,think and analyse. This is themental process necessary in orderto understand their reality, takedecisions and put them intopractice.

The women with HIV withwhom I work perceivedevelopment from the point ofview of well-being, and theguarantee of their human rights.Development for them is havingquality of life, opportunities andrespect for human dignity.Discrimination because of beingwomen and having HIV is anaspect that alters their individualdevelopment and their right to livewith dignity.

I aspire to women having accessto education and having freedomand autonomy to make decisionsabout their lives and their bodies.Prosperous and developed societiesare precisely those which manageto break down the wall thatrepresents the unacceptableinequality between a man and awoman.

I want to see the women of thiscountry [Honduras], those whogive my work meaning, makingtheir own decisions, sure ofthemselves, and leading theunstoppable social processes tochange the thinking that limitstheir freedom and development.

and AIDS is a development issue –one that affects people’s livelihoods –and it’s therefore important that theyget to know what it is all about, theirattention may be drawn to what theirnext meal will be, or where and howthey will get the school fees for theirchildren, or the ill-health of familymembers they left back home.

True, we cannot provide solutionsto all these problems – but they havean effect on the work that we do.Although seemingly trivial, if theseissues are preoccupying the minds ofsome the participants in anawareness-raising workshop, it has anadverse effect, since their attentionwill justifiably be elsewhere.

My personal vision for the work Iam doing is to see a Yemen that ismore open to HIV and AIDS as adevelopment rather than a medical orimmigration issue. A time when HIVand AIDS can be talked about anddiscussed in all spheres of life –homes, schools, offices and the media– just like any other developmentissue that affects the lives of people.

I envision a Yemen where peopleliving with HIV can expressthemselves, stand up for their rightsand not be despised and blamed fortheir status. Only then will I see mywork bearing fruit. I will not myselfhave orchestrated this change but Iwill have been a part of those whomade a contribution towards it. Thatis what development is all about. It’snot about instant change but gradual,sustainable change.

What doesdevelopmentmean to you?

Sylvester Kasozi (far right) with fellowProgressio development workers (from left)Ronnie Murungu, Irfan Akhtar andPrachanda Shrestha.

Fresh thoughts on development from people who care

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 12

development is any change orimplementation that happens, andwhich brings improvement in thequality of life. What I hope to see in10 years’ time is:• A fair redistribution of wealth and

a consequent diminishing ofpoverty and inequality.

• That beneficiaries with whom wework are more empowered: withthe power to make decisions abouttheir lives and with strong self-esteem.

• That cultural diversity is not areason for discrimination.

• That minority groups are notstigmatised and discriminatedagainst.

• That beneficiaries and partnershave reflected on caring for theenvironment and are usingpractices which care for water.

• That Northern countries investmore in the development of LatinAmerica, in order to achieve abetter balance.

voices

Ernest Cañada is aProgressiodevelopment workerin Nicaragua, workingin communication fordevelopment withFundación Luciérnaga

At this stage in history, it isobvious that the concept of‘development’ has been overused andplayed around with too much. It hasserved to justify external intervention inpoor countries, to serve the interests ofrich countries and their local allies.‘Development’ is therefore, firstly, aconcept to be reclaimed, to recover, inthe interests of the oppressed. It simplymeans taking action so that peoplecan live dignified, better lives, thanksto their own efforts. It therefore hasnothing to do with economic growth,access to international markets ormonetary income. Development is todo with the real options of the peopleto come up with and construct theirown future.

For people in Nicaragua,development is the desire for access toantiretroviral medication, to be treatedwell in hospital or by the public

authorities, to be able to sell theirharvests for a good price and educatetheir children, to have access todrinking water and electricity everyday, to have an influence on publicaffairs without risking their lives. Forthese people, development is veryspecific, but also very complex: thehope of being able to live with dignity.

My hope is that we can reclaim avision of development which growsfrom the concerns and needs of poorpeople, and not from dull, greyofficials who have chosen to work indevelopment in order to be well paid,or in order to serve the economic andstrategic interests of donor countries. Iwish for working for development tobe a life choice of commitment topoor people and against inequality.

My hope for the future is to see areal empowerment of people’s groupscapable of defending their rights andhaving an effective influence on theirliving conditions. We can supportthem, and facilitate processes, butthey must always be the protagonists.Without an organised popularmovement, with proposals and thecapacity to influence public policies,there will never be development.

Jenny Cosgrave lives inLondon and works for ThePassage, a day centre forrough sleepers or peoplewho are threatened withhomelessness. She isinvolved in the livesimplychallenge

Development is living in solidarityas a world community, working forequality and social justice.Development does not meanhegemony, rather a process ofmutual and sustainable learningand change that strives to create ajust world. I think it is important tomove as far away as possible fromthe colonial vision of ‘them’ and‘us’ – as if the West is the authoritythat must teach everyone else howto live. What development shouldmean is eradicating the inequalityin world resources whilst at thesame time reflecting our owncultural and historical identity –diversity in our world is so excitingto me!

War, violence, the disregard forhuman life and the arrogance ofthe human race to think we cancontinue to live in the way we domake me angry. I have not losthope though! For me this was trulyrealised when I did a hitch-hikefrom Manchester to Morocco (itwas to raise money for a charitycalled LINK CommunityDevelopment). The kindness thatwe were shown by completestrangers was extraordinary andreally moving. I believe that peopleare good and no amount ofpessimism will change thatconviction!

Marianela Gibaja isProgressio’s countryrepresentative inPeru

For me, development isa process through whichpeople’s quality of life

can be improved, and is somethingwhich can only be reached byrecognising and respecting diversity.

This process aspires to close thesocial, economic, cultural andenvironmental gaps that existbetween people. This requires anequitable and fair redistribution of allresources, within a democraticframework in which peace, freedom,solidarity, health and education aresought for all.

For some people, development issynonymous with the generation ofeconomic wealth, without taking intoaccount whether this wealthgenerates more poverty andinequality. But for the majority,


issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 13

viewpoint

and space for conversation between thetwo.

‘I think the official summit respondsto the needs of a specific economicmodel and so the proposals they makeare going to respond to that model –and by that I mean they are not going toresolve the gap between rich and poor.They are working within the perspectiveof an economic model which continuesto fragment society, making the poorestpoorer and the richest richer.’

She sees the contrast between thelavish party laid on for delegates at theofficial summit in Miraflores, one of therichest parts of Lima, and the ‘people’sparty’ held in another plaza miles away,as emblematic of the inequality anddivision in Peruvian society:

‘Alan Garcia [the president of Peru]can continue saying that we are in “atime of abundance”, but abundance forwho? In Miraflores, there will be a bigparty – who will be at that party? Andwho will be at this party? It shows howdivided we are: the state is on one sideand civil society is on another.’

The Peruvian government has openlyattacked dissenting voices, calling them‘traitors’ who are against development,but at the alternative summit the viewwas put forward ‘that protest appearsbecause it is so difficult to sustain theneoliberal model – it is almost a naturalconsequence of the unjust model’. Dianasays: ‘Repression of protest is a symptomof an inability to sustain the system. I think that understanding that reflectionmight help us to find ways to act andrespond.’

For Diana, the alternative summithelped ‘to open up my vision’: ‘It allowsyou to understand other aspects of thenational reality which you cannot findout about through the media, whichdon’t really represent these other worldsand other realities. It allows you to knowwhat is happening for all the groupswhich are called “minorities” but whichare actually sustaining the country.

‘Sometimes you can feel thatcommunities are tired – that there aresmall efforts in the communities but thatthey aren’t enough. But here in thissummit you can see that there arepeople who are really fighting andachieving important things – and that’sencouraging.’

Michelle Lowe worked as a Progressiodevelopment worker in Peru andEcuador.


‘HERE AT THE PEOPLE’S SUMMIT [heldin Peru in May], it is veryobvious that people have a

desperate need to express themselves.When the presentations finish, peopledon’t have questions, what they need isto be listened to. It makes you reflect onthe grave lack of opportunities toparticipate and have a voice when, assoon as there is an opportunity to speak,people need to talk and talk and tellwhat is happening to them and how it ishappening.’

Diana Torres was reflecting on thealternative People’s Summit held in Lima,Peru, in May to coincide with the official5th Summit of Heads of State andGovernment of the European Union andLatin America and the Caribbean. Diana,a Progressio development worker withEduca, the Institute for the Promotion ofa Quality Education, is working in thevery deprived district of San Juan deLurigancho on the outskirts of Lima,

promoting participation in localdevelopment. For Diana, the summithighlighted the lack of real mechanismsfor participation for marginalised groupsin Peru:

‘This [alternative] summit is a placewhere you can hear the voices whichhave ended up being silent becausenobody listens to them. It is absolutelyvital that NGOs including Progressio andits partner organisations should be here. I think these kinds of events are crucialfor us to be able to continue re-thinkingthe work we do and improving it.’

Although the alternative People’sSummit provided an opportunity forpeople to talk and be heard and learnfrom each other, the contrast with theofficial summit reflects the lack of realdialogue between governments and theirpeople: ‘You can see the fragmentationin which the state is acting in one sphereand the people are acting in another,and you wonder where is the dialogue

Opening upour vision

While governments pursue their own agenda, people are increasinglydetermined to follow a different approach, Progressio development

worker Diana Torres tells Michelle Lowe

Participants in a forum at the People's Summit on natural resources and mining.

Mic

helle

Low

e/Pr

ogre

ssio

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 14

viewpoint


‘THE LANDSCAPE SUFFERS where thepeople suffer.’ So saysProgressio development worker

Ingrid Hartmann, who arrived inSomaliland in August to work on a newsoil and water conservation project.

As her plane descended overSomaliland, she was, she says, ‘a littleworried about where to find the soils I was supposed to conserve’. Lookingdown, she saw ‘nothing but stones andgravel, only sometimes interrupted bysmall strips of brownish maize plots. I thought, if that is now the skin ofSomaliland, Somaliland must be deeplywounded.’

Somaliland is predominantly anomadic pastoral society that traditionallydepends on livestock and agriculture.However, over the last 10 years soilerosion has become a major problem,due to extreme climatic variation such asprolonged drought and short and veryintensive rainfall on steep slopelandscape. This has resulted in flooding,erosion of topsoil and sedimentation,leading to decreased soil fertility andground water retention as well asaccelerated desertification of land.

This has prevented the area frombeing self-sufficient in food production(both livestock and crops). As a result,the living standard of small-scale farmersand herders over the past two decadeshas decreased, with many more peoplenow falling under the poverty line.According to the 2002 UNDPSomalia/World bank Socio-EconomicSurvey, about 73.4% of Somalilandershave an income of less than $2 per day.

This is the situation into which TekluErkossa, a Progressio developmentworker from Ethiopia, stepped earlier thisyear. Teklu was working on a short-termplacement with the Faculty of Agricultureand Environment at Amoud University –the first faculty of its kind in Somalia andSomaliland – to help set up a pilotproject to test the suitability of usingvetiver grass for soil and waterconservation.

Vetiver grass is a cheap, easy toimplement and effective means of soiland water conservation that provides analternative to more expensive and lesssustainable mechanical procedures. It hasbeen used successfully to prevent soilerosion elsewhere in Africa and Asia(more than 120 countries worldwide),but never in Somalia or Somaliland.

The grass has a massive root systemreaching down to 2-3 metres in its first

year, strengthening earth structures,stabilising soil during extreme rainfall,replenishing groundwater reserves andalso removing contaminants. Aside fromthis, the cut grass has many uses, forexample, thatching houses, for pestcontrol and for medicinal purposes. It isalso unnecessary to plant the grass fromseed – cuttings can be taken from otherplants, making it an affordable andsustainable means of conservation.

Test plots have been planted at theFaculty’s nursery and Ingrid has nowarrived to work on the next phase of theproject. The plan is to train 40 small-scalefarmers in four different locations in theuse and benefits of the grass. If the grassproves successful, these farmers will alsobe trained as ‘trainers of trainers’ whowill each be able to pass on the technicalinformation to around 20 other farmersso that the project can be replicated inneighbouring communities.

The next step is to introduce thevetiver grass method to the farmers.Most of the farmers are relativebeginners, having switched frompastoralism to agriculture due to thereduction of the grazing base. However,Ingrid says, ‘their awareness of soilconservation is very high and theircurrent practices of soil protection verysophisticated.

‘Almost every farmer uses at least fourdifferent methods of soil conservation,most of them stone bunds, earth bunds,ridges, some of them terraces which theyrenew every year, some do fencing withaloe vera or stop water flow withbranches from shrubs and trees.’

But their initial response to vetiver ispositive: ‘Almost every farmerimmediately could identify a place wherevetiver grass could be planted, mostlyeroding riverbanks, sometimes gullies,sometimes they suggested replacing

A new Progressio project in Somaliland aims to find a sustainablemethod for boosting soil fertility and conserving water, writesCaroline Pankhurst

Helping thegrass grow

Car

olin

e Pa

nkhu

rst/

Prog

ress

io

Teklu Erkossa with a colleague at the vetivergrass test plot at Amoud University.

earthbanks with the vetiver, since for theearth bunds they had to sacrifice thetopsoil.’

Once the vetiver in the nursery issufficiently established, cuttings can betransferred to the farms, and itssuitability can be tested in the field.There is still work to be done, but if itsucceeds, the project could play a keyrole in improving agricultural livelihoodsin the near future.

Caroline Pankhurst is Progressio’sfunding manager. The vetiver grassproject is funded from Progressio’spartnership agreement with theDepartment for InternationalDevelopment.

interactnowRead more at Ingrid Hartmann’s weblog The Skin of the Earthhttp://progressio.typepad.co.uk/theskinoftheearth/

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 15

Betweenhope

and fearThe future of Zimbabwe and its beleagured people still

hangs in the balance, writes Steve Kibble

women and 37 for men in 2006, andfive million Zimbabweans will shortly bein need of food aid. Despite the lifting ofa ban on humanitarian and reliefagencies carrying out food distribution,NGOs will still be profoundly restrictedand hence people will be in danger ofstarvation.

The 85% unemployment in theformal sector has driven millions abroad.The economy has declined by 60%. Theforeign currency shortage remainscritical. In late July 2008 ten zeroes wereremoved from the currency but inflationcontinues to mushroom.

Despite Mugabe playing histrademark card of undermining andweakening the somewhat dividedopposition, there are some encouragingsigns. The peoples of the region andinternationally have signalled theirdistaste for ZANU-PF. Trade unionists inSouth Africa refused to unload armsfrom a Chinese ship destined for Harare,and demonstrations against Mugabe’spresence at the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC)

summit were held by the Congress ofSouth African Trade Unions (Cosatu).Regional church leaders have issuedstrong statements against the illegality ofthe elections and continuing repression.The Zimbabwean Catholic Bishops’Conference and its Justice and PeaceCommission said in early August thatfew of the conditions of the MOU havebeen met. Civil society and churcheshave been strong in their demands for asay in the negotiations.

Whilst we await the details of thepower-sharing agreement, ordinaryZimbabweans attempt to survive in whathas become a barter economy, withgreat need for as much internationalsolidarity as they can get. Theinternational community will need to beready to help with recovery programmesonce it is clear that progress towardsnormality and democracy is sustained.

Steve Kibble is Progressio’s advocacyofficer for Africa.

SINCE MARCH THIS YEAR Zimbabweanshave lived through cycles of fearand hope, from the 29 March

elections through massive state-directedviolence to Robert Mugabe’s declarationof himself as president following thepresidential ‘run-off’.

Optimism rose again duringnegotiations on a power-sharinggovernment under the somewhattarnished guidance of President ThaboMbeki of South Africa. A memorandumof understanding (MOU), signed on 21July, committed the parties to an end toviolence, the lifting of the ban on NGOs

distributing vital humanitarian aid,respect for the rule of law, freedom topursue political activity, and recognitionof the need for a new constitution andfor outside reconstruction assistance.

As I write, a power-sharing deal hasjust been agreed, but questions remainover the division of ceremonial andexecutive power between Mugabe andMorgan Tsvangirai of the Movement forDemocratic Change (MDC). Questions tobe resolved include who will control theeconomic and security ministries andhow long a power-sharing governmentshould last before elections.

Whilst Mugabe’s ZANU-PF stillcontrols the apparatus of the state andsecurity, it has no solution to the crisisand is aware that only through the MDC

will a deal be found acceptable tooutsiders willing to reconstruct and pourin massive needed aid.

The background to the long drawn-out nature of the talks lies with thehardline Joint Operations Commandaround Mugabe. They had been refusingto entertain any deal that would bring intransparent governance and economictransactions, as this would underminethe patronage system by which they areenriched and enabled to buy theallegiance of those such as the militiasand ‘war veterans’ who carry out theircampaigns of violence and intimidation.They are also worried by threats ofprosecution for human rights abuses.

Already by late August militias wereharassing people in Matobo nearBulawayo where there will be a by-election (date not yet decided). Given thenearly equal balance of power inparliament ZANU-PF considers it vital towin this by-election, which happenedbecause the MDC MP for the seat waselected as Speaker of the House.

We are still in stasis politically amidmassive economic decline, precipitatedby an all-pervasive governance crisiswhich has seen the economy shrink by80% since 1999 – a record for a countrynot at war. The crisis has been marked bya series of disastrous land reformpolicies, the adoption by the ZANU-PFgovernment of draconian measurescurbing civil and political liberties, theplundering of the economy, and thecollapse of social services. The countryfaces a devastating HIV and AIDSepidemic, and widespread hunger anddependency. Life expectancy hasdropped from 61 years in 1990 to 34 for


analysis

We are still in stasispolitically amid massive

economic decline,precipitated by an all-

pervasive governance crisis

Despite Mugabe playing histrademark card ofundermining and weakeningthe somewhat dividedopposition, there are someencouraging signs

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 16

MY COUNTRY currently has 80%unemployment. Inflation isrunning at 11,250,000% while

month-on-month inflation hasaccelerated to 840%. It’s hard to makesense of numbers like this. What dothese figures mean in reality? What isdaily life in Zimbabwe like?

I live in Harare with my wife and havethree children aged 9, 14 and 18. Mydaily life has changed immeasurably inthe last 18 months. Everything that weused to take for granted – food,electricity and water – we can no longerignore. Things that were just part of anordinary day – like going shopping, orgrabbing lunch – have taken on fargreater significance.

The day starts early. Normally I’d havetaken a hot shower and had somebreakfast before leaving for the office.That’s not always possible now. We oftendon’t have water, or electricity, so I can’ttake a shower. We just get what waterwe can in buckets and wash with that.

There’s no doubt that living withoutelectricity is better than living withoutwater. If there’s no electricity, it can be aproblem cooking food. People gatherfirewood and cook outside. You don’thave the TV, radio or your computer. Butyou can manage.

Living without water however is nojoke. You don’t know when the waterwill go off or for how long. Sanitationbecomes a problem. Imagine that for afamily of five in a warm country. We’velearned always to keep a large containerof water to flush the toilet.

I’m in a fortunate position: I can stilldrive to work. Many people simply can’tafford to travel to work: the cost ofpetrol virtually doubles every day. Thereare far less buses and cars on the roadsthan there used to be and far morepeople. Many people now walk for hoursto get to work. They arrive late and leaveearly.

Once I’m at the office I might notnecessarily be able to work because ofthe lack of electricity. I can’t even turnmy computer on.

A lot of our work focuses on peopleliving with HIV and AIDS. Although theprevalence rate in Zimbabwe hasdropped from a high of 33 per cent to15 per cent of the population, it’s still areal concern.

Gaining consistent access to anti-retroviral drugs can be very difficult forpatients because the governmentdoesn’t have enough money to import

the much-needed medication. So I meetlots of people who have had the drugs,but have missed a few days or weeks ofmedication and so acquired a resistanceto their medication.

Having a poor diet really doesn’t helpeither – and eating well is difficult when80% of the population is unemployed.Food prices have rocketed and oftenthere isn’t any food in the shops. Peopleare inventive. They grow what they canand trade between themselves. But theeconomics of the country really affectspeople in all sorts of ways. I see it everyday.

We just used to pop to the shops tobuy what we needed. Now that’simpossible. When we go shopping it’s athree-day round trip to Botswana. I haveto take time off work to buy what thefamily needs to survive. My wife and I goonce a month, and we’re lucky that wecan do this. For most people in thecountry it isn’t an option and I’m alwaysmindful of that.

It’s hard to know what my daily life isgoing to be like in a year’s time. It couldgo so many different ways. Zimbabwe’salways surprising. We have a long history– much longer than news headlineswould lead you to believe. If we have a

real political settlement that recognisesthe will of the people things couldimprove rapidly. All the ingredients arethere. But also, without that settlement,things could get a lot worse.

It’s hard to think how they could beworse. But they could. At the end of theday I’m just focusing on my children, noton myself. I want them to have a futurein Zimbabwe. I want them to feel secure.That’s my focus every day.


Behind the

headlines

viewpoint

Gra

ham

Fre

er/P

rogr

essi

o

Kevin Ndemera pictured during a recent visit to Progressio’s head office in London.

Things that were just part ofan ordinary day – like goingshopping, or grabbing lunch– have taken on far greatersignificance.

Kevin Ndemera, Progressio’s new country representative in Zimbabwe, describes the reality of daily life in Harare

issue 021 12/9/08 17:06 Page 17


action

EAST TIMOR:WHO CARES?

The ugly truth: UK arms sales to IndonesiaThe arms trade is shrouded in secrecy, prone to corrupt

practices and highly profitable. The UK has a long

history of selling arms to Indonesia, and despite the

insistence of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that

none of these arms would be used to repress human

rights within Indonesia, extensive evidence collected in

East Timor has shown UK-manufactured jets, tanks and

arms being used in Timor between 1975 and 1999.

The UK licensed the sale of Hawk jets or other major

arms to Indonesia in 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993,

1995 and 1996. The value of the UK’s arms exports to

Indonesia during the period 1997 to 1999 alone is

estimated to be in the region of £287.75 million pounds.

Throughout this period reports of major human rights

abuses in East Timor were being documented and

ignored by the UK government.*

The UK has given £1 million to the World Bank’s Trust

Fund for East Timor, but recently announced it had no

further plans to contribute to this programme. Although

it funds other agencies and programmes in the area,

even the most optimistic funding estimates over the last

10 years would be less than 10% of what the UK earned

in arms sales to Indonesia between 1997 and 1999.

Progressio is asking the UK government to

acknowledge its role in the occupation and repression of

the East Timorese people by funding comprehensive

capacity-building and rehabilitation programmes to help

East Timor move into a peaceful future. Currently, the

UK government isn’t stepping up to the proactive and

constructive role it could play to promote meaningful

progress.

* All figures courtesy of Arms to Indonesia CAAT-TAPOLFactsheet, December 2005, retrieved August 21, 2008 fromhttp://caat.org.uk/publications/countries/indonesia-0604.php

East Timor

Australia

Indonesia

Official name: The Democratic Republic of Timor LesteLanguages: Tetum, PortugueseComparative area: roughly two-thirds the size of WalesClimate: tropical, hot, humid with wet and dry seasonsTerrain: mountainousNatural resources: petroleum, natural gasArable land: 8.2%Population: 1,108,777 (but other estimates are as low as 800,000); 35% of thepopulation is less than 14 years oldRefugees and internally displaced persons: 100,000 (estimated)Infant mortality rate: 42 per 1,000 live birthsLife expectancy at birth: 67 yearsReligions: 98% Roman CatholicLiteracy: 58%Population living on less than $1 per day: 40%Unemployment: 50% (estimated)

Snapshot: East Timor

issue 021 12/9/08 17:07 Page 18


Nine days after declaringindependence from Portugal in1975, East Timor (Timor Leste) wasinvaded by Indonesia, marking thebeginning of a bloody, repressive andviolent occupation that would last forthe next 24 years.

The Indonesian military forciblydisplaced thousands of East Timoresefrom their homes and livelihoods andforbade them from leavingresettlement camps, despite lack offood or adequate hygiene facilities. Allhuman and civil rights weresuspended.

Some women were forced intomarriages with Indonesian soldiers,raped or abused, often as retributionfor being related to members ofFretilin (the Revolutionary Front for anIndependent East Timor). Pro-independence activists werepersecuted, tortured or killed, andbasic freedoms – such as freedom ofspeech, movement or association –were non-existent.

During this time, the worldcommunity, including the UK, turneda blind eye to the atrocities occurringin East Timor. Recently, declassifieddocuments from the 1970s show theUK knew of atrocities and humanrights abuses occurring within East

Progressio is asking all our members and supporters who believe in justice and truth to stand upand tell decision-makers that they care about the future of East Timor. As a tiny nation, far away fromour daily lives, it’s easy to forget the problems and struggles of our brothers and sisters in Timor.Politicians and decision-makers in the UK will continue to ignore their obligations to this tiny islandnation unless you help.

Our new campaign leaflet features a poster asking campaigners to complete the sentence ‘I careabout Timor because….’ and includes a letter to send to UK MPs. You can download it from our websitefrom 14th October, or pick up a copy at our AGM in London on the same day at Central Hall,Westminster.

We’re also asking campaigners to photograph themselves holding the poster, and either email,upload or send a hard copy of the photo. We’ll present these photos to UK MPs, to show them thehuman face of our support for East Timor.

For more information on the campaign, keep your eye on www.progressio.org.uk, sign up to Progressio’scampaigners’ newsletter Proactive (you can subscribe at the ‘Take action’ section of our website) or joinProgressio’s new Facebook group (see our website for details).

action

Timor but made a conscious decision toignore this and state publicly that theyhad no knowledge of any abuses topreserve stability and support Indonesiaas a regional anti-communist power.More audaciously, as reports of humanrights abuses trickled into Britishdiplomatic missions in the region andwere ignored, the British governmentmade agreements for future arms salesto Indonesia: thereby tacitly supportingthe occupation.

The occupation was marked byseveral high profile massacres of citizensin addition to the general climate of fearand repression. In 1991, a peacefulprotest prompted by the last-minutecancellation of a Portugueseparliamentary delegation to East Timorresulted in the massacre of hundreds ofdemonstrators, an event caught on filmby British journalist Max Stahl (laterreleased as a documentary entitled InCold Blood). It marked the beginning ofan international movement in support ofindependence for East Timor,culminating in a UN-mandated vote forindependence in 1999.

After the popular consultation inwhich the people of East Timor votedoverwhelmingly for independence,Indonesian-backed militias went on therampage throughout the country,

punishing the general population fordefying the wishes of their powerfulneighbour. During the occupation it isestimated that between 100,000 and250,000 people died.

East Timor todaySince independence, the nation hasstruggled to come to grips with itstroubled past. Breaking entrenchedcycles of violence and moving towardspeace is a slow process and therehave been many bumps in the road.In Indonesia, the military perpetratorsof human rights violations continue torise through the ranks and obtainpositions of political influence with nofear of prosecution.

In East Timor the consequences ofjustice undelivered have fed a cultureof enmity and violence betweenformer political and ethnic rivals,leading to a spiral of violence which ispreventing the country from movingtowards a peaceful future. Despitethe assurances of both the EastTimorese and Indonesiangovernments that justice andforgiveness has occurred for pastatrocities, the assassination attempton President José Ramos-Horta in2008 is further evidence that, inpractice it remains a long way off.

A brief history of the conflict

ARE YOU WATCHING?

ARE YOU LISTENING?

WILL YOU SPEAK?

EAST TIMOR: WHO CARES?

issue 021 12/9/08 17:07 Page 19

CAN YOU IMAGINE what it would belike not to have any water? Everytime you wanted to wash, cook or

simply have a drink, you’d be forced tofind water wherever you could. There’s notap to turn on at home. You may spendseveral hours each day collecting water.You might even have to pay as much asone-tenth of your income on water. Thismay stop your children from going toschool, or you from going to work.

This is the situation for over twomillion people in El Salvador – some42% of the population.

Water is not a basic human right in ElSalvador. It’s not pumped to every home.Your chances of having a water supplyare higher if you live in a town – 73% ofurban dwellers have a water supply. Butonly 31% of rural dwellers do. Andhaving a pipe connection does not meanhaving water on tap: the precious liquidis only available a few hours a day inmost households, and in somehouseholds not even every day.

That’s just water. There isn’t a sewagesystem. Sanitation is a tragedy. Thecombination of lack of water and poorsanitation means that 32 children dieevery day in El Salvador from diarrhoealdiseases. That’s 21,000 preventabledeaths every year.

There have been moves recently toprivatise the water supply, putting it evenfurther out of reach of the poorest people.

That’s why Progressio partnerorganisation UNES (Unidad EcológicaSalvadoreña) is campaigning on thisissue. March 2009 sees El Salvador’sgeneral elections. Campaigning hasalready begun. So, we are using thismoment when politicians want people’svotes to lobby them about the need toimprove the country’s water supply.

We are aiming to bring together abroad coalition of NGOs and institutionswho want to see change. We intend to

hold meetings with parliamentarians andpoliticians later this year.

But in El Salvador, nothing is simple.The civil war has left a polarised, dividedsociety. Groups from the Right and theLeft will not speak to each other.And UNES is trying to bring themtogether to lobby about water provision.

It’s not easy. Long-standing mistrustdies hard. However, progress is beingmade and it is vital that it is. The world’smost powerful leaders have committedto changing this situation. One of theMillennium Development Goals is tohalve the number of people withoutaccess to safe drinking water by 2015.

Fine words need to be changed into afiner reality. Promises need to make adifference to the daily lives of people inEl Salvador.

Last year civil society groups organiseda march in the capital, San Salvador,demanding more investment in waterresources and for the protection ofpeople’s right to water. An estimated25,000 people attended. This was a

huge event for El Salvador.As I watched the procession go by,

one woman told me why she’d comethat day. She said: ‘We women have tospend four hours a day looking for waterand this means that our work is put atrisk. ‘We face tiredness and a lack ofsafety on the journey and do not havetime for other things like education.’

As the protesters marched past theMetrocentro shopping centre, theypassed a sprinkler watering the grassunder the midday sun. It enraged ayoung man who was taking part in themarch. He said: ‘Look how they’rewasting the water. ‘In my community, weonly get water for two hours every fourdays … but the water bills always turnup on time. We are paying for the air inthe pipes.’

El Salvador’s elections next Marchrepresent a pivotal moment for thisbeleaguered country. By lobbyingnow, UNES is hoping to galvanise thepolitical elite to take water seriously andprovide this basic right for its people.

Marcos Sanjuan is a Progressiodevelopment worker with UNES.


Thirsting for change

Progressio advocacy on waterWater will be the focus of Progressio’s environmental advocacy work until 2012.The decision follows detailed consultation with partner organisations, many ofwhom are working with small-scale farmers to improve their access to waterresources for food security. We will work on three areas:• the impact of climate change on water resources and what donors and

multilateral institutions can do to help poor people cope with increasedvariability in the availability of water

• water footprint: how Northern consumption patterns (especially regardingagricultural products which take a lot of water to produce) are having animpact on access to water for poor people in developing countries

• alternative agriculture: promoting agricultural production methods that usewater in a socially and environmentally sustainable way and making sure thatsmall-scale sustainable agriculture is prioritised in the policies of donors andmultilateral institutions.

viewpoint

Women and children march for water rights.

Mar

cos

Sanj

uan/

UN

ES/P

rogr

essi

o

The struggle to put water rights on the public agenda in El Salvador isjust beginning, says Progressio development worker Marcos Sanjuan

issue 021 12/9/08 17:07 Page 20

Documents

Interact