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A generation of kids will be lost - NZ must do more
29/10/09 17:30 Filed in: News Releases
16,000 children are dying from hunger every day because food aid is now at its lowest level in twenty years, but the National government remains determined not to use our aid for ‘poverty reduction,” says Progressive leader and MP Jim Anderton.
The head of the United Nation’s World Food Programme recently announced that tens of millions of the world’s poor will have their food rations cut or cancelled in the next few weeks because some OECD countries have slashed aid after the financial crisis.
Jim Anderton was talking at the launch of the Mutima Project in Christchurch tonight.
The Mutima project is a volunteer organisation and will send a team of cardiac surgeons to Zambia to perform life-saving heart surgery on young adults.
“I commend them for the strength of their personal commitment and their determination to serve. We are a stronger and more caring community because of people like these Christchurch surgeons. Because of them, a hundred young Zambians will have a second chance at life.”
About 60% of the Zambian population are living on less than a $1 per day.
“But where is the urgency from the National government to save a generation of children who will die from starvation if the world does nothing?”
The National government has recently announced that it will abolish the goal of ‘poverty reduction’ for our aid, and replace it with a goal of ‘economic development’.
“I am a strong champion of economic development - I used to be Minister of Economic Development. But you can’t do much business development if people don’t have enough to eat or clean water to drink.”
“I also want to see the National government do more about bad governance and corruption in some of the poorest countries.”
“I want to see New Zealand get behind a new international Natural Resource Charter which sets out ‘best practice’ in countries with natural resources like oil (or copper in Zambia), so proceeds of those resources go to the poorest people and don’t end up in the pockets of the corrupt,” says Jim Anderton.
The head of the United Nation’s World Food Programme recently announced that tens of millions of the world’s poor will have their food rations cut or cancelled in the next few weeks because some OECD countries have slashed aid after the financial crisis.
Jim Anderton was talking at the launch of the Mutima Project in Christchurch tonight.
The Mutima project is a volunteer organisation and will send a team of cardiac surgeons to Zambia to perform life-saving heart surgery on young adults.
“I commend them for the strength of their personal commitment and their determination to serve. We are a stronger and more caring community because of people like these Christchurch surgeons. Because of them, a hundred young Zambians will have a second chance at life.”
About 60% of the Zambian population are living on less than a $1 per day.
“But where is the urgency from the National government to save a generation of children who will die from starvation if the world does nothing?”
The National government has recently announced that it will abolish the goal of ‘poverty reduction’ for our aid, and replace it with a goal of ‘economic development’.
“I am a strong champion of economic development - I used to be Minister of Economic Development. But you can’t do much business development if people don’t have enough to eat or clean water to drink.”
“I also want to see the National government do more about bad governance and corruption in some of the poorest countries.”
“I want to see New Zealand get behind a new international Natural Resource Charter which sets out ‘best practice’ in countries with natural resources like oil (or copper in Zambia), so proceeds of those resources go to the poorest people and don’t end up in the pockets of the corrupt,” says Jim Anderton.
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Launch of the Mutima Project
29/10/09 17:30 Filed in: Speeches
The official launch of the Mutima Project
29 October 2009, 5.30pm.
Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch
SPEECH NOTES
I’m very pleased to be here tonight at the official launch of the Mutima Project.
I am often called on to speak to groups of volunteers who give up their time and use their skills to help other people; whether it’s the Canterbury Coastguard, community volunteers, or cardiac surgeons - (you might actually be my first group of cardiac surgeons).
Each time, I’m struck by the strength of the personal commitment of each of you to serve and help others. We are a stronger and more caring community because of people like you.
The organisations and businesses that have supported the project also deserve our thanks and our praise for being there when you needed them.
I once heard an ad which called on people to volunteer; it said ‘Volunteer! What else are you going to do with a degree in literature?’ You can’t say the same about those of you here tonight; ‘what else are you going to do with a degree in cardiac surgery?’ Well - hopefully a lot. We are here to celebrate that you are choosing to give up your time and use your skills to help the people of Zambia.
I’ve also heard it said that when it comes to community service, if you need something done - give it to the busiest person! I know that many of you are busy professional people, but still, more than 30 of you will make the time to travel to Zambia and carry out 100 heart operations over five years.
Some people spend a life-time volunteering.
I heard a story from a daughter who had just helped her 90-year-old mother through the strain of moving from the family home into a retirement home.
The daughter was trying to tidy up all the arrangements and tactfully said: "Mum, what about Meals on Wheels?" To which her mother replied: "No, dear, I don't think I could volunteer for them anymore.”
Behind the willingness to volunteer is the recognition that there is an urgent problem, and if you don’t do anything, people will suffer or die.
I was sickened the other day to read this statistic:16,000 children are dying from hunger-related illnesses every day on this beautiful planet of ours.
This is a quote from the head of the United Nation’s World Food Programme, who warns that food aid is now at its lowest level in 20 years – even though the need is greater than it has ever been.
Tens of millions of the world's poor will have their food rations cut or cancelled in the next few weeks because rich countries have slashed aid funding as a result of the financial crisis.
The number of hungry people in the world has increased from 150 million to more than one billion - in a single year.
We’re talking about the loss of a generation of children to malnutrition, food riots and political destabilisation. It’s a silent tsunami.
This generation of children will never recover unless we do something.
And yet our newspapers aren’t running headlines telling us about this tragedy; there’s no sense of urgency that we have to keep trying to do something.
As many of you here know - some of this tragedy is playing out in Zambia as we speak.
About 60 % of the Zambian population are reportedly living on less than $1 per day.
One in five adults is affected by HIV.
But it’s not all hopeless. There’s a lot we can do, as a country both through our membership of international organisations, and as individuals.
The Zambian economy has depended on copper mining for many years now.
And yet despite being rich in natural resources, its people have been stuck in extreme poverty.
Political corruption and the bad practice of international mining organisations have played their part.
Today, there is international pressure to see countries like Zambia sign up to a draft Natural Resource Charter. This would guide the actions of governments and international businesses so that the proceeds of natural resources go towards development, not into the pockets of the corrupt.
I would like to see New Zealand get behind this Charter and do everything we can to get the governments and businesses in rich countries and the governments of developing countries to sign up to best practice.
I would like to see New Zealand do more as good global citizens. It’s a great shame that NZAID, our aid agency will now be absorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal of ‘poverty reduction’ for our aid has been replaced with the goal of ‘economic development’.
I am a strong champion of economic development - I used to be Minister of Economic Development’. But you can’t do much business development if people don’t have enough to eat or clean water to drink, or good quality health care.
We can put pressure on politicians to do the right thing. But what we each decide to do as individuals matters too.
Whether you’re performing heart surgery on a young person in Zambia and giving them a second chance at life; or whether you’re a supporter of the Mutima project - your decision to be part of this project matters.
Thanks to you, a hundred young adult Zambians will have a chance to lead productive and active lives.
Who knows? One of them might become a future leader determined to do more to save that generation of children who are dying right now.
You will have left behind a better functioning hospital system so that in the future Zambian surgeons can perform critical surgery themselve, and projects like Mutima won’t be necessary.
But for today, your work is urgently needed, and I applaud you for your decision to do something to save lives. I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.
29 October 2009, 5.30pm.
Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch
SPEECH NOTES
I’m very pleased to be here tonight at the official launch of the Mutima Project.
I am often called on to speak to groups of volunteers who give up their time and use their skills to help other people; whether it’s the Canterbury Coastguard, community volunteers, or cardiac surgeons - (you might actually be my first group of cardiac surgeons).
Each time, I’m struck by the strength of the personal commitment of each of you to serve and help others. We are a stronger and more caring community because of people like you.
The organisations and businesses that have supported the project also deserve our thanks and our praise for being there when you needed them.
I once heard an ad which called on people to volunteer; it said ‘Volunteer! What else are you going to do with a degree in literature?’ You can’t say the same about those of you here tonight; ‘what else are you going to do with a degree in cardiac surgery?’ Well - hopefully a lot. We are here to celebrate that you are choosing to give up your time and use your skills to help the people of Zambia.
I’ve also heard it said that when it comes to community service, if you need something done - give it to the busiest person! I know that many of you are busy professional people, but still, more than 30 of you will make the time to travel to Zambia and carry out 100 heart operations over five years.
Some people spend a life-time volunteering.
I heard a story from a daughter who had just helped her 90-year-old mother through the strain of moving from the family home into a retirement home.
The daughter was trying to tidy up all the arrangements and tactfully said: "Mum, what about Meals on Wheels?" To which her mother replied: "No, dear, I don't think I could volunteer for them anymore.”
Behind the willingness to volunteer is the recognition that there is an urgent problem, and if you don’t do anything, people will suffer or die.
I was sickened the other day to read this statistic:16,000 children are dying from hunger-related illnesses every day on this beautiful planet of ours.
This is a quote from the head of the United Nation’s World Food Programme, who warns that food aid is now at its lowest level in 20 years – even though the need is greater than it has ever been.
Tens of millions of the world's poor will have their food rations cut or cancelled in the next few weeks because rich countries have slashed aid funding as a result of the financial crisis.
The number of hungry people in the world has increased from 150 million to more than one billion - in a single year.
We’re talking about the loss of a generation of children to malnutrition, food riots and political destabilisation. It’s a silent tsunami.
This generation of children will never recover unless we do something.
And yet our newspapers aren’t running headlines telling us about this tragedy; there’s no sense of urgency that we have to keep trying to do something.
As many of you here know - some of this tragedy is playing out in Zambia as we speak.
About 60 % of the Zambian population are reportedly living on less than $1 per day.
One in five adults is affected by HIV.
But it’s not all hopeless. There’s a lot we can do, as a country both through our membership of international organisations, and as individuals.
The Zambian economy has depended on copper mining for many years now.
And yet despite being rich in natural resources, its people have been stuck in extreme poverty.
Political corruption and the bad practice of international mining organisations have played their part.
Today, there is international pressure to see countries like Zambia sign up to a draft Natural Resource Charter. This would guide the actions of governments and international businesses so that the proceeds of natural resources go towards development, not into the pockets of the corrupt.
I would like to see New Zealand get behind this Charter and do everything we can to get the governments and businesses in rich countries and the governments of developing countries to sign up to best practice.
I would like to see New Zealand do more as good global citizens. It’s a great shame that NZAID, our aid agency will now be absorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal of ‘poverty reduction’ for our aid has been replaced with the goal of ‘economic development’.
I am a strong champion of economic development - I used to be Minister of Economic Development’. But you can’t do much business development if people don’t have enough to eat or clean water to drink, or good quality health care.
We can put pressure on politicians to do the right thing. But what we each decide to do as individuals matters too.
Whether you’re performing heart surgery on a young person in Zambia and giving them a second chance at life; or whether you’re a supporter of the Mutima project - your decision to be part of this project matters.
Thanks to you, a hundred young adult Zambians will have a chance to lead productive and active lives.
Who knows? One of them might become a future leader determined to do more to save that generation of children who are dying right now.
You will have left behind a better functioning hospital system so that in the future Zambian surgeons can perform critical surgery themselve, and projects like Mutima won’t be necessary.
But for today, your work is urgently needed, and I applaud you for your decision to do something to save lives. I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.