QA-PAKISTAN: CAMPAIGN AGAINST POVERTY GAINS MOMENTUM

• Published in: Global Information Network p. 1
• Main Author: Aoun Abbas BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan, Oct. 16, 2007
• Format: Newsletter
• Language: English
• Published: New York Global Information Network 16.10.2007

BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan, Oct. 16, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Rights activist Irfan Mufti is confident that her Global Call to Action against Poverty campaign has the potential to influence national budgets and the policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. IM: It is not all positive. However, there are good examples, such as what we have seen in Bangladesh. Under pressure from the Bangladesh GCAP coalition, a court has asked the government not to sign a deal with the [International Monetary Fund] under the conditionality it was asking. So there are examples of successful lobbying. In Nepal, the GCAP coalition has met the new prime minister and given him policy demands. As a result of this meeting, a commission set up in Nepal is now reviewing demands. In Pakistan we are trying to start a broad-based dialogue with the government to present our demands. IM: One objective is to influence political leaders. That is why we have introduced the concept of delegations and ambassadors to political leaders. In some 36 countries, these delegations of local coalitions are meetings the finance ministers, prime ministers and head of the states to present demands. This year we are not only focusing on 'stand up and speak out,' but we have also given many other activities like the giant banners. Human chains are being organized [and] there are going to be women's tribunals. So there is a whole menu of activities, and it will not be just the moderate, softer action of standing and speaking out. There is definitely a political element and that is because our global body is very much sensitive to the reality that we should be focusing on political side of our demands. We need to understand the political side of global governance. Injustice is happening at the global level. The global players, which are big financial players and political players, try to manipulate their interests, and it is not possible to influence that without having a very strong political voice from the people and civil society. GCAP believes in engagement. We are not there just to organize protests and reject everything. We believe in preparing alternatives, we believe in presenting people's views and going into dialogue and negotiation.