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SYNERGY ONLINE: Bulletins and News Briefs from
The Canadian Society for International Health: [log in to unmask]
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From the Canadian Society for International Health To Members of the Society and others in the Canadian International Health Community
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The Society recently received the attached memo from Betty Plewes of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation. Many of you may have seen the press coverage that they were able to stimulate around the release of The Reality of Aid. As she notes in this memo, there is an urgent need for Canadians to contact their Member of Parliament to express their concern about the planned, further cuts to Canada's international development program. Mr. Martin has been very explicit in saying that it is up to us to make our case. The "word on the street" is that Cabinet will be meeting in early December to decide on this issue, and so the time to act is now. Please write your MP, and other key people in Parliament: The Prime Minister, Paul Martin, Raymond Chan, Sect. of State for Asia and Pacific, David Kilgour, Secretary of State or Africa and Latin America, Diane Marleau, Minister for La Francophonie and International Cooperation, Claudette Bradshaw, Parliamentary Secretary to Diane Marleau, and Bill Graham, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Without success in this effort Canada's international development efforts will be severely crippled, and our hopes to solidify gains in the area of health and population programming will be threatened. Please make your contacts now!
Please share this notice widely with others who might be interested.
Sincerely,
Charles A. Shields, Jr.
Executive Director, CSIH
URGENT MEMORANDUM
October 10, 1997
TO: CCIC Members
FROM: Betty Plewes
RE: ODA and the 1998 Federal Budget
There is a brief but important window of opportunity ahead to reverse planned cuts to foreign aid. I urge you to meet or write your local MP (plus others you know) in the next two months. Ask their help to stop the 8% cut slated for the aid programme in 1998, and ensure renewed growth in ODA by 1999 towards 0.7% of GNP.
As you know, the government is deliberating on how to put some resources back into key social areas, despite pressures to focus exclusively on tax cuts and paying down the debt. But as Paul Martin bluntly alerted those attending the annual meeting of National Voluntary Organizations (NVO): "There is $100 worth of demands for every ten dollars of available funds." We know that Canadians are deeply concerned about growing poverty and inequality at home and globally. We feel there is some potential that ODA could be "on the list" for favourable treatment in this budget, but political support and pressure will be critical. We must act now.
Contact your MP, tell them about the important work you are doing, about the involvement and support of their constituents in international cooperation, and your concerns about the aid programme. Wherever possible, involve your volunteers or Board members in the meetings. The House breaks October 13-17 and November 10-14, so MPs will likely be in their ridings during these times. Meeting MPs assistants is also helpful.
Another opportunity to speak out on ODA is at the Finance Committee pre-budget consultations, which will begin after Paul Martin`s economic statement on October 15th. Contact Carole Chafe, the Clerk of the Finance Committee at (613)992-9753 for information on their schedule.
Please keep us informed of your efforts and the responses you receive so we can share this information with the membership. CCIC will be seeking meetings with key cabinet Ministers over this same period, and we also plan to appear at the pre-budget consultations in Ottawa. A few statistics are also noted below for quick reference.
To report or receive information you may also contact Gauri Sreenivasan, Policy Coordinator, at (613) 241-7007 ext. 350 E-mail: [log in to unmask] To verify addresses and numbers of MPs, contact the Public Information Office at (613) 992-4793 or www.parl.gc.ca
State of Canada's Aid Programme :
- Aid has been hit disproportionately hard by budget cuts.
Canadian ODA is projected to fall in real terms by more than 40% from 1991/92 to 1998/99, a much higher rate of decline than for overall federal program spending (-23.5%) or defence expenditures (-28.7%) in the same time period
- Canadian ODA is at a thirty year low Canadian ODA fell to .31% of GNP in 1996. Canada's rank among donor countries has fallen from fifth to eleventh.
- Excluding food aid and emergency assistance, which is not primarily focussed on people`s long term needs, CCIC has calculated that only 13.6 % of Canada`s ODA in 1995/96 was directed to basic human needs. (In doing so we recognize that some food aid programming contributes to long term needs)
- Canadian aid to the Least Developed Countries has declined from 0.14% of GNP in 1992-93 to a low of 0.08% in 1995-96.
To improve the quality of ODA :
- By 2001/2 at least 30% of Canadian ODA should be directed to basic human needs, excluding emergency assistance.
- By 2001/2 Canada should meet the UN-recognized target that .15% of GNP be directed in ODA to the 48 Least Developed Countries of the world, many of which are in Africa.
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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is looking for an Electronic Communications and Systems Specialist (this is a paid position - $20,000 US for 11 months)
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HOST/PARTNER: In its capacity of technical representative in Canada for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Canadian Society for International Health is making a special announcement for the following position with PAHO in Columbia on the Displaced Persons Emergency Project. If you are interested, please contact directly: Dr. Hugo Prado (202) 974-3524; e-mail: pradohug@ paho.org or Dr. Claude de Ville de Goyet, Chief Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief (202) 974-3520; e-mail: [log in to unmask] DESCRIPTION: Electronic Communications and Systems Specialist - To offer technical, logistic and administrative support for the emergency project on the population displaced by violence in Columbia. According to his/her area of expertise and experience, the incumbent will develop activities in the following areas: 1) Collaborating in the collection and dissemination of data for an information system on the health situation of displaced persons. 2) Supporting the Ministry of Health in the utilization of Internet for the exchange of information and the coordination between the health sector, other public sectors, Red Cross, universities, and non-governmental organizations. 3) Technically supporting the emergency communication network (radio and other means) and trouble shooting on both software and hardware issues. 4) Collaborating in the quality control and maintenance of the project's emergency equipment. 5) Collaborating in the training of national personnel in his/her area of reponsibility.
REQUIREMENTS: Advanced level Spanish; advanced computer skills; knowledge in emergency situations and health. LOCATION: Bogota, Columbia and areas of displaced persons. DURATION: 11 months / DATES: as soon as possible
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