Our mutual responsibility to alleviate poverty and misery by Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 5:10am 2nd Dec, 2012   December 2012    COP18: Breakthrough or Empty Deal? The People''s Perspective    This month, over 17,000 delegates gathered in the Qatari capital Doha to attend the 18th Conference of Parties (COP18), the annual UN summit on Climate Change. Amongst those hoping to gain some insight and influence over the negotiation process was an expert delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), made up of our Red Cross Red Crescent colleagues from countries including Mali, Cambodia, Ethiopia Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal.    The delegation was there to voice our collective global concern about the increasingly damaging impact of climate change on the world''s most vulnerable people and to advocate for more investment in community preparedness and risk reduction. As we are seeing time and again, climate related disasters, such as drought, erratic rainfall, and a rise in sea levels, are hitting vulnerable countries harder than ever. And yet, despite the advance in early warnings and predictive technology, these communities are constantly caught off guard and unable to cope or adapt to consequences of climate change.    This is simply not acceptable and governments need to do more to better prepare people already at risk to both adapt and also withstand the new and worrying realities of climate change.    After extended talks at the Doha COP18 , almost 200 countries agreed in principle that rich countries will take steps to compensate poorer ones for the damage they have done to the climate.    The world''s top industrialised countries agreed to seriously discuss a mechanism through which developing countries could be compensated for "loss and damage from climate change" which was indeed a significant acknowledgement and step forward. The IFRC believes this to be an encouraging step given that the richer counties have thus far only agreed to financially support less developed countries when it comes to processing clean energy and adapting to the effects of climate change.    We are heartened by the decision taken at the COP18 to establish a mechanism to address loss and damage in developing countries and also extend the Kyoto Protocol (the only legally-binding plan for combating global warming) until 2020. Indeed, the final text " encourages developed countries to increase efforts to provide financing for the period 2013-2015. As the world''s largest humanitarian network, we call upon all Parties to make sure this promise is kept.    Many poor countries are on the front line of the effects of climate change, including a rise in water levels and the threat of submergence. We remain concerned that the agreement reached in Doha does not do enough to help the many thousands of people already displaced by rising waters, particularly small island states who remain at severe risk from climate change.    Indeed, alongside preparedness, more needs to be done to assure more substantial financing to help countries cope with the effects of climate change, for example with the construction of barriers to protect against rising sea levels, or conversion to crops capable of surviving high temperatures and drought.    Whilst the steps taken at COP18 were encouraging they were also modest. The IFRC was disappointed that those countries who did commit to reducing their output of greenhouse gas only represent 15% of the today’s global emissions.    We echo the calls of our humanitarian agency counterparts and urge countries to take further, genuine action to reduce their carbon emissions. If we are going to avoid irreversible climate change and devastating global warming, we all have to work together and strive to find a just compromise. We no longer have the luxury of time and we have a collective responsibility to both protect and better prepare the planet and the 7 billion people who live on it.    October 2012    The Tyranny of Hunger, by Bekele Geleta, Secretary General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.    For many people, hunger is nothing new; it’s often just a part of life’s daily grind. In many parts of Africa, communities find themselves in its grip again and again - unable to get out or get ahead.    Hunger and malnutrition can affect individuals, families, communities and entire nations, having a serious impact on health, children’s learning potential, livelihoods and national economies. As statistics show the world now produces enough food to feed us all, hunger is the shame of our global society.    In 1984, as Secretary General of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, I saw the devastating effects of hunger first hand as hundreds of thousands of lives in my country were lost, millions left destitute, and the entire country plunged into the worst famine in its history. At the Ethiopian Red Cross, we scaled up our assistance from 100,000 to over 1 million people. This type of crisis leaves scars, both visible and invisible, which can make communities less able to deal with future challenges.    Progress has been made over the past 30 years to address chronic food shortages, to raise awareness of food and nutrition issues while also building stronger capabilities and expertise in this area. However, when considering the situation in the context of the Sahel or the Horn of Africa, there is no doubt that we still have long way to go. And the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people affected by hunger still seems like a distant dream to many.    We also know as a fact that no one will be able to make a difference alone. Achieving the Zero Hunger Challenge, which was launched in June at the Rio+20 Conference by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, will take much greater collaboration and commitment.    Looking Forward    The cycle of hunger and malnutrition is both predictable and preventable. And it is possible to find ways of reducing the likelihood that failed crops or global food price fluctuations become food crises and famine. We know that we must help communities become better prepared to withstand and recover from shocks, whether they’re caused by climatic or economic forces.    Our focus, then, is on resilience. If we can help communities to be knowledgeable and healthy; to enhance their ability to assess, manage and monitor their food and nutrition security risks; to learn new skills and build on past experiences, then we stand a better chance of combating hunger and malnutrition in the long run.    For this to work, we must think both locally and globally.    We are working logistically to ensure that smallholder farmers have the tools they need. We are working with national and local governments as they create and strengthen policies and programmes to promote food security.    Crucially, we are also working with communities, and can count on an unparalleled network of volunteers who are best placed to foster real community engagement and walk the last mile in creating safer, healthier, more resilient communities.    This is where the Red Cross and Red Crescent can really make a sustainable difference. This is also where we need to strengthen capacities, supported by appropriate management systems and well targeted partnerships, from local to global.    Within the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - over the past 12 years - a number of National Societies in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas have been at the forefront of efforts aimed at reducing food and nutrition insecurity by linking relief, rehabilitation and development. They are showing in action that we can achieve Zero Hunger.    But to get there, we must listen; listen when there are signs of trouble. We must commit; commit to action when, and even before, it is needed. We must work together; work together to strengthen the capacities of those who are in need so that they able to withstand any challenge they face.    Then we have the chance to overcome the tyranny of hunger.    October 2012    Refining the social contract for health to build on the Millennium Development Goals, by Beverly Bernard.    The social contract for health stems from our mutual responsibility to alleviate poverty and misery. It has deep historical roots and strong foundations, but it still needs to be refined and improved.    In that respect, Universal Health Coverage must be within the Post-2015 policy framework to build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ensure a continued pledge towards health and inclusive growth. This is a belief shared by many civil society organisations (CSOs) worldwide.    The MDGs have sparked incredible worldwide commitments to eradicate poverty, and specifically to improve access to - and outcomes of - health care services. Much has been achieved but there is still a long way to go before we can talk about equitable and quality health care systems.    In addition to this situation and in a context of economic hardship, we are faced with a number of new challenges such as the threat of pandemics, the increased incidence of non-communicable diseases, the effects of climate change, the variable age distributions within different populations and the integration of communications technologies.    The EU has renewed its commitment to Universal Health Coverage through its 2010 Communication on ‘The EU Role in Global Health’. Following on, the EC has declared its intention to produce a Programme for Action on global health by 2013.    This comes at a moment of considerable foreseen transformations in development policy with the adoption of the Agenda for Change on Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy (AfC) introducing differentiated partnerships between low-income countries and middle-income countries, new forms of financing and increased associations with the private sector.    These developments – and others such as the adoption of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2014-2020 – are going to shape the future of development aid. The EU needs to clarify its vision and make sure the health needs of the ‘bottom billion’ that currently reside in middle-income countries are also guaranteed.    In a context of shared responsibility between EU institutions, donors, civil society organizations and financial institutions, it is desirable that we strengthen existing or emerging synergies to shape the next stages of health policy making, acting coherently and affirmatively for available, accessible, acceptable and quality health systems.    As a motor for political change and as a leader of human rights protection, the EU has a key role to play on the international stage regarding this objective.    There are deep inequities in access to healthcare within countries and between them. Our challenge is to bridge the gap between health systems and vulnerable populations.    Health systems are commonly seen as part of the problem but they are also part of the solution. Making the right to health a reality for all – including vulnerable communities and individuals – implies tackling health systems from the top by ensuring political will as well as the availability and coherence of financial inputs.    Accordingly – and as a major ODA donor – the EU should pursue its efforts to reach the collective 0.7% of GNP dedicated to development aid by 2015. There is also a need to create innovative and evidence-based instruments to strengthen efficient, results-oriented and ethical financial input structures.    Where the formal health system is still unable to reach those that are most in need, the potential of community-based organisations and their activities has to be recognised. Working with communities and finding tailored solutions to inclusion can only be achieved through local involvement.    With 187 National Societies and millions of volunteers around the world, the IFRC and civil society at large offers complementary support at all levels of governance without undermining states’ prerogatives.    Our presence at the local level, close to current realities and the most vulnerable, is a strength decision-makers can draw from to create the best conditions for inclusive growth, development and health-for-all policies.    That said, we strive to reach further and to do better. Parallel to what we do in the areas of humanitarian aid and disaster management, we acknowledge that there is a growing need to develop comprehensive social protection, education and health activities too. Our Strategy 2020 reflects this with our aims to enable healthy and safe living and to promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.    In that sense, in addition to being a service provider, our experience positions us as an important stakeholder and a partner at the decision table.    The right to health is a right that stakeholders need to shape on the basis of their strengths and the partnership opportunities that still need to be exploited. In that perspective, knowledge gaps need to be bridged to allow ‘scaling-up’ and ‘spreading-out’ strategies for successful health interventions.    June 2012    One Thousand Critical days - Community-based innovative solutions to increased health equity and improved maternal and child health.    Whilst significant progress has been made on reducing child mortality over the past 50 years, it is recognized that the progress is not equitable. In rich and poor countries alike, the poorest and most disadvantaged children and mothers continue to miss out on life-saving interventions.    The next 1,000 days are critical. The achievement of Millennium Development Goals 3 through 6 (promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, TB and other diseases,) and 8 (develop a global partnership for development) will require intensified efforts at all levels – increased political will at the international and national levels as well as an acknowledgment of the important role played by individuals themselves at the district, community and household levels.    As the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement is privileged to play an active role in reducing vulnerabilities through its presence in the last mile and the most remote communities around the globe as well its participation at global and national decision-making tables.    As independent auxiliaries to their government- a unique relationship entailing mutual responsibilities and based on international and national laws - Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies are well positioned to advocate for the increased political will that will be necessary to ensure the world’s sustained commitment to child survival and women’s health.    National Societies support the achievement of national health priorities, with a focus on ensuring that the poorest and most disadvantaged children and mothers are able to access life-saving interventions.    The Red Cross Red Crescent 13 million strong volunteers, as members of their own communities, are familiar with their environments and know how best to bridge the social, cultural and other barriers that impede progress towards reducing preventable maternal and child deaths.    Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers extend health services beyond the health facility door through innovative operational models that are culturally appropriate, cost-effective and sustainable.    These volunteers have learned two important lessons from first-hand experience: 1. strengthening community action with innovative approaches ensures that health care reaches the most vulnerable, targets appropriate gatekeepers and crosses local barriers to uptake of health services; and 2. increased biological and community resilience is not something outsiders can do or bring to individuals or communities.    The starting point for any humanitarian or development support must be recognition and appreciation of the efforts of individuals, households and communities to strengthen their own resilience.    The Red Cross Red Crescent fully support the commitment governments made in Busan in 2011, that “development strategies and programmes prioritise the building of resilience among people and societies at risk from shocks, especially in highly vulnerable settings.... Investing in resilience and risk reduction increases the value and sustainability of our development efforts.”    For example, most interventions related to maternal, new born and child health focuses primarily on improving women''s knowledge and practices to maternal health issues.    However, in most societies women are dependent on the male members of the family to either accompany or permit them or their children to seek medical care. Hence it is pertinent that men and boys are aware of risk factors women and girls (early marriages) can face during pregnancy and the consequent complications that may arise as a result.    These interventions which aim to build communities’ resilience and achieve improvements in maternal and child health need to involve the elders (both men and women), religious leaders and more specifically men and boys given their familial and social roles within communities in order to improve maternal and child health outcomes.    The world will stand accountable in one thousand days.    * Statement by Mr Bekele Geleta, Secretary General and Madame Goli Ameri, Undersecretary General, Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy.    May 2012    World Red Cross Red Crescent Day    Today, in the Philippines, young people whose lives have been turned upside down by repeated typhoons are planting mangrove trees to protect homes from storm damage and protect fish-pond dykes to ensure more secure livelihoods.    Today, in Gambia, young musicians are delivering powerful messages, through music, about vaccines, malaria prevention and HIV to increase community access to much needed health care. In Romania, youth volunteers are spreading similar messages through an innovative SMS helpline.    Today, in Afghanistan, where the conflict and its resulting insecurity prevents many from safely accessing health care, thousands of volunteers are learning basic first aid techniques, thereby safeguarding vital access to primary health care for their communities.    Today, In Lebanon, to build respect for diversity and a culture of non-violence in a region facing unprecedented change, youth are breaking world records by securing creative commitments to tolerance, participating in peace festivals and leveraging the power of our fundamental principles.    Today, on World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, we honour these contributions and encourage young people around the world to continue “doing more, doing better and reaching further.”    Each year, the 8th of May allows us an opportunity to celebrate our remarkable history of neutral, impartial voluntary service to humanity. But this year, World Red Cross Red Crescent Day also affords us a chance to look to the future, faced as we are by emergencies that are unquestionably increasing in their frequency, severity and complexity.    From civil unrest in the Middle East, to open conflict in Afghanistan, to food insecurity in the Sahel, to severe flooding in South America, our well-established network of more than 13 million volunteers and humanitarian workers continues to play a vital role in meeting the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people. But we cannot rest on the stable foundations of today.    Rather, we must work to better recognize, invest in and empower the next generation of young leaders who will surely carry our Movement and our lifesaving mandate forward. Today, we recognize “Youth on the move,” and the profound impact that young people, who represent nearly half of our volunteers world-wide, are having in their communities and on the global stage through the Red Cross and Red Crescent.    In the face of major challenges such as climate change, conflicts and violence, migration and urbanization, young people everywhere are showing that they want to be part of the solution. They give time, talent and energy, delivering vital assistance and harnessing the power of technology to mobilize their peers, connecting people and the causes that are important to them. They are helping communities prepare for disasters, facilitating safe and equitable access to health care, accepting responsibility as agents of behavioural change and building a culture of peace.    Youth around the world are exploring humanitarian law enabling them, as tomorrow’s leaders, to take decisions preventing unnecessary suffering in times of armed conflict and other situations of violence.    Today, young people are already making a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable people. They have true capacity to become community champions and to provide needed expertise in an increasingly digital world. For these reasons, young people should fill positions of leadership within our humanitarian network, and they should be afforded real opportunities to advise our strategic decision-making.    They should increasingly become the face and the voice of our Movement, allowing us greater access to new generations of volunteers and leaders to come after them.    On World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, let us, together, celebrate our rich history of service to humanity. Let us, at the same time, celebrate the rich promise of our “Youth on the move” and fully embrace the potential they offer for an even brighter future.    (Joint Statement from the Presidents of ICRC and IFRC)    * For news see: http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/newsroom/    http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/news-stories/    http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/opinions-and-positions/    http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/ Visit the related web page
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