Labour Youth to donate 0.7% of it's budget to ODA

international | summit mobilisations | press release Saturday June 25, 2005 01:50 by Labour press Hack - Labour

and calls on Govt to fulfil pledge to world's poor

In the build up to the G8 summit and the mobilisation campaign of the Make Poverty History Campaign Labour Youth has announced its intention to donate 0.7 per cent of its budget to Overseas Development Aid.

Speaking on the donation, which comes a mere 10 days before Labour Youth will be travelling to Scotland for the demonstrations, the Chairperson of Labour Youth, Donal O'Liathain commented, “Labour Youth's vision of the world is one free from poverty and famine. A world where everyone has equality of opportunity and due respect is paid to everybody on this planet. In September of 2000 An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced to the world that Ireland would be donating 0.7 per cent of its Gross National Product to help combat poverty and famine in the Third World

“However last December, in what can only be described as in a casual and cavalier fashion, the Government let it be known that it would not be fulfilling its pledge to the poor of the world. We think it’s an absolute disgrace that the Irish Government has declined to give so little when it could help so much. The poor have waited long enough and its about time we seized this opportunity and finally Make Poverty History."

“The ongoing exploitation of the Developing World must end and a new spirit of international solidarity must be fostered, the International Officer of Labour Youth, Graham Ó Maonaigh commented "The G8 will be faced with a long overdue choice next week. By clearing the debt to the worlds least developed countries many lives can be saved from debt and disease.

More and better aid is also needed; Bertie Ahern and the Irish Government must meet its commitment of 0.7 per cent of National Income. We recognise that one of the largest obstacles to 'Making Poverty History' is EU and US Agricultural subsidies and call on the Irish government to work toward an atmosphere where fair trade is a reality for the least developed and developing world."