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Home   English  Quality Public Services   Global Call to Action Against Poverty


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Global Call to Action Against Poverty

ImagePublic Services International and the ICFTU are part of a huge and growing international mobilization, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.

Now involving hundreds of civil society organizations and unions, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is using key events in 2005 to focus world attention on eliminating poverty and achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, through more and better aid, debt cancellation and trade justice.

National GCAP coalitions are being built in many countries to develop lobbying and campaign strategies. Material has been sent to all PSI’s affiliated unions about how to get involved. More information at www.whiteband.org

The campaign focuses on “whiteband” actions, where millions of people will wear a white band on specified days.

The goals of the campaign are extremely important and worthwhile. This is also an opportunity to promote the importance of quality public services in tacking the terrible problems of disease, illiteracy, poverty and hunger. Decent public services are essential in building a better world. If more aid is provided and debt cancelled, these resources must be directed to building quality public services, not to private profit.

Many events provide a chance in 2005 to support the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, and to promote the quality public services campaign.

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Action Dates

January 27
The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) was launched at the World Social Forum.

March 8 International Women’s Day - a chance to focus on tackling poverty and the importance to women of quality public services.

April 10 to 16 The Global Week of Action on Trade enables public sector unions to raise concerns about privatization and liberalization through GATS. More on www.april2005.org

April 24 to 30 Education Action Week - an opportunity to support public education. More on
www.ei-ie.org/globalactionweek

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May 1 May Day celebrations will include an anti-poverty theme. Public sector unions can emphasise the right to quality public services.  

July 1 White Band Day held prior to the G8 meeting 6-8 July. Poverty will top the agenda at the meeting of the world’s major economies. We need to ensure that quality public services are also on the agenda.   More on www.whiteband.org

September 10 White Band Day held prior to a meeting of Heads of state and governments at a UN Summit 14-16 September. The Summit will review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. The need for quality public services to meet the Goals must be on the agenda.

December White Band Day held prior to the WTO Ministerial Conference, 13-18 December. Another opportunity to question GATS and the further privatization and liberalization of public services.

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On 17th October, the people of Oslo, Norway, were told to boil the drinking water and not use it to brush their teeth. Not good news, but a good introduction to the NUMGE conference against poverty.
Launched by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, STAND UP is an exciting challenge to set an official Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. On October 15 & 16, the world will come together and STAND UP and remind their governments that promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and help the billions living in extreme poverty, must be kept.
As part of the Global Month of Action against poverty, on 15-16 October there will be a global attempt to set an official Guinness World Record for the biggest number of people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty.
The Zambian government says the country will save about US$180 million following last year's decision to write off debts, following the Global Call for Action against Poverty.
Read the February edition of the GCAP update
Poverty and inequality are growing in Scotland, where the difference in life expenctancy between inhabitants of rich and poor suburbs reaches more than two decades.
The world's poorest have seen a 73 percent drop in share of benefits from growth in last decade, according to new research released as the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos. The New Economic Foundation's report shows that globalisation is failing the world's poorest.
On 8 September PSI's quality public services coordinator Wendy Caird addressed the "Femme Globale" conference in Helsinki on the subject of gender, poverty and public services.
Huge public pressure forced the recent G8 meeting of the world’s richest nations to consider some initiatives to tackle world poverty.
The new US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, has created an uproar by proposing last minute changes which effectively strip this month's UN Summit of any real meaning in terms of the battle against poverty.
World-wide pressure through the Global Call to Action Against Poverty has brought some changes to policies on aid, debt cancellation and trade justice. But we need to maintain the pressure! We have identified 10 September as a Quality Public Services Day and urge unions to be part of the lobbying and public actions...
Larry Brown is secretary-treasurer of Canada's 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). He joined an estimated 200,000 anti-poverty activists in Scotland on Saturday, the same day that massive Live 8 music concerts were held in nine cities around the globe.
This week's summit of the Group of Eight leading industrial powers is set to fall short of the response needed to tackle global poverty, says War on Want.
With the spotlight currently on the G8, the World Development Movement has produced an in-depth analysis of decisions taken on key issues by the G8 in recent years. The report "Suspending disbelief" shows a gaping chasm between words and actions, described by WDM as "a history of failure and hypocrisy".
PSI and affiliated unions can take heart from the fantastic union/NGO alliance that has driven the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. Last months package on debt relief, however, came with some worrying conditions.





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