SAAPE Bulletin 17

Fighting unitedly against poverty, hunger and injustice in South Asia SSAAAAPPEE BBuulllleettiinn Half-yearly publication of SAAPE (No. 21, March 2019) South Asian Women’s Convergence Addressing Gender Inequality through Fiscal Justice and Access to Basic Services The South Asia Regional Convergence on with key defining factors, and to then come Addressing Gender Inequality through Fiscal together in order to find meaningful and Justice and Access to Basic Services was impactful resolution from this regional dialogue organised by the SAAPE women’s rights between activists and civil society members. campaign group along with the social Total 42 participants from South Asian countries movements and mass-based organisations in in the convergence representing civil society Negombo, Sri Lanka from 19 to 20 November organisations and social movements discussed 2018. and deliberated on the issues and devised a The convergence was set up with two broader national and regional plan of actions to protect purposes: i) To understand the challenge of and promote tax and fiscal justice and fight inequality as a general concept, particularly in against inequality. The declaration and action terms of its drivers and dimensions that link to plan that were devised through the discourse fiscal policies, and ii) To collectively devise a of this convergence call for renewed and collective action plan in South Asia in order to specialised efforts from the civil society and address gender inequality through the lens of activists to engage in a collective manner with fiscal justice. The convergence focused on governments and the grassroots to bridge the identifying the problem at its very roots and divide in communication that prevents SAAPE Bulletin (No. 21, March 2019) | 1 ACTIVITIES to assist in theoretical frameworks, three Editorial Board meetings have been organised in Kolkata and Bangalore in the month of September, December 2018 and February 2019 respectively. The Editorial Board members of SAAPE Poverty Report 2019, academia, researchers, social activists and students from South Asian countries participated and contributed to the discussions. South Asia Regional Workshop on Inequality South Asia Regional Workshop on Inequality was held on marginalised groups like women and children, and their 29- 30 March 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal to report on the interests from being heard in an impactful and inclusive situation of the different South Asian countries and draft way. an initial conceptual framework for the SAAPE report on Divided into multiple discussion sessions, the “Increasing Inequality in South Asia: Causes and convergence provided a platform for similarly engaged Consequences”. Participants from six South Asian civil society members to share and build their knowledge countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan amongst one another. After the keynote addresses, and Sri Lanka) took part in the event. discussants were faced with a number of categorised questions the purpose of which was to watch patterns in experience emerge that could inform a cohesive regional narrative of what short and long-term goals were to be adopted by the civil society. SAAPE Poverty Report 2019 Editorial Board Meetings SAAPE has been publishing the triennial South Asia Poverty Report since 2003. The 6th edition of the Poverty Report 2019, will be published by the end of 2019. The report will focus on the issues of migration and how it perpetuates poverty and inequality in the South Asia region. Participants of the workshop shared some crucial ideas in The country reports are being prepared by the country the context of data analysis for inequality report which writers group. In order to support the writing process, and was followed with country specific discussion. The meeting was concluded with the finalisation of report outline with timeframe. Programme Strategy Planning and Progress Review Meeting SAAPE Core Committee (CC) members and advisors sat together on 02-03 July 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal to plan campaign strategies and review of the current campaigns that are being coordinated by SAAPE members across the region. During the meeting, CC members and advisors 2 | SAAPE Bulletin (No. 21, March 2019) ACTIVITIES in meeting the SDGs in Nepal: business role, financing role, and implementation role. He urged the private sector to provide quality public services adhering to the Ten Principles of UN Global Compact based on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. The Opening Session was chaired by Mr. Shanta Lall Mulmi, Executive Director of RECPHEC. It was followed by a Panel Discussion comprising of representatives from private sectors and CSOs working in public service areas, mainly health, education and transportation. The Consultation unanimously adopted a eight-point deliberated the contemporary country situations and Declaration in the end. The Consultation had an active shared the current status, challenges and opportunities participation of 66 attendees from the government, at the national and regional level. SAAPE Secretariat business associations, consumer forums, and civil society presented the overall campaign progress which was organisations. followed by SAAPE history documentation process. South Asia Fight Inequality Actions Role of Private Sector in Public during the Global Week of Action 2019 Services to Achieve SDGs A number of events are organised during the Global Week A National Consultation on the “Roles and Responsibilities of Action in January 2019 by civil society groups in the of Private Sector in Public Services for Achieving SDGs in countries around the world to highlight and showcase Nepal” was jointly organised by LDC Watch, South Asia how people’s solutions are the ways to tackle the root Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE), and Resource causes of poverty and inequality. Centre for Primary Health Care (RECPHEC). The Consultation aimed at fostering a meaningful discussion on the possible cooperation between the government, private sector, and civil society for affordable, accessible, timely and quality public service delivery in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Chief Guest Hon’ble Vice-Chairperson of National Planning Commission Prof. Dr. Puspa Raj Kadel stated that the private sector has a major role in filling the annual 17 billion USD investment requirements for meeting the SDGs in Nepal. He also highlighted that at the time when the concept of liberalism has been questioned, the private sector should not have an all-in-all profit motive, but should also bear social responsibilities. As a part of the Fight Inequality Global Campaign, SAAPE As a key note speaker, Gauri Pradhan, Global Coordinator members organised inequality actions in South Asian of LDC Watch, emphasised on three roles of private sector countries. In Afghanistan, SAAPE campaign member organisations Development and Humanitarian Services for Afghanistan, Killid Group and Sanayee Development Organisation along with numerous civil society organisations organised talk shows, round table discussions via Radio Killid, press release from January 21-23, 2019. Further, the pamphlets on inequality in local languages, Dari and Pashto, were printed and widely disseminated during the campaign activities. Similarly, in Bangladesh, SAAPE Bangladesh campaign SAAPE Bulletin (No. 21, March 2019) | 3 ACTIVITIES organisations Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) and INCIDIN Bangladesh along with numerous social movements and civil society organisations to organise human chain, cultural programme, press conference on 20 January 2019, and also printed leaflet, poster in local language (in Bangla) which was widely disseminated during the inequality actions. SAAPE campaign member organisations- Manitham Trust and Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) organised a public programme in Tamil Nadu on 19 January 2019 in Dindigul city, India, followed by street campaign with the demand of ending gender inequality which was In Nepal, SAAPE in collaboration with Human Rights attended by participants from Dindigul, Trichy and Alliance, Humanitarian Accountability Monitoring Madurai district Initiative (HAMI) launched the Nepal Inequality Report ‘Fighting Inequality in Nepal: The Road to Prosperity’ on 11 January 2019. Poem recitation and art exhibition was organised on 22 January 2019 in Kathmandu to express solidarity to fight against inequality and to raise voices for equality. The inequality that is prevailing in our society was addressed in the campaign through poems recited by various leading and renowned poets. These poets and artistry work satire to the World Economic Forum which was being held in Davos City, Switzerland. In Pakistan, SAAPE member organisations Labour Education Foundation, Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee in collaboration with Chanan Development Association and OXFAM Pakistan organised an action oriented programme with the theme Fight Inequality, Beat Poverty in Lahore, Pakistan on 23 January 2019. Some of the events, for instance equality festival, painting 4 | SAAPE Bulletin (No. 21, March 2019) ACTIVITIES competition, documentary shows, theatre performance In Sri Lanka, various social movements and civil society highlighting different forms of inequality in Pakistan on organisations organised educational and village level the issues of bonded labour, child marriage and lack of campaign against unequal practices and rising inequality education facilities for all. The event was attended such as arts, poems and creative

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