Oxfam Novib Network nr 3 June 2009

Dear partner,

This time Network kicks off with an article on an effective combination of disaster and conflict reduction programmes. There is also attention for the ever-bigger role of women in Arab countries. Alongside, captured in pictures, a unique public enquiry on climate change in Malawi. Furthermore, the state of affairs in the cocoa chain, a report of a performance by De Groene Bende, and much more in this Novib Network.

Contents:

The interaction between conflict and natural disasters 2 Sustainable cocoa chain in sight 4 Cash grants as relief intervention 5 Dreams of Arab Women's NGOs 6 Poor people in Malawi raise their voice 8 Who benefits from private health care? 9 Building Oxfam Mexico 11 Free from Oxfam GB 12 Climate change demands aid reform 13 Promising festival season 14

Oxfam Novib is a member of Oxfam International

The interaction between conflict and natural disasters

There are many communities in the world that face both the risk of conflict and the risk of natural disasters. However, Disaster Risk Reduction programmes give hardly any attention to conflict and One-sided focus on either disaster risk reduction or Conflict Transformation programmes conflict prevention simplifies local realities. rarely refer to disaster risks and how these interact with (renewed) conflict or its solutions. There is a need to combine approaches.

Examples show that the risks of disaster and conflict impact on each other: flooding can cause renewed conflict, conflict over resources can block initiatives for disaster prevention, or awareness about disaster risks can form the common interest around which conflicting parties come together. Either way: where communities face both the risk of disaster and conflict we need to understand how they impact on the communities and how communities deal with them to ensure we develop effective and empowering programmes. Effective approach What can we learn from programmes that were implemented in areas affected by both (the risk to) conflicts and natural disasters? Oxfam Novib and Disaster Studies from the University of Wageningen organised a panel session during the World Conference on Humanitarian Studies in Groningen, the , in 2009. Case studies were presented from Nigeria, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Philippines. One of the main conclusions was that a one- sided focus on either disaster risk reduction or conflict prevention simplifies local realities and will make aid programming less effective. We need to be realistic about the risk landscape people live in. Conflicts and disasters are part of this and both severely impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. There is a need to combine approaches. Active citizens All case studies highlight the need to understand vulnerabilities and build on the capacities of people in the affected communities. Approaching people as active citizens and change-makers is the key. Three cases argue that community-based early warning systems can play an important role, by involving a wide range of actors (at different levels) in analysing signs, in early warning and - more importantly - in taking action together. An important aim of the early warning system of Oxfam Novib’s partner Wanep in Nigeria is to generate options and ideas for action. People who might previously have felt powerless now feel more equipped to analyse together and develop action. Social contracts In Burundi Acord uses its peace-building model in the provision of food aid in response to floods and involves key people from conflicting parties in ‘social contracts’. These parties exchange

Oxfam Novib Network 2009-3 2 solutions and agree on the action to take. The social contract acknowledges the differences and diverse nature of communities, but also recognises that there are shared interests.

Finally various cases point to the importance of understanding and engaging both horizontal (e.g. peace zones in Philippines) and vertical linkages (understanding the institutions that impact on people’s lives and livelihood options, e.g. water access arrangements - like distribution by kinship - in Afghanistan).

Read more on how to deal with the interplay between conflict and natural disasters in the September edition of Humanitarian Exchange at www.odihpn.org.

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Tilleke Kiewied, advisor humanitarian programmes, Oxfam Novib

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Sustainable cocoa chain in sight

The world of cocoa and chocolate was on the move early this year. Manufacturers Cadbury and Mars announced that they would be going fair trade. The Tropical Commodity Coalition presented the Cocoa Barometer 2009. And in Trinidad The most important stakeholders must start talking the second Round Table on Sustainable with each other. Cocoa took place.

Good news early March: the British chocolate producer Cadbury announced that its most popular product (Cadbury Dairy Milk) would be fair trade certified by the end of this summer. Several weeks later Mars followed suit, with the announcement to be making its production more sustainable using the Rain Forest Alliance and Utz certificates. Not for another eleven years though, but still. Verkade in the Netherlands Cadbury and Mars buy 1 billion dollars worth of cocoa beans every year. Mars on its own is responsible for about half the global trade in cocoa. Oxfam Novib has held, as earlier on with Royal Verkade in the Netherlands, extensive critical dialogues with both Cadbury and Mars on their role in the sustainable cocoa chain. With Verkade this has resulted in this producer only selling chocolate made from fair cocoa since October 2008. Relationships The Tropical Commodity Coalition (TCC), an alliance of ten Dutch civil society organisations with the goal to achieve better conditions at the bottom end of the coffee, tea and cocoa chains, and Oxfam Novib published the Cocoa Barometer in 2009. This report uses recent developments in the sector to clarify the relationships in the cocoa chain and how millers and manufacturers could make that chain more sustainable. Sustainability principles TCC presented the Cocoa Barometer 2009 during the second Round Table on Sustainable Cocoa in Trinidad late March. The business sector as well as governments and civil society responded positively. The report takes the debate on sustainability in the cocoa and chocolate industry another step further. At the end of the meeting the Round Table for Sustainable Cocoa Economy (RSCE) the stakeholders adopted the ten sustainability principles in main line. Stakeholders For the next summit, planned in the Netherlands early 2011, the intention is that all stakeholders understand, subscribe and practice these principles. That means that in the most important cocoa producing and consuming countries the different stakeholders start talking to each other, about the role of each in the chain and the financing of implementing the sustainability principles. It is a merit to civil society that all those involved consider it a serious discussion partner.

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Gine Zwart, policy officer

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Cash grants as relief intervention

The Pakistani army’s military offensive against armed religious militants in North West Frontier Province began late April triggered an exodus of well over 2 million women, men and children. Oxfam Novib’s partner the Sungi Development Cash grants increase people’s sense of dignity. Foundation responded - for the first time - with cash grants.

Though the Pakistani government and UNHCR have established some camps, around 90 percent of the internally displaced people (IDPs) are staying with host families. Oxfam Novib is currently funding four partner organisations in the response. One of them, Sungi, has opted for cash grants as a relief intervention. As Sungi’s executive director Samina Khan says: “Markets are still functioning in the area. Cash grants give people the opportunity to buy what they think is most relevant. It is important for them to make this decision; it increases their feeling of dignity.” 3,000 households Sungi is planning to provide cash grants to 3,000 IDP households. The households will be selected on the basis of vulnerability, for example women whose husband have died, or families with disabled family members. Sungi aims to reach out to those people other agencies do not reach. Host families are not eligible. Programme co-ordinator Abida Swati explains: “With cash, IDPs are in a better position to exercise their right to choose. Most likely they will use a part of the money as rent for the host families or according to their immediate needs, which are currently still unmet or being provided by the hosts. In that way, the host families indirectly benefit from the programme as well.” High-risk intervention As working with cash grants is a new experience to Sungi and as distributing cash grants is a high-risk intervention, Sungi is planning the programme meticulously. Director of Programme Operations, Manzoor Ahmed Awan, adds: “We have to ensure the security of our staff. Therefore we hope to be able to distribute the money from bank branches. Also, we will not announce the distribution widely, as that might attract the wrong people.” To ensure transparency, accountability and participation Sungi is going to formulate humanitarian accountability management committees made up of representatives of IDPs (men and women), host families and the local government. Furthermore, Sungi is going to monitor the markets. Awan: “If inflation is high, a cash grant may not be appropriate.”

Towards the end of the programme, Sungi will study how people have used the cash grant. This will help them gain insight in what the IDPs really needed, which is also useful information for future post-disaster interventions.

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Rixt Bode, programme officer

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Dreams of Arab Women's NGOs

There is a wide diversity in the Arab world when it comes to women’s rights and the interpretation of the Sharia. But also when it comes to the space for civil society organisations to act independently. That became clear during Many Arab women’s organisations are invited by a two-day international conference in The their governments for consultations. Hague, entitled ‘Dreams of Arab Women’s NGOs’.

The conference, funded by Linkis/Oxfam Novib, was organised by the ‘Arabisch Nederlandse Vrouwen Kring (Arab-Dutch Women’s Circle)’ to bring Arab women’s organisations from different parts of the Arab world and the Netherlands together to share positive developments and common challenges. Legitimate players Noting the diversity in the Arab world, the conference speakers identified the positive development in the relations of Arab governments with women’s organisations. Increasingly many Arab women’s organisations are invited by their governments for consultations and are seen as legitimate players in civil society. Women’s organisations in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, for instance, work on issues addressing women’s practical needs such as maternal and child healthcare and education. But they also address issues of strategic significance, such as nationality (in some Arab countries women either lose their nationality or cannot pass it on to their children when they marry a foreigner), honour , incest, marital rape and sexual harassment on streets. Partners in change Some of the participants noted the greater importance of claiming women’s rights in the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights rather than looking for different interpretations of the Sharia. Most of the Arab states are signatories to various human rights treaties and it would serve women’s organisations better to lobby states to fulfil these obligations. One of the important challenges faced by women’s organisations in the Arab world is that of increasing their support-base by mobilising women in their societies and engaging with men, seeing them as partners in change. Battle orthodoxy At the same time, women’s organisations have to be ready to battle political and religious orthodoxy. It was also noted that most Arab constitutions guarantee equal rights to men and women, but somehow the laws are not in the same vein. And anybody who claims that such laws are based on the reading of the Koran needs to take a good look at the diversity within the Islamic world – from Tunisia (progressive on women’s rights) to Egypt and from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia.

For more on the conference and the organisation visit www.anvk.org.

Oxfam Novib Network 2009-3 6 Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Nickie Monga, programme officer Linkis/Oxfam Novib

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Poor people in Malawi raise their voice

In Malawi people can speak out about the impact of climate change and the possible solutions. That is unique in Africa. The outcomes of the public enquiry will be used in the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December. The public enquiries are a joint activity of Oxfam Novib and Oxfam Great Britain.

See the photo report here.

Source: Oxfam Novib, 26 juni 2009

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Who benefits from private health care?

The Georgian government launched a new health policy reform agenda in 2006. The aim: to privatise most of Georgia’s healthcare system. Oxfam International and two partner organisations of Oxfam Novib undertook an in-depth analysis of Does privatising healthcare help the poor? the consequences of the reforms for the poor. The outcome feeds into national and international lobby and campaigning.

The case study was carried out in the context of the Essential Services ‘For All’ campaign in Georgia in 2008. The research team was made up of Oxfam staff from Georgia and the international policy team, together with staff from the Genesis Association and the Welfare Foundation, two of Oxfam Novib’s partners in Georgia. Their report was published in May. Strict standards The analysis revealed that there is a great need to ensure effective access to healthcare for the poorest population, particularly by monitoring the state-funded programmes for people living below the poverty line; demanding that the Georgian government sets strict quality standards for private healthcare providers, and enforces them through regulation; and securing space for civil society’s engagement in the planning and decision-making processes around healthcare reforms. Coalition The case study contributes greatly to the knowledge and understanding of the role in healthcare of the profit motivated private sector, and how this does or does not help in improving access for the poorest and most vulnerable groups. This knowledge gives the NGOs the right material to lobby and campaign at the local, national and international levels for a just healthcare system for all Georgians.

Supported by an initial desk-based research, the case study lasted two weeks. A relatively short time during which the researchers worked hard, doing interviews and organising a concluding workshop. The co-operation has resulted in a new coalition of NGOs, with new campaign plans. Downloads The Georgian case study is one in a series of Essential Services case studies and complements more general briefing papers of Oxfam on healthcare. Other comparable studies have taken place in Nicaragua, Mali, Malawi and Bangladesh. To sum up, the most recent relevant papers can be downloaded from Oxfam's website:

• Healthcare Reform in Georgia - A Civil Society Perspective: Country Case Study OI Research Report, May 2009) • Blind Optimism – Challenging the myths about private healthcare in poor countries OI Briefing paper, February 2009)

Oxfam Novib Network 2009-3 9 • Health Insurance in Low Income Countries – Where is the evidence that it works? Joint NGO Briefing paper, May 2008)

Source: Oxfam Novib, 26 juni 2009 Author: Esmé Berkhout, policy advisor healthcare

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Building Oxfam Mexico

In November Rostros y Voces may be called Oxfam Mexico. The organisation is already a full member of Oxfam International. Whereby they are getting, among others, Willeke van Rijn’s support. The former marketer and fundraiser of Oxfam Novib also helped build Oxfam India. Willeke van Rijn in her Oxfam India-days.

Oxfam International will grow in due course with two new affiliates: Oxfam India and Rostros y Voces from Mexico. With the accession of organisations from developing countries Oxfam International’s legitimacy will grow in its campaigning and lobby. It also shows that people’s DIY in developing countries is increasing. India and Mexico have a growing middle class, which can participate fully in fighting poverty. Willeke van Rijn is watching this from close by. First in India and – since August 2008 – in Mexico. What is the big difference between Oxfam Novib, Oxfam India and Oxfam Mexico? Van Rijn: “Oxfam Novib is a large, established organisation and therefore sometimes a little slow in innovations and change. It also has the luxury of access to adequate financial resources. Oxfam India and Oxfam Mexico are much smaller, both with about 25 staff, but very much a-changing. That is also because a lot is happening in different fields: new departments are being set up, new strategies drawn up, and money needs to be found to implement them. And because money is always too little, one needs to focus: what is it that we really want to change?

This difference between Oxfam India and Oxfam Mexico is that the former is a totally new organisation, even if a merger of different Oxfams. Everything starts from scratch. Rostros y Voces, the name of Oxfam Mexico until 2011, is an existing organisation familiar with working with partner organisations. It now wants to focus more on campaigning and lobby. It wants to develop further its emergencies department, and is looking for alternative income sources now it is no longer a counterpart.” What does your work in Mexico entail? Van Rijn: “At the moment Rostros y Voces receives an income from Oxfam Novib, among others, but that will drop. It is important that the organisation becomes financially independent. I am helping to look for alternative income sources – from private sources and businesses to government and other institutional donors. In addition, I will be involved in strategy development, testing different ways of fundraising, training people, etc. All sorts. Sometimes very practical, sometimes very strategic. The combination is fun.”

Source: Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Renée Schäfer, editor

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Free from Oxfam GB

Free from Oxfam Oxfam Great Britain offers free online articles from the Gender & Development Journal. The Gender & Development's website offers free access to over 450 articles from researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners on a range of gender and development issues. The articles are free

to download from www.genderanddevelopment.org

Recent articles include:

• No climate justice without gender justice: an overview of the issues by Geraldine Terry • Engendering adaptation to climate variability in Gujarat, India by Sara Ahmed and Elizabeth Fajber • Gender, water, and climate change in Sonora, Mexico: implications for policies and programmes on agricultural income-generation by Stephanie Buechler • The biofuel frenzy: what options for rural women? A case of rural development schizophrenia by Nidhi Tandon • Malawian women's participation in State politics: what are the constraints? by Alinane Priscilla Kamlongera • Resilience, power, culture, and climate: a case study from semi-arid Tanzania, and new research directions by Valerie Nelson and Tanya Stathers • Women’s rights in climate change: using video as a tool for empowerment in Nepal by Marion Khamis, Tamara Plush, and Carmen Sepúlveda Zelaya • Climate change and sustainable technology: re-linking poverty, gender, and governance by Sam Wong

Subscribe to the website’s new RSS feed to keep up-to-date on new content from Gender & Development.

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26 2009 Author: Helen Moreno, Online Communications Executive Oxfam Great Britain

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Climate change demands aid reform

The climate crisis will hit 375 million people in six years. That is 54 percent more than now. Current humanitarian aid mechanisms cannot cope with that growth, warns Oxfam in the report Right to Survive. Oxfam Novib’s general director Farah Karimi: “International humanitarian aid is a kind of worldwide game of cards."

Oxfam basis its growth forecast on data from 6,500 weather related disasters since 1980. The effects of wars, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions are not included. To absorb the rise to 375 million victims the international community must spend 25 billion dollar on emergency assistance every year (it was 14.2 billion in 2006). But this amount, believes Oxfam, is still inadequate to provide in the basic needs of victims. Game of cards Oxfam Novib’s general director Farah Karimi: “International humanitarian aid is a kind of worldwide game of cards. Political motives determine distribution too much. The response is arbitrary – too little, too late and often not enough. The world can hardly cope with the current disasters, and will be overwhelmed when the number of affected people grows higher. Fundamental reforms of the aid delivery system are necessary. It must become less centrally determined, and include more space for local and non-Western aid agencies.” Adaptation Alongside more money for relief aid, more attention to prevention is also needed. Rich countries must commit to reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases, to ensure that global warming remains below 2 degrees centigrade. But even then poor countries will have to adapt on a large scale to the impact of climate change. To be able to pay for that Oxfam Novib calls on rich countries, who have caused these problems, to release at least 50 billion dollar per year. Karimi: “Climate change cuts more and more right across our work in poverty reduction. It is of crucial importance that we deal with the impact of climate change. The Dutch government has promised to push inside the European Union for allocating concrete amounts of money for climate adaptation measures in developing countries. That must be done quickly, or else developing countries will lose trust and the international climate negotiations will be in danger.”

Read the full report Right to Survive

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Fred Geelen, editor

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Promising festival season

Every year Oxfam Novib is present at festivals in the Netherlands. To campaign, to raise funds and to recruit volunteers. This year the festival season is all about education. The kick-off took place at the Pinkpop music festival. Bruce Springsteen was on stage, as was Oxfam Novib’s Groene Bende, a name The Groene Bende rewards the public’s good behaviour. with a pun, meaning Green Mess or Green Gang, or both.

The Groene Bende was set up by Oxfam Novib’s volunteers. This year they will playfully reward the good behaviour of the public at various festivals. People can score points by drinking fair coffee at Oxfam Novib’s DIY Bar, or by shredding ‘unfairly’ produced jeans, or by making promises related to Oxfam Novib’s education campaign. Madness At Pinkpop, the first music festival of the season, the Groene Bende collected more than 2,500 promises. Including artists like Madness, Maria Mena and James Morrison. The last promised to buy more at Oxfam shops in future. G8 countries Each promise that found its way into the Groene Bende’s box is a vote of support for the education campaign. All Oxfams and their partners around the world are collecting such promises. The collection will be presented to the government leaders of the G8 countries, meeting in Italy in July. They must be reminded of their promises to have all children in school by 2015. As far as that is concerned, there is still a long way to go, because still 75 million children are not getting an education.

Source: Oxfam Novib, June 26, 2009 Author: Fred Geelen, editor

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