Development

Development is a term for the attempts to improve the quality of life for people, particularly in societies where basic human rights are unfulfilled for many.
To speak of development, is in effect to show as much concern for social progress as for economic growth. It is not sufficient to increase overall wealth for it be distributed equitably. It is not sufficient to promote technology to render the world a more human place in which to live. ... Economics and technology have no meaning except from the human person whom they should serve. And people are only truly human in as far as, masters of their own acts and judges of their worth, they are authors of their own advancement, in keeping with the nature given to them by their Creator.
Populorum Progressio, n34

2013

The Robin Hood Tax - take action Tell George Osborne to drop his legal challenge in Europe Just a few months ago we were delighted to share the good news with you: eleven countries in Europe pledged to introduce Robin Hood Taxes -- netting a combined whopping £30 billion. It's hard to believe, but those taxes are now under threat from our government. After losing the moral and practical arguments George Osborne is now resorting to a desperate legal challenge to try and block these countries from introducing their own taxes. Read More...	Take Action for IF - contact your MSPs Take Action for IF - Scotland plays its part. Contact your MSP's ask them to write to the First Minister, calling for action by the Scottish Government which could help make 2013 the beginning of the end of world hunger. Read More...
Scotland 2013 and beyond - 17th May Edinburgh What should the key guiding principles be for a country's international development policy? Should a country's values help shape that policy? if so, what values can one attribute to ones own nation? These are just some of the questions being asked about Scotland's present and future external relations. Whatever Scotland's constitutional decision may be, be that 'devolution max', independence or a continuation of the status quo, now is the time - when questions are being asked about what direction Scotland should take both internally and externally—for us to consider Scotland's place in the world. Read More...	Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign - Thank You More than 40 years ago, rich countries made a promise to give 0.7% of their wealth to the world's poorest people every year. Thanks to your support, the United Kingdom is now the first member of the G8 to keep this promise. In tough times, we haven't turned our backs on people going hungry. You should be proud. Thank you. But we're not done yet. We still need you to j oin us as we urge world leaders to tackle global hunger at the G8 summit in June. Sign up today to the IF campaign Read More...
World Water Day - 22 March The fulfilment of basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water. Good management of water is especially challenging due to some of its unique characteristics: it is unevenly distributed in time and space, the hydrological cycle is highly complex and perturbations have multiple effects. Rapid urbanization, pollution and climate change threaten the resource while demands for water are increasing in order to satisfy the needs of a growing world population, now at over seven billion people, for food production, energy, industrial and domestic uses. Water is a shared resource and its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting interests. This provides opportunities for cooperation among users.	Enough food for Everyone IF Please write to the Chancellor before the 15th of March If we are to persuade the Chancellor, George Osborne, to take action to help end the global hunger crisis, we need to flood his in-tray with personalised letters. If more than 1,000 letters are sent it’s sure to get the issues onto his radar. Please remember to send your letter before 10 March, so that he receives it in plenty of time before the Budget is announced. Read More...
Fair Trade Nation Status Achieved! The Scottish Fair Trade Forum welcomed the announcement by Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for External Relations and International Development that Scotland has met the criteria to be a Fair Trade Nation. The success of Fair Trade across Scotland is largely thanks to the personal commitment of campaigners, who since the 1960s, have worked tirelessly towards ensuring that products exported from developing countries to developed countries are produced under fair conditions and empower producers to have more control over their livelihoods and the development of their communities. Achieving Fair Trade Nation status for Scotland is another milestone in this decades-long process. Read More...	Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign - IF the G8 were kids Kirk Jones, creator of ‘What to expect when you’re expecting’, has directed his debut political spoof, a short film made especially for the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign. The film sees children playing members of the G8 as they gather to discuss the world’s problems. Hunger is on the agenda and we see how the children tackle the issue. We know the issue is more complex than this but sometimes it takes a child speaking the truth to point out the ludicrous faults of the adult world. Read More...
Fairtrade Fortnight 25 Feb - 10 March Every year rich countries throw away 220 million tonnes of food - almost as much as farmers in sub-Saharan Africa produce in one year. This is a scandal. But here’s one thing you can do right now to help change this. Join the Fairtrade foundation mini march to ask David Cameron to support smallholder farmers. Read More...	History Repeating? - Land Grabs and The Highland Clearances Timespan, Dunrobin Street, Helmsdale, Sutherland, KW8 6JX. Monday, March 4, 2013. 1pm - 3.30pm The Enough Food For Everyone IF Campaign is holding a major seminar highlighting the parallels between the Highland Clearances in Scotland and land grabs in developing countries. 2013 marks 200 years since the Sutherland Clearances, when large numbers of people were forced off the land they called home. But, right now, in developing countries an area of land bigger than Loch Ness is snapped up by foreign investors every five hours. This seminar will discuss how Scottish history can influence the global debate on land rights in order to protect the world’s poorest people. Read More...
Scotland's political leaders back Enough Food IF campaign The leaders of Scotland's four largest political parties have shown their public support for the IF Campaign during an event at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Read More...	Robin Hood Tax - Good News Bank tax is GO! Europe has given the green light to eleven countries to implement a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). This decision shows that an alternative to austerity is possible, and that in Europe banks are now being made to pay their fair share towards a crisis which they helped cause. The UK is isolated on this issue and we need to make them feel it! We must also keep our eyes on these European Governments to make sure this money will be used to create jobs, keep schools and hospitals open, and help tackle poverty and climate change abroad. For a Robin Hood Tax to be truly won, revenue needs to be spent in this way! Read More...
Enough food for everyone IF ... Over 100 organisations have joined together to launch a brand new campaign to make 2013 the year when we begin to end the global hunger crisis. Together, we’re calling on world leaders to tackle four big IFs. Aid, Tax, Land and Transparency. Watch the Glasgow launch on YouTube and read on for more information Read More...

2012

This is One World Week Sharing Destiny - Moving Towards One World 21-28 October One World Week is a Development Education Charity. Each year, 'The Week' is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to learn about global justice, to spread that learning and to use it to take action for justice locally and globally. Read More...	Scotland Fairtrade Nation - Public Procurement Bill 2012 - email action The public consultation about the Procurement Reform Bill started in August and runs through to 2 November. The bill aims to establish a national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement in Scotland. With the public procurement budget running in excess of £9 billion a year and the Government committed to procurement processes that are 'transparent, streamlined, standardised, proportionate, fair and business-friendly', there is a great opportunity to embed support for Fair Trade in any future public procurement framework. Read More...
11 European Countries Sign Up to a Robin Hood Tax 11 European countries did something incredible. They pledged their support for a Robin Hood Tax. Now, they can work together in taking the next step in making the tax happen – via ‘enhanced co-operation’ in the European Union. Those 11 countries – Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain - should be very proud. Read More...	Celebrate Scotland's positive exports! Jubilee Scotland's 'Break the Chains' campaign calls on Scotland to create an ethical export agency which will strengthen and encourage trade in positive exports, and not in harmful industries such as the arms trade. As part of this campaign, they will be hosting a whisky tasting event lead by long-term debt campaigner and 'Whisky Man of the Year 2011', John Lamond. Guests will be offered a unique chance to celebrate one of Scotland’s great industries along with community leaders, Government Ministers and faith Leaders in support of the ‘Break the Chains’ campaign. The event takes place on 12 October Read More...
World Water Week 27 - 31 August Two interesting articles to mark World Water Week Efects of food and water shortages in developing countries, guardian.co.uk, Sunday 26 August Discover of massive water source in Namibia, guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 August	Fairtrade Events in Paisley Rainbow Turtle’s 10^TH Birthday. To celebrate 10 years of fair trade the Renfrewshire Fair Trade shop is hosting a number of events on Saturday Sept 1 in Paisley Town Hall. Scottish Fair Trade Forum Campaign Day Featuring guest speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and much more. All are welcome: 11.30 - 4pm. Traidcraft roadshow and preview day, 10 am – 4pm. Of particular interest will be the talk by Paul Chandler CEO of Traidcraft, entitled ‘More than just fair trade; how Christians can put their faith into action’
30 years ago this week, Mexico defaulted on its debts, triggering the Third World debt crisis In response, the International Monetary Fund bailed out the private banks responsible for the crisis, and forced Third World countries to impose severe austerity and structural adjustment policies. The result was two lost decades of development across Latin America, Africa and Asia, as unimaginable levels of suffering swept the continents. Read more in Nick Deardens article for the New Statesman. Read More...	Stop the Traffik launch new campaign asking Kraft- when will toblerone be free from child trafficking? Kraft source a significant amount of their cocoa from the Ivory Coast where the Worst Forms of Child Labour and child-trafficking and been reported. Since Kraft acquired Cadbury, who had made a previous commitment to Fairtrade, there has been very little new movement on their part. Kraft is the world’s biggest buyer of cocoa; in 2010 they bought 440.000 tons of cocoa but only 7% was certified as Traffik-Free. Being the world’s largest buyer of cocoa, they should be leading, not lagging. Read More...
Fair Trade on the Fringe 11 - 19 August 2012 Castle Street, Edinburgh This is an international event which provides a platform for Fair Trade and ethical gifts from across the globe. Held in a marquee on Castle Street, Fair Trade on the Fringe will bring together the best of fair trade gifts, foods and drinks, crafts, fashion, jewellery as well as street performers and live music during the world famous Edinburgh International Arts Festival. You'll find products from many countries across the world. This event supports producers of these products where every penny makes a difference. Watch a video of last years event. Read More...	Take action for a Scotland free of unjust debt! The UK is being repaid millions of pounds of debt for bad lending: arms debt, loans to dictators and finance for environmentally unsound mega-projects. The Scottish Government can challenge this, by pledging to audit and cancel Scotland's share of overseas debt, and put in place a responsible export credit agency that will promote sustainable and ethical overseas and domestic growth, rather than simply being an engine for unjust debt. Please take two minutes to fill in the Jubilee Scotland e-action calling for the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth to make this pledge Read More...
Jubilee for Justice As the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations come to an end, let us remember the original meaning of jubilee - a time when debts were cancelled, slaves were freed and land was redistributed. That’s why the Jubilee Debt campaign are creating a giant paper chain petition, to be delivered to the Prime Minister. Please sign a link in the Jubilee for Justice paper chain petition. Read More...	Traidcraft: Stop Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) Help stop unfair trade agreements which threaten the futures of 750 million people worldwide - support the Stop EPAs campaign. Europe is negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with 76 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific. These trade deals could have devastating effects on some of the world's poorest countries. Read More...
Robin Hood Tax global week of action (Wednesday 16th - Wednesday 23rd of May). Take action during the week, email David Cameron calling on him to stop blocking the tax, also contact your MP here Visit SCIAF to find what they have being doing to help Robin.	ACT NOW: Stop the EU silencing the UN on debt Stop press this action has been successful. Read on to find out more. The European Union, at a meeting in Doha, is trying to silence the United Nations on the crucial issue of preventing and dealing with debt crises. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has a long history of warning of financial crises, proposing ways to prevent them before they happen, and tackle them when they've broken out.The global Jubilee movement are at this week's UNCTAD meeting in Doha, and they have alerted us to a concerted effort by powerful countries to narrow UNCTAD's mandate to exclude global financial issues, including debt. The next 48 hours will be crucial. Please email UK Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell now Read More...
Email the EU on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) Ultimation For the past ten years, the European Union has been negotiating trade deals with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries known as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Many African governments have been critical of the negotiations, expressing concerns that the agreements do more to benefit European economic interests than their own. With numerous controversial issues yet to be addressed, most have resisted signing up. However, the European Commission is now presenting an ultimatum to force these agreements through. Please e-mail David Martin, the MEP responsible for preparing the Parliament's response, and call on him to reject the Commission's proposal. Read More...	UK Government goes back on debt relief pledge The UK government claims the Democratic Republic of Congo still owes it £19 million of debt, even though development minister Stephen O'Brien said last year all the debt had been cancelled. Read More...
End Tax Haven Secrecy Are a group of campaigning organisations from around the world united in calling on the G20 to end tax haven secrecy. While over 100 million children never get the opportunity to go to school, developing countries lose more money through tax dodging than they receive in aid. To stop this we need the G20 to end tax haven secrecy. Read More...	Scottish Fairtrade Forum - Take the Schoolwear Campaign to Westminster *E mail Action. We have an opportunity at the Westminster Parliament to further one of the core aims of the Fairtrade Schoolwear Campaign, raising awareness of issues in the supply of cotton. Early Day Motion 1284 "Human Rights and the Cotton Production Industry in Uzbekistan" refers to the hundreds of thousands of children forced to pick cotton in Uzbekistan. We need people to ask their MPs to sign the EDM. If enough sign, it could lead to a debate. Details of the EDM here*. There is also information on the Environmental Justice Foundation website. Only five Scottish MPs have signed the EDM so far: Read More...
Today is World Water Day: Take Action International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It's the stuff of life. The most basic human right. The difference between life and death. Yet nearly 800 million people still live without safe water. Please tell the PM this World Water Day that everyone deserves clean water Based on current progress, Africa won't have universal access to clean water and safe sanitation for another 350 years. We believe that's too long to wait. Do you? Read More...	'Choosing not to buy Fairtrade won't wear' Anne Johnstone, The Herald, 1st March I love primary one school photos: rows of neat bright-eyed five-year olds each in a brand new uniform. Sweet? Yes but now they conjure up an image of other wee kids: like Carly, one of the estimated 100,000 children working up to 13 hours a day picking cotton in India. She featured in a recent news report, prizing open fat cotton buds and dropping the contents into a basket. She wore a grubby dress and had no idea where her parents were. Her arms were covered in scratches and she earned 24p a day. Child labour is tightly controlled in modern Britain but we've merely relocated the problem. Read More...
Fair Trade Fortnight - Take a Step Why take a step? Because trade isn’t working for the world’s poorest... Millions of people in developing countries depend on farming. But they are trapped in poverty by the rules of world trade, keeping those at the start of supply chains powerless to earn enough to cover their costs and with nothing to save for their families. But with just one step you can be part of changing this... http://step.fairtrade.org.uk/ Read More...	Campaign warns that government plans to massage aid figures UK government ministers are planning to use cancellation of a made-up debt to help meet their overseas aid target. Sudan currently 'owes' £678 million ($1bn) to the UK, and might qualify for debt cancellation in the next few years according to the Jubilee Debt Campaign. Read More...

Older Articles

Click here to see articles for the Development campaign from 2011 and before.

Diary (Development)

03/01/2014	First loans by the Grameen Bank (1977)
22/03/2014	World Water Day

Resources

Image: State of the World's Mothers 2012

09/05/2012
State of the World's Mothers 2012

World's worst 10 countries to be a mother? DR Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Mali, Guinea-Bissau , Yemen, Afghanistan, Niger. Save the Children's 13th annual Mothers' Index analyzes health, education and economic conditions for women and children in 165 countries.
Their focus is on the 171 million children globally who do not have the opportunity to reach their full potential due to the physical and mental effects of poor nutrition in the earliest months of life.
This report shows which countries are doing the best - and which are doing the worst - at providing nutrition during the critical window of development that starts during a mother's pregnancy and goes through her child's second birthday. It looks at six key nutrition solutions, including breastfeeding, that have the greatest potential to save lives, and shows that these solutions are affordable, even in the world's poorest countries.

17/09/2010
Papal Address to Politicians and Civic Leaders

Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Politicians and Civic Leaders, at Westminster Hall, London on 17th September 2010, during his visit to the UK.

Image: Justice & Peace Scotland Handbook

21/05/2009
Justice & Peace Scotland Handbook

02/04/2009
G20 Final Communique

With valuable context and criticism by eg Anne Pettifor, Susan George and others.

19/02/2009
Fairtrade needed more than ever

New report says Fairtrade needed more than ever as UK Fairtrade sales top £700 million.

10/02/2009
Excellent fairtrade resource for church groups

Image: Fairtrade Scotland 2007 Conference Report

16/02/2007
Fairtrade Scotland 2007 Conference Report

26/05/2006
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Image: Justice and Peace Scotland Priorities Statement

25/05/2006
Justice and Peace Scotland Priorities Statement

22/03/2006
Water, an Essential Element for Life

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace - A Contribution of the Holy See to the Fourth World Water Forum, Mexico City 2006

Image: Leaflet: A Just Cause for a Fairer World

08/01/2006
Leaflet: A Just Cause for a Fairer World

Material for The Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated in Scotland on 8th January 2006 and designated by the Bishops' Conference as a day of prayer for justice and peace.

http://www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk/Campaigns/Development.aspx