Public Opinion and the Fight Against Poverty (Development Centre Studies)

239 Pages·2003·2.63 MB·English

by  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Development Centre

«
Development Centre Studies
Public Opinion
and the Fight
against Poverty
Edited by Ida Mc Donnell,
Henri-Bernard Solignac Lecomte
and Liam Wegimont
Public Opinion and the Fight
against Poverty
Edited by
Ida Mc Donnell, Henri-Bernard Solignac Lecomte,
Liam Wegimont
DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OF THE ORGANISATION
FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
Pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December 1960, and which came into
force on 30th September 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
shall promote policies designed:
– to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of
living in member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the
development of the world economy;
– to contribute to sound economic expansion in member as well as non-member countries in the
process of economic development; and
– to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in
accordance with international obligations.
The original member countries of the OECD are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The following countries became members subsequently
through accession at the dates indicated hereafter: Japan (28th April 1964), Finland (28th January 1969),
Australia (7thJune1971), New Zealand (29th May 1973), Mexico (18th May 1994), the Czech Republic
(21stDecember1995), Hungary (7th May 1996), Poland (22nd November 1996), Korea (12thDecember1996)
and the Slovak Republic (14th December 2000). The Commission of the European Communities takes
part in the work of the OECD (Article 13 of the OECD Convention).
The Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development was established by decision
of the OECD Council on 23rd October 1962 and comprises twenty-two member countries of the OECD: Austria, Belgium,
Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg,
Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, as well as Argentina and Brazil
from March 1994, Chile since November 1998 and India since February 2001. The Commission of the European
Communities also takes part in the Centre’s Advisory Board.
The purpose of the Centre is to bring together the knowledge and experience available in member countries of both
economic development and the formulation and execution of general economic policies; to adapt such knowledge and experience
to the actual needs of countries or regions in the process of development and to put the results at the disposal of the countries
by appropriate means.
THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED AND ARGUMENTS EMPLOYED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE OECD, THE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OR
THE GOVERNMENTS OF THEIR MEMBER COUNTRIES.
*
* *
Publié en français sous le titre :
L’opinion publique contre la pauvreté
© OECD 2003
Permission to reproduce a portion of this work for non-commercial purposes or classroom use should be obtained
through the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CFC), 20, rue des Grands-Augustins, 75006 Paris, France,
tel. [phone], fax [phone], for every country except the United States. In the United States
permission should be obtained through the Copyright Clearance Center, Customer Service, [phone],
222Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA, or CCC Online: www.copyright.com. All other applications for
permission to reproduce or translate all or part of this book should be made to OECD Publications, 2,rueAndré-Pascal,
75775 Paris Cedex 16, France.
Table of Contents
Foreword
This study is produced in the context of the Development Centre’s programme of co–operation
with civil society in Member and non–Member countries of the OECD. It follows in a tradition of work
focusing on public attitudes to development issues and renews the partnership between the OECD
Development Centre and the North–South Centre of the Council of Europe which resulted in the
1998 publication, Public Attitudes and International Development Co–operation.
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Public Opinion and the Fight Against Poverty
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................ 3
Acronyms................................................................................................................................................ 6
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................. 8
Preface.................................................................................................................................................... 9
Introduction The Global Anti–poverty Consensus: Driving the Reform of International Co–operation......... 11
Chapter 1 Trends in Public Opinion about International Development Co–operation
in OECD Countries: an Overview ................................................................................... 15
Chapter 2 Global Education in the Wider Europe............................................................................ 39
Chapter 3 Country Notes
Australia Mark Otter ....................................................................................................... 49
Austria Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................ 57
Belgium Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................ 65
Canada Ian Smillie........................................................................................................ 73
Denmark Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................ 81
European Community Tehri Lehtinen and Anne Simon........................................................................ 89
Finland Eddie O’Loughlin ............................................................................................. 99
France Muriel Julien and Liam Wegimont....................................................................107
Germany Antje Fiehn and Ida Mc Donnell......................................................................115
Greece Ekaterini Archimandritou..................................................................................123
Ireland Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................127
Italy Alessio Surian...................................................................................................137
Japan Minako Morimoto ............................................................................................143
Luxembourg Liam Wegimont................................................................................................151
Netherlands Henny Helmich................................................................................................157
New Zealand Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................169
Norway Bodil Michelsen and Ida Mc Donnell...............................................................175
Portugal Miguel da Silva and Liam Wegimont................................................................183
Spain Jose Moisés Martin...........................................................................................191
Sweden Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................201
Switzerland Ida Mc Donnell................................................................................................209
United Kingdom Ida Mc Donnell.................................................................................................217
United States Ian Smillie........................................................................................................227
Annex List of Participants ............................................................................................235
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Public Opinion and the Fight Against Poverty
Acronyms
ABP Ausschuß für entwicklungsbezogene Bildung und Publizistik – Committee
for Development Education and Publications of the Protestant churches
ACEP Associação de Cooperação Entre os Povos
ACFOA Australian Council for Overseas Aid
ACODEV Umbrella networks or federations of NGOs in Belgium
ADRP AusAID Development Research Program
AECI Spanish Agency of International Co–operation
ALP Australian Labor Party
AMI International Medical Assistance
APIC Association for the Promotion of International Co–operation (Japan)
AusAID Australian Agency for International Development
AVI Australian Volunteers International
BEF Belgian Francs
BLK Bund Länder Kommission: Committee of the Federal state and the Länder
BMZ Ministry for Development Co–operation (Germany)
CCIC Canadian Council for International Co–operation
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
CIPSI Coordinamento di Iniziative Popolari di Solidarietà Internazionale (Italy)
CKU Centre for Cultural Co–operation (Denmark)
COCIS Coordinamento delle ONG per la Cooperazione Internazionale allo Sviluppo (Italy)
CPLP Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries
DAC OECD Development Assistance Committee
DAF Development Awareness Fund (United Kingdom)
DDC Department for Development Co–operation (Austria)
DEA Development Education Association (United Kingdom)
DECJ Development Education Council of Japan
DFID Department for International Development (United Kingdom)
DGCS Directorate General for Development Co–operation (Belgium)
DGCS Direzione Generale Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (Italy)
DGIC Directorate General for International Co–operation (Belgium)
DIDC Department of International Development Co–operation (Finland)
DM Deutschmarks
EC European Commission
EU European Union
FOCSIV Federazione Organismi Cristiani – Servizio Internazionale Volontari (Volontari nel mondo)
GAIA Greek institute for development education
GNI Gross National Income
ICP Portuguese Institute for Co–operation
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Table of Contents
IUED Institut Universitaire d’Études du Développement (Switzerland)
JANIC Japanese Association of NGOs Specialising in International Co–operation
JBIC Japan Bank for International Co–operation
JICA Japanese International Co–operation Agency
Kepa Service Centre for Development Co–operation (umbrella body for Finnish NGOs)
KMK Kultusministerkonferenz (standing Conference of the Ministers of Education
and Cultural Affairs of the Länder, Germany)
MAI Multilateral Agreement on Investment
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MISNA Missionary Service News Agency
MOFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MORI Market and Opinion Research International
MS Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke’s
NCDE National Committee for Development Education
NCDO Nationale Commissie voor Internationale Samenwerking en Duurzame Ontwikkeling
(the Netherlands)
NCVO National Council for Voluntary Organisations
NGDO Non–governmental development organisation
NGO Non–governmental organisation
NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Co–operation
OECD Organisation for Economic Development and Co–operation
ODA Official development assistance
ODW Operations Day’s Work
ONS Office of National Statistics (United Kingdom)
PALOPs Portuguese Speaking African countries
POSTIVA Postal Saving for International Voluntary Aid (Japan)
ROA Reality of Aid
SDC Swiss Agency for Development Co–operation
SEK Swedish Kroner
Sida Swedish International Development Co–operation Agency
SWAPS Sector Wide Approaches
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
USAID The US Agency for International Development
VENRO An umbrella organisation for NGOs (Germany)
VIDC The Vienna Institute for Development and Co–operation
WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development
WWF The World Wide Fund for Nature
YDAS General Directorate of Hellenic Aid
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Public Opinion and the Fight Against Poverty
Acknowledgements
The Development Centre of the OECD wishes to thank the Government of Ireland for its generous
financial contribution to this project.
This publication benefits from the contributions of a group of experts and practitioners who met
in Dublin in October 2001, at the invitation of the Development Centre supported by SIDA and
Ireland Aid, to examine best practices in OECD countries for information and communication on
development and co–operation issues. It also draws on the work of the Global Education Network
Europe (GENE), and the Global Education Week Network, both facilitated by the North–South Centre.
Finally, it has also benefited from the continued collaboration with the OECD Development Assistance
Committee, in particular through its informal group of national agency heads of information, whose
annual meetings are jointly facilitated by the OECD Directorate for Development Co–operation and
the Development Centre.
The work on the country notes greatly benefited from the input of country experts and national
civil society organisations, as well as from staff in information and development education sections of
official development agencies and country delegations to the OECD. Special thanks are due to the
individuals who volunteered their time to draft country notes, especially: Ekaterini Archimandritou,
Miguel da Silva, Antje Fiehn, Henny Helmich, Muriel Julien, Terhi Lehtinen, Bodil Michelsen, Jose
Moisés Martin, Minako Morimoto, Eddie O’Loughlin, Mark Otter, Anne Simon, Ian Smillie and Alessio
Surian. Colm Foy, Henny Helmich and Ian Smillie provided important insight and advice as members
of the advisory and editorial committee.
Development Centre colleagues’ support and advice were remarkable, especially those of Ulrich
Hiemenz, Catherine Duport and Véronique Sauvat. The design, layout and typesetting were done by
Sheila Lionet, to whom go our particular thanks, as well as to Terri Wells, Marsha Beaudoin, Morag
Soranna, John Simpson and Olivia Leboyer. The authors would especially like to thank Roberta Bensky
for her central role in the DAC Heads of Information Network.
This work developed from an original idea from Giulio Fossi, Henny Helmich and Ian Smillie.
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Table of Contents
Preface
At the March 2002 Monterrey Summit OECD Member countries pledged to increase their official
development assistance by $22 billion by 2006. Such an upward trend with greater focus on the poor
would reconcile rhetoric with action in the global political consensus against poverty expressed in the
Millennium Development Goals. More aid, however, is not in itself a satisfactory response to poverty.
Better aid and more coherent development policies are needed to meet those goals.
The OECD Development Assistance Committee has undertaken a number of initiatives on both
these fronts: work on the untying of aid, for example, or on the harmonisation of donor practices.
Meanwhile, a horizontal programme of work spanning the entire OECD was launched in 2002 to
encourage policy coherence for development. However, a successful reform of development assistance
policies will be dependent on a better informed, educated and engaged public. Achieving this aim is
included in the mandate of the North–South Centre of the Council of Europe, as a promoter of global
education and public awareness raising on issues of global interdependence and solidarity.
This is our second joint publication on public attitudes to international development co–operation,
following the highly successful 1998 Public Attitudes and International Development Co–operation.
Joint efforts by our two Centres are part of a long–standing tradition of close co-operation between the
OECD and the Council of Europe.
One of the main findings of this latest joint operation is that citizens in OECD countries (most of
which are also Council of Europe member or observer states) are strong and unambiguous supporters
of more solidarity and justice in the world. Nonetheless, this positive attitude has so far largely failed
to induce decision makers to increase the level and the effectiveness of international co–operation.
One reason may be that the public understands little about development and poverty issues overall,
while national development co–operation efforts remain equally mysterious.
The North–South Centre has set as one of its priority tasks to better inform the public at large, so
that citizens can increasingly get involved and lead the search for better development co–operation
policies. There is an opportunity for governments to initiate a virtuous circle of transparency and
reform, but the condition is greater focus on global education and public awareness raising. The
opportunity is, thus, accompanied by a challenge.
The roles of the OECD Development Centre and the Council of Europe’s North–South Centre
have been complementary: whereas the Development Centre has focused its work on analysing public
attitudes to international development issues, the North South Centre has set up a work programme to
promote global education. Both activities are complementary and of crucial importance for the OECD
and Council of Europe member countries in improving their development policies.
We hope that this volume will make a contribution to that process.
Jorge Braga de Macedo Miguel Angel Martinez (MEP)
President Chairperson
OECD Development Centre North–South Centre of the Council of Europe
Paris Lisbon
March 2003
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