World leaders meeting next week for the G8 summit are being reminded of their commitment to ensure the fairer distribution of financial and food resources across the globe, which will ultimately help the poorest of the poor from slipping even further into poverty.
The link between the world’s ‘food security’ and the need to ensure fairer distribution of resources through a global tax avoidance convention is at the heart of a hard hitting essay produced by EXPOSED ahead of next week’s G8 meeting of the world’s leading economies.
EXPOSED is a global coalition of Christian agencies campaigning to highlight the issue of corruption, one of the leading causes of poverty, and in the essay entitled Our Daily Bread it argues passionately for ‘poverty reduction and the interlocking theme of social justice on a worldwide stage.’
Amanda Jackson, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Micah Challenge International, one of the EXPOSED partners, says with the issue of tax avoidance and evasion by some of the largest corporate global businesses already in the sights of national leaders, now is the time for the G8 to commit to robust and enforceable international protocols which will ensure the fairer distribution of resources across the globe.
‘We are pleased that across the world the effects of the way resources are so unfairly distributed is being given the attention it is due, but the next step is to ensure that any recovered revenue is directed into projects and schemes which help those who most in need,’ Amanda Jackson said.
The 39th G8 summit to be held on 17–18 June 2013 in Northern Ireland is expected, among other issues, to raise the case for a more just division of resources.
Over 200 organisations in the UK are part of the IF campaign urging Prime Minister David Cameron to take the lead on issues around food security. There will be public actions in London and Belfast around the meeting calling for justice on land ownership, tax transparency by food companies and aid to help get produce to markets.
The EXPOSED essay is the first of a series of articles written by Marijke Hoek (co-editor of Micah's Challenge – the Church's Response to the Global Poor) who argues that tax injustice, and corporate tax dodging, which ‘robs poor countries of billions they could invest in feeding their people’ could be tackled with a new international convention on tax transparency which is one of the proposed key measures to tackle tax injustice. And were those recovered resources to be invested in agricultural development, greater food ‘security’ would follow. (1)
‘The good news is that there is enough food in the world to feed everyone…combatting hunger and extreme poverty needs people who pursue the welfare of all and address injustice on a local, national and global level,’’ Marijke Hoek writes.
‘The Global Thematic Consultation on Hunger, Food Security and Nutrition acknowledges that the world can end hunger and food insecurity within a generation. This report emphasizes that food security is an issue for both developing and developed countries and good policies can ensure daily bread for all.’
To read Our Daily Bread by Marijke Hoek: http://micahchallenge.org.uk/beinformed/news/744-our-daily-bread
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NOTES TO EDITORS
(1) Who pays the price? Hunger: the hidden cost of tax injustice, Christian Aid 2013
About EXPOSED
EXPOSED is a coalition of Christian Organisations that aims to challenge the global Church, business and governments to highlight the impact of corruption on the poorest of the poor. The coalition includes:
Steering Group – American Bible Society, USA; Association for a more Just Society (AJS), Honduras; British and Foreign Bible Society, UK; Evangelical Association of the Caribbean; Heads of Denominations, Zimbabwe; Micah Challenge International; The Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission; Unashamedly Ethical; World Evangelical Alliance; 24-7 Prayer, South Africa
Other partners include – Advocates International; ALARM; ANAJURE, Brazil; CANOPI, Malaysia; Digni, Norway; Europartners; Evangelical Alliance UK; Intercessory Prayer Ministry Intl; Micah Network; Paz y Esperanza, Peru; The Leprosy Mission
For more information about EXPOSED, and to sign the Global Call to End Corruption go to www.exposed2013.com
MEDIA CONTACTS
For interviews on this subject please contact:
Amanda Jackson, Head of HEAD of POLICY and CAMPAIGNS, MICAH CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL – [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)7545351956
Joel Edwards, International Co-ordinator, EXPOSED – [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7367 6571
Or contact – Cathy Le Feuvre, Media Consultant [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)7889 321 638
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