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E-Newsletter
June 2018

Headlines

Responses to Open Letter and the new National Outcomes for Scotland

In January, members of Scotland’s SDG Network helped mobilise over 80 organisations and 250 people to sign an open letter on the Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, they have received responses from the First Minister, the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Conservative Party and Local Authorities across Scotland.

The First Minister’s response was clear. The Scottish Government will be using the refreshed National Performance Framework (NPF) to measure Scotland’s progress towards the SDGs; the Goals are front and centre in the design of the draft NPF and they are linked to Scotland’s 11 new National Outcomes, one of which is internationally focused for the first time.

Building Resilience in Rwanda

Pete Parisetti, Programme Manager at Opportunity International, writes about their work in partnership with farming cooperatives and Urwego Bank in Rwanda to improve the resilience and incomes of smallholder farmers.  By improving grassroots-level access to financial services they aim to provide a more flexible and effective way for communities to protect themselves from threats to livelihoods, such as those posed by climate change.  

Midwives save lives in rural Liberian hospitals

In 5 district hospitals in rural counties of Liberia, every day, 21 health workers are expertly saving the lives of pregnant women experiencing life-threatening complications of pregnancy and childbirth in extremely challenges circumstances.

MCAI (Maternal & Childhealth Advocacy International) write about the impact of their work training obstetric clinicians in a three-year intensive task-sharing programme in advanced medical and surgical obstetrics in rural Liberia. 

Members Noticeboard

Safeguarding Update

As 2018 continues to be “Year of Safeguarding” the Alliance is working away energetically in a number of areas as we rise to the challenge of ensuring that all our members have all the support they need to optimise their safeguarding policies and procedures. We provide some highlights of safeguarding work which the Alliance is involved in.

Survey responses needed

We have sent out a very short online survey to all members requesting feedback on safeguarding policies and procedures. Your responses will help us to shape a “Safeguarding Package” of resources and support for Scotland based organisations working in international development.

We kindly ask you to complete and submit this as soon as possible if you have not already done so.

New online forum launched!

We are excited to announce that the Alliance Community is now officially up and running! Accessible through our website, this member-only virtual space provides our diverse membership with a new way to connect and collaborate. 

The community is open to all employees, trustees and volunteers from any member organisation. We encourage you to start a conversation, join an existing one, seek advice or offer expertise.  

Sign up now and begin browsing through existing categories and topics, or suggest new ones. You are the Alliance Community!

Upcoming events not to be missed...

Scottish Government Quarterly Meeting

27 June, central Edinburgh, venue TBC 

Claire Tynte-Irvine, Head of International Division and Joanne Keating, Head of the International Development team at the Scottish Government, have offered to meet with up to twenty representatives of the international development sector on 27 June, 10.00-12.00.  This will be an informal, round-table style event, designed to allow officials and practitioners to get to know each other and to share information and ideas.  This is the fourth in a series of quarterly meetings which have proved to be extremely popular. Priority will be given to those who have not already attended an earlier meeting in this series. 

Sign up here

 

Lunch with CBM Zimbabwe Country Director

28 June

We are holding a small informal lunch-time gathering in Edinburgh  for the visit of Deborah Tigere, Country Director for CBM in Zimbabwe.  Deborah will update guests on the current situation in Zimbabwe from the perspective of NGOs working there.  This is an important opportunity for anyone working, or considering working in Zimbabwe, and will also be of interest to organisations working more widely in sub-Saharan Africa in the disability field.

Sign up here

NEWS

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SCIAF commits £60,000 of Scottish donations to South Sudan Crisis

SCIAF has sent £30,000 of Scottish donations to South Sudan to provide emergency aid to thousands of vulnerable people who have been forced to flee their homes in the developing world’s “forgotten crisis”, with a further £30,000 pledged.

Read More

Edinburgh Direct Aid launches Great Sponsored Knit!

In May Edinburgh Direct Aid, the Edinburgh based charity, launched an interesting new challenge for its supporters, a sponsored knit!

Since  2013 EDA has been sending regular shipments of warm clothes to help 60,000 Syrian refugees living in tented camps in Arsal, Lebanon.

Read More

New Scottish Campaign Launches – Declaration: Scotland for Europe

A new Scottish civil society campaign to stay in the EU was launched at the end of May, showing that the majority support in Scotland for ‘remain’ has not gone away.

Their petition has already attracted more than 2000 signatories.

Read More

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Gates Foundation launches a new global education strategy

The Gates Foundation shares its plans to spend $68 million over four years as part of an effort to ensure that access to education translates to learning outcomes for students around the world.

Read More

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Scots football fans kick off appeal for for girls' club in Africa

As the World Cup approaches, let us celebrate the successful campaign by Africa on the ball that raised £1000 towards their women and girls empowerment through football programme in Zambia.

 

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Taxing the poor to give to the bureaucrat?

New data reveals that government tax and transfer systems reduce inequality in the rich world, but often increase poverty in the poorest countries.

CGD break down how antiquated tax systems, insufficient financial transfers, and ineffective government spending make the poor even poorer in developing countries.

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Who's reporting Africa now?

The University of Edinburgh's Dr Kate Wright has her new book published.

Why and how do journalists use the photographs, video, and audio that NGOs produce? What effects does this have on the kinds of stories told about Africa? And how have these developments changed the nature of journalism and NGO-work?

Read More

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ODI experts give their view on DFID's new plan

On 23 May 2018 the Department for International Development (DFID) published its updated single departmental plan, which sets out DFID’s objectives and how it will achieve them.

Read More

RESOURCES

Taking Action: The Road to Universal Health Coverage’. A Report by Devex and Philips

How can progress toward the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals be accelerated, and what role can the private sector play?

Read the Report

The Many Faces of Exclusion...

Save the Children has just released its second annual End of Childhood Index, taking a hard look at the events that rob children of their childhoods and prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Read the Report

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