By Pip Bennett
UNICEF NZ has recently launched a new campaign called ‘Banging the Drum’, focusing on the effects of the global recession on Pacific nations. For the past two months I have been interning at the UNICEF NZ office in Wellington. My role involves working with the Advocacy Manager - International, getting a little bit of office experience as well as helping them out with campaign needs. At the moment we are working busily on this new campaign.
Economic crisis in the Majority world
The global economic crisis (often just referred to as the G.E.C) has had a major impact on the majority of countries in the world. The media has been swamped with reports of unemployment and investments-gone-bad from the U.K, the U.S, and more recently, Greece. But what about our Pacific neighbours?
Research on the issue has projected that around 50,000 more people could be living below the poverty line by the end of 2010. This obviously will have a huge impact on the lives of children and young people. Many of the Pacific nations rely on a cash economy, where cash is required to purchase goods or services. Increases in oil and food prices have left families with little disposable income to cover school fees, healthcare and in some cases, appropriate levels of food for their children.
Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific
© UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2510/Pirozzi.
Why is this important? Historically New Zealand has had a close relationship with the Pacific region. In recent decades we have provided significant amounts of aid money to the region, as well as other services such as military support and policing. Another important reason is that Auckland is the city with the largest population of Pacific Islanders in the world. So our Pacific neighbours are more than just that. They are brothers and sisters, and these countries are often still called home by many of our citizens.
In New Zealand, the recession has arguably not had a huge impact on young people. Although job availability and family incomes have decreased, social assistance is largely available to cover expenses that families cannot cover themselves. In the Pacific, only 20% of the population have access to social welfare . Imagine not having a choice of whether to go to school or not. Imagine having to work to support your family, even if you are at primary school.
Campaign with a purpose
At school in Vanuatu ©UNICEF/NYHQ2006-2512/Pirozzi
The campaign is focussed on raising awareness in New Zealand of the situation in the Pacific. Children need to be put first in social policy to make sure that they are protected from negative and unstable situations. It is important for people to talk about ways to support social development in times of economic crisis. Social investment has a long term benefit, but sometimes it is hard to remember that, especially in the modern fast-paced world where we want to see benefits immediately.
We are promoting the campaign at a number of festivals. We were at the Newtown Fair with a Cook Island drumming group called Atiu Mapu, and we are also having a stall and a drummer at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland on 13 March 2010. We want young people to get involved – on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube – to support other youth in the Pacific. You could have a debate, presentation, performance, or writing competition in your school or community group. Come bang the drum for children in the Pacific!
TAKE ACTION
Check out ‘Banging the Drum’ on Facebook
Or visit the UNICEF NZ Banging the Drum website
For information and personal stories go to:
the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis in the Pacific Conference website
OIYP is a three year programme, which aims to build the capacity of the Action Partners (the name given to Youth Partners) by providing us with support and resources, and creating opportunities for dialogue, networking and learning. Our first opportunity came in October this year at Kaleidoscope, a festival where all of the Action Partners come together in Sydney, for nine days of workshops, dances, performances, art, theatre and meeting a zillion new people.
The welcoming ceremony took place on the first night, hosted by the Darug people, the indigenous people of the area. There was Aboriginal song and dance, which was responded to by various groups such as Aotearoa New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, and First Nations of the Americas. It was an incredible start to the event, and was at times very emotional.
During the week there were six plenary sessions, along with around fifty workshops, some of which were led by Action Partners. Some of the workshops were only two hours long, while others were four hours over two days. Topics ranged from project management, indigenous rights, land rights, to access to health, access to education, gender and equality, gender and sexuality, and using photography and film. They were helpful, although complaints arose due to their brevity and lack of international or easily transferable context. A complaint from the Latin Americans was that there was too great a focus on Western culture and issues, rather than a diverse representation
We had several opportunities to explore Sydney, predominantly in the evenings, although we did have one free afternoon. Many of us went to a salsa club on Friday night and some gay clubs on the Saturday. Art and dance was a significant part of Kaleidoscope, with Oxfam wanting to explore the power of various forms of art as a tool for development. There were large canvases for painting, dance, song, beat-boxing performances, all with opportunities to try it yourself. A particular highlight for me was watching dancers from Brazil, along with Capoeira performers.
The internet has revolutionised the way in which we communicate and share information. At the click of a button we are able to connect with millions of people around the world. Social networking websites like Myspace.com and Bebo.com are especially popular with young people. There are no limits around who you can communicate with — no limits in number (have as many “friends” as you want), no limits due to language (free translation sites are readily available) and no limits in geography (the whole world is figuratively at your fingertips).
The internet provides alternative sources of news and alternative ways of consuming it. It offers the best of the traditional mediums — audio, video and text — while being regularly updated and available to view at any time. There is also the opportunity for young people to become “citizen” journalists. Through things like blogs, discussion boards and personal websites all of us have the chance to share news, information and our own views on the world. While we have the chance to share our voice with the rest of the world, we’re also being exposed to voices from other people and other cultures, creating a generation with more global awareness than those that came before.
Even the social networking sites are being used for more than just socialising. The Darfur Action Network (based in the USA, but with international members) on Myspace aims to create awareness of the situation in Darfur, Sudan, and teaches members how to become active campaigners. No More Excuses on Bebo.com includes a photo petition to the New Zealand government about their international aid commitment. These groups (and hundreds of others) have their own websites, but most of the real networking and awareness work happens through these social networking sites.
Technology is shrinking distances and limitations, allowing the feeling that we are all connected to grow. The internet is helping young people in Aoteaora New Zealand feel like we can be part of something much larger than the small groups we are used to (school, sports teams etc). Young people are becoming increasing aware of the role we can play in creating change at a global level. We are not just citizens of our home town; we are citizens of the world.
