News

Vote Global: Karuna's support for efforts to eliminate global poverty

Date: 3 February 2010

Karuna, along with over a hundred other international development organisations, is urging its supporters to make sure that ongoing efforts to eliminate global poverty features highly on the agenda of every political party.

During 2010 there will be a general election in the UK, so Bond (the UK membership body for non-governmental organisations working in international development) has developed Vote Global, which sets out the key political commitments necessary for Britain to play its full part in rising to the challenge of global poverty and ensuring the world meets – and exceeds –the Millennium Development Goals which are badly off-track.

Karuna has endorsed Vote Global and is calling on all political parties and candidates to adopt the vision contained within Bond's Vote Global manifesto and commit to the policies and priortities that the sector as a whole is calling for.

“Vote Global begins with a series of essential principles that should drive UK policy making on international issues including, recognition of our global interdependence, support for an independent Department for International Development represented in cabinet, a commitment to human rights, the need to reform global institutions to make them more democratic and responsive and the importance of keeping our international promises,” said Karuna’s director Abhilasa.

“Critically for Karuna the document also calls on the government to respect the will, energy and ability of poor people to drive their own development. Empowering poor citizens, which in our case is India’s Dalit and tribal communities to determine their own paths out of poverty which is at the heart of our work and something we want the government to support more explicitly.

The document then goes on to set out five policy priorities.

• More and better aid relief
• Tackling climate change
• Making the global economy work for the poor
• Good governance and addressing corruption
• Responding to conflict situations

“In each of these areas Vote Global sets out a detailed agenda for UK policy and action which we hope will be supported by all candidates standing for election to Westminster in 2010 and adopted as policy by all parties.

“As a Buddhist led development organisation with strong links to Buddhist communities across the UK we’re particularly happy to be working along side other faith based organisations to promote and encourage people of all beliefs and none to consider the practical and ethical implications of the global challenges we face.

“Karuna is a practical response to poverty and discrimination in South Asia but we’re conscious that our responsibilities don’t end there. Supporting and promoting Vote Global is one of the ways we as an organisation and our supporters as individuals can act in solidarity with the poor and marginalised globally,” concluded Abhilasa.