ActionAid International Annual Report 2006

Progress towards our strategic objectives

The Right to Food

The right to food is fundamental. Without it you can’t live. So in 2006 ActionAid spent over 20% of all money for its programmes working hand in hand with poor people so that their right to food is secure.

Story of Change in Brazil:

Farmers unite to combat drought

"Seeing is knowing. The exchange visits opened our eyes", says Maria das Dores, a 64 year old farmer and widow in one of the most arid areas of Brazil. Many of her 13 children have migrated to Rio to escape the constant droughts, others have died. But she is a survivor, and now she is practicing new techniques and knowledge about the use of water and seeds she has learned from visiting other farms.

Over 3,000 families have taken part in learning exchanges organised by ActionAid partner AS-PTA. Inspired by what they have seen, they have between them constructed new systems for saving, capturing, reusing and treating water, enabled them to increase their productivity and better protect themselves from drought. This has particularly affected women, who have always been the ones to collect water from dams far from their homes.

The exchange program has been an empowering experience for farmers. It has raised their awareness and confidence to mobilise for their rights. The farmers feel proud of their traditional knowledge, are stimulated to share their experiences and learn from others, and take credit for successful innovations and alternatives. Now they are showing the way to policy makers and researchers in Brazil.

Rights to land and natural resources

Many of the world’s poorest and most excluded people live in rural areas, and need access to land and other natural resources in order to grow food. In 2006, where people were being evicted from their traditional lands, or their lack of legal title was making them vulnerable, we supported them in their campaigns and legal battles, and in building strong movements of peasants or landless people. We helped tribal communities in Orissa, India challenge the forcible acquisition of their land for bauxite mining, in a case that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. Poor men and women’s access and control over water and seeds have also improved in various communities where ActionAid works. In Uganda, for instance, poor farming communities have been able to construct and manage new seed banks.

Women grow 60-80% of food in developing countries yet own less than 1% of the land. We focused attention on this issue at a UN conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD), creating opportunities for women to tell their stories about unequal access to land and resources. Our contributions helped to influence the outcomes of the conference and the final declaration adopted by governments included many of the proposals that we developed with partners to strengthen women’s rights to land.

Raising the voices of the poor in the corridors of power

In 2006, we worked with our allies to bring the realities of poor people to bear in policy discussions. The ActionAid led International Food Security Network (IFSN) Project aims to ensure that the voice of the people is heard in decisions that have an impact on their food security. By the end of the year the project had more than 450 partners and 15 national networks actively influencing their national food security policies. Many of the national networks are actively involved in drafting and influencing laws and policies relating to small farmers, for example the national farm bill in Malawi, policies relating to the management and distribution of forest resources in Mozambique, fishing in Ghana, plant diversity and community knowledge in Bangladesh and nutrition in central America

Story of Change in Senegal:

Women fight back against big business

Ndiaye Diouf is nicknamed the freedom fighter of Lerane. When she discovered that the women’s peanut producers collective of which she was president had been banned from marketing peanuts in a decree signed by the governor of her region, she was outraged. She knew that this was due to the influence of the big, private peanut companies who wanted to maintain a monopoly stronghold over peanut producers and keep prices down.

She led a delegation to the governor’s office and told him: "Honorable governor, in your world of intellectuals you use pens and computers ... In our world of women peasants all we have are our hoes to grow peanuts. It is unjust for you to use a written decree to block our initiatives to protect our unique life-sustaining activity". Not only did he listen, he actually introduced the women to the head of the peanut oil manufacturing company, the biggest peanut purchaser in the region. Now her collective is formally accredited as a legal operator.

Ndiaye and her colleagues know how hard it is to be taken seriously in the governance of the peanut industry, but their lives and livelihoods depend on it. She says: "In order to participate in good and democratic governance, women must first and foremost develop the capacity and determination to organise themselves for change."

Trade justice

From low wages on farms, to subsidies undermining local food production and prices, the economics of food work against poor people. ActionAid has long been a key player in campaigns for trade justice. During 2006, we provided training and advice to negotiators from poor countries, and worked with organisations in these countries to help them follow negotiations and hold their representatives to account. Through our research and detailed analysis of policies, we helped to make the case for a special World Trade Organisation (WTO) safeguard that would allow developing countries the right to protect some staple foods from heavily subsidised US and EU imports. Our ground-breaking research on how sudden ‘surges’ of artificially cheap imports are putting thousands of small farmers out of business in countries such as Ghana, Brazil and Kenya helped to build evidence for why such a mechanism is essential. Our coalition building assisted the G33 group of developing countries to stand firm behind the demand for the right to protect staple foods from subsidies in 2006, despite heavy pressure from the US, the World Bank and others.

We also targeted transnational companies whose unregulated activities result in evictions, serious environmental degradation and violations of human rights in many communities where we work. We are pushing the UN to enforce binding human rights norms for business and have been working with partners to push for national laws and regulations. A major victory in 2006 was the reform of British company law to make UK-based companies more responsible for the impact they have on poor people and the environment in developing countries. ActionAid UK was a key player in the coalition campaigning for this legislative change. In China, Kenya, Ghana and the Americas, we used research on the impact of transnationals to facilitate local debate and support communities to demand adequate consultation, compensation and redress for the loss and degradation of their land, water and ecosystems.

We have also been supporting poor farmers and farm workers in their struggles for fair wages and trade conditions. We worked with our South African partner, Women on Farms, to investigate allegations of rights violations on South African farms and to have Tesco executives visit the farms. We also supported a woman fruit picker to attend Tesco’s annual general meeting in the UK, which resulted in changes in policy which will improve women’s pay and conditions in South Africa.

Home Introduction Mission, Vision, Values Message from Chair and CE Message from Treasurer Strategic Overview Strategic Objectives Women's Rights Education Rights Food Rights Human Security HIV/AIDS Governance Other Initiatives Organisational Objectives Governance & Audit Financial Review Review Auditors' report Policies Financial Accounts Income statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Note 1 Notes 2 & 3 Note 4 Note 4c Notes 5 & 6 Note 7 Note 8 & 9 Note 10 Note 11 Note 12 Note 13 Note 14 Note 15 Notes 16 & 17 Board-Trustees/Directors Photo Galleries Get on board 2006 South Asia Earthquake Global Action Week Video Gallery Contact Us		Progress towards our strategic objectives The Right to Food The right to food is fundamental. Without it you can’t live. So in 2006 ActionAid spent over 20% of all money for its programmes working hand in hand with poor people so that their right to food is secure. Story of Change in Brazil: Farmers unite to combat drought "Seeing is knowing. The exchange visits opened our eyes", says Maria das Dores, a 64 year old farmer and widow in one of the most arid areas of Brazil. Many of her 13 children have migrated to Rio to escape the constant droughts, others have died. But she is a survivor, and now she is practicing new techniques and knowledge about the use of water and seeds she has learned from visiting other farms. Over 3,000 families have taken part in learning exchanges organised by ActionAid partner AS-PTA. Inspired by what they have seen, they have between them constructed new systems for saving, capturing, reusing and treating water, enabled them to increase their productivity and better protect themselves from drought. This has particularly affected women, who have always been the ones to collect water from dams far from their homes. The exchange program has been an empowering experience for farmers. It has raised their awareness and confidence to mobilise for their rights. The farmers feel proud of their traditional knowledge, are stimulated to share their experiences and learn from others, and take credit for successful innovations and alternatives. Now they are showing the way to policy makers and researchers in Brazil. Rights to land and natural resources Many of the world’s poorest and most excluded people live in rural areas, and need access to land and other natural resources in order to grow food. In 2006, where people were being evicted from their traditional lands, or their lack of legal title was making them vulnerable, we supported them in their campaigns and legal battles, and in building strong movements of peasants or landless people. We helped tribal communities in Orissa, India challenge the forcible acquisition of their land for bauxite mining, in a case that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. Poor men and women’s access and control over water and seeds have also improved in various communities where ActionAid works. In Uganda, for instance, poor farming communities have been able to construct and manage new seed banks. Women grow 60-80% of food in developing countries yet own less than 1% of the land. We focused attention on this issue at a UN conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD), creating opportunities for women to tell their stories about unequal access to land and resources. Our contributions helped to influence the outcomes of the conference and the final declaration adopted by governments included many of the proposals that we developed with partners to strengthen women’s rights to land. Raising the voices of the poor in the corridors of power In 2006, we worked with our allies to bring the realities of poor people to bear in policy discussions. The ActionAid led International Food Security Network (IFSN) Project aims to ensure that the voice of the people is heard in decisions that have an impact on their food security. By the end of the year the project had more than 450 partners and 15 national networks actively influencing their national food security policies. Many of the national networks are actively involved in drafting and influencing laws and policies relating to small farmers, for example the national farm bill in Malawi, policies relating to the management and distribution of forest resources in Mozambique, fishing in Ghana, plant diversity and community knowledge in Bangladesh and nutrition in central America Story of Change in Senegal: Women fight back against big business Ndiaye Diouf is nicknamed the freedom fighter of Lerane. When she discovered that the women’s peanut producers collective of which she was president had been banned from marketing peanuts in a decree signed by the governor of her region, she was outraged. She knew that this was due to the influence of the big, private peanut companies who wanted to maintain a monopoly stronghold over peanut producers and keep prices down. She led a delegation to the governor’s office and told him: "Honorable governor, in your world of intellectuals you use pens and computers ... In our world of women peasants all we have are our hoes to grow peanuts. It is unjust for you to use a written decree to block our initiatives to protect our unique life-sustaining activity". Not only did he listen, he actually introduced the women to the head of the peanut oil manufacturing company, the biggest peanut purchaser in the region. Now her collective is formally accredited as a legal operator. Ndiaye and her colleagues know how hard it is to be taken seriously in the governance of the peanut industry, but their lives and livelihoods depend on it. She says: "In order to participate in good and democratic governance, women must first and foremost develop the capacity and determination to organise themselves for change." Trade justice From low wages on farms, to subsidies undermining local food production and prices, the economics of food work against poor people. ActionAid has long been a key player in campaigns for trade justice. During 2006, we provided training and advice to negotiators from poor countries, and worked with organisations in these countries to help them follow negotiations and hold their representatives to account. Through our research and detailed analysis of policies, we helped to make the case for a special World Trade Organisation (WTO) safeguard that would allow developing countries the right to protect some staple foods from heavily subsidised US and EU imports. Our ground-breaking research on how sudden ‘surges’ of artificially cheap imports are putting thousands of small farmers out of business in countries such as Ghana, Brazil and Kenya helped to build evidence for why such a mechanism is essential. Our coalition building assisted the G33 group of developing countries to stand firm behind the demand for the right to protect staple foods from subsidies in 2006, despite heavy pressure from the US, the World Bank and others. We also targeted transnational companies whose unregulated activities result in evictions, serious environmental degradation and violations of human rights in many communities where we work. We are pushing the UN to enforce binding human rights norms for business and have been working with partners to push for national laws and regulations. A major victory in 2006 was the reform of British company law to make UK-based companies more responsible for the impact they have on poor people and the environment in developing countries. ActionAid UK was a key player in the coalition campaigning for this legislative change. In China, Kenya, Ghana and the Americas, we used research on the impact of transnationals to facilitate local debate and support communities to demand adequate consultation, compensation and redress for the loss and degradation of their land, water and ecosystems. We have also been supporting poor farmers and farm workers in their struggles for fair wages and trade conditions. We worked with our South African partner, Women on Farms, to investigate allegations of rights violations on South African farms and to have Tesco executives visit the farms. We also supported a woman fruit picker to attend Tesco’s annual general meeting in the UK, which resulted in changes in policy which will improve women’s pay and conditions in South Africa.


© 2007 ActionAid International. All rights reserved.