By Patrizia Sentinelli and - -
ROME, Nov 21 2007 (IPS)

This is a crucial moment for the fight against world poverty. Given how far we still are from success, it is essential that we make a critical and honest assessment of the strategies and lines of action we have used thus far, writes Patrizia Sentinelli, Italy\’s vice-minister for foreign affairs. In this article the author writes that while the international climate is not favourable to this endeavour, we have seen an evolution of global public awareness of the importance of intensifying the fight against poverty. These indications of a new sensibility should be, especially for donor countries, the departure point for building a more ambitious mode of international co-operation that transcends the sectorial logic that has limited it thus far, places it alongside the major public policies, and fully integrates it into foreign policy. Only in this way can international co-operation work to make dialogue a method not only of resolving disputes but also of preventing conflicts. Co-operation must provide support for pacifist activism, the protection of common goods, and the participation of civil society of the North and the South.

Clearly the international climate is not favourable to this endeavour. We are seeing the dawn of a new arms race and an alarming number of victims of food and water shortages as well as serious climate events.

Yet at the same time we have seen an evolution of global public awareness of the importance of intensifying the fight against poverty. In mid-October more than 43 million people across the planet stood up symbolically for the cause in keeping with the motto of the UN Millennium Campaign: ”Stand up against poverty!”

These indications of a new sensibility should be, especially for donor countries, the departure point for building a more ambitious mode of international co-operation that transcends the sectorial logic that has limited it thus far, places it alongside the major public policies, and fully integrates it into foreign policy.

Only in this way can international co-operation work to make dialogue a method not only of resolving disputes but also of preventing conflicts. Co-operation must provide support for pacifist activism, the protection of common goods, and the participation of civil society of the North and the South.

These are the goals that inspired Italy’s centre-left government, in power since May 2006. In this context, we have affirmed the centrality of Africa by doubling financial assistance to the continent, and the sub-Saharan region in particular, in keeping with a commitment that Italy made together with the European Union and the G-8. Making Africa a priority is a response not only to a moral imperative but also to the question of the efficacy of the aid. In effect, co-operation fulfils its function where it is needed, and not only where the donor can obtain some geopolitical or economic benefit or improve its image.

Efficacious co-operation is that which is able to intervene in situations of potential or actual crisis and serve as a civil force to build peace. This is very different from the use of military resources, even when they are used for reconstruction. To be precise, Italy backs processes of civil co-operation and national reconciliation and is thus working to organise a civil initiative for peace.

This is the reason for Italy’s presence in countries like Lebanon and Afghanistan, which will remain priorities in years to come and where we are working to advance national reconciliation, civil co-operation, and movement towards democracy as a precursor to peace and social justice.

Priorities for Italy’s projects of co-operation also include the major issue of migrations and development, and protecting the environment and the commons, which require immediate action given recent studies on climate change. This theme has exploded onto the global agenda and demands innovative responses not only in geopolitical terms but also in the form of co-operation designed to advance the exchange of ”clean” technologies and the democratisation of access to them. In this sense we are promoting programmes for the development of renewable energy and carrying out an initiative on the international level to affirm access to water as a human right in the UN Human Rights Council.

Another priority is Italy’s commitment to women in recognition that their participation in the fight to improve living conditions and end poverty is indispensable. One of our goals is recognising the value of women’s capacity for building networks of solidarity and advancing peace and social cohesion. A recent example is our contribution to the first West African Conference on Women which was held in Bamako, Mali, earlier this year, which approved the creation of a Task Force and defined a plan of action with a budget of 15 million euros. From our point of view, the issue of gender is of central importance to every component of Italy’s co-operation on development. In this context, we are preparing a Gender Agenda such that in 2008 we can move from individual projects to the implementation of a strategic vision. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)

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