Oxfam Internation Speaker - 20/10/10

This event was organised by the very talented committee running the Oxfam Society at the University of Birmingham. The speaker was Dante Dalabajan - Economic Justice Programme Officer. The event took place in the Learning Centre at the University of Birmingham. I was impressed that 25 people turned up at 7pm and very impressed with the work that the committee have been doing.

My Notes:

90 million people on the Phillipines, 50% live on <2% a day. Out of 100 people starting primary school, only 10 will get a dimploma.
Average classroom size 60-70 people per teacher, divided into shifts. Classes held under trees due to lack of classrooms.
To achieve an ideal of 30- 1 ratio need 60 000 more teachers. People move in and out of poverty due to seasonal jobs and disasters.
Conflict in Mindanao, raging ethnic and religious conflict for 20 years. 3 Muslim seperatist movements.
Agriculture important part of the economy. Contributes 20% to national income.
Used to be top producer of rice, now top importer due to many years of under investment from the Government.
Export doctors, nurses, architects etc to other countries. Major source of income.
Bringing forward a lot of social issues. Endengers brain drain some villages have no medical facilities or care taken.
Became a bad habit to break. Women in agriculture are at the bottom of the stratum. Most poverty - women from rural places (picture of poverty). 
Oxfam engaged in sustainable livelihoods. Adressing different needs of women, elderly and children. Campaigned on social policy to assist rural communities.
Oxfam has limitations in responding to poverty.
Emerging issues like global warming and climate change make Phillipines even more vulnerable that it already is.
Sits in ring of fire - middle of typhoon belt, Earthquakes and 300 volcanoes. Nowhere in SE Asia as vulnerable as the Phillipines.
Phillipines contributes 0.27% to greenhouse gases yet it is effected the most.
6m rise puts 80%  of land mass at risk.
Typhoon Kestsana hit in 2009. In some areas flooding reach as high as 20m.
A lot of people trapped on top of roofs without aid. 1000 people perished, does not include people not yet found. Damage inflicted on agriulture 0.5 billion dollars.
It will take 4.5 billion dollars to bring back Phillipines to how it was before Ketsana hit.
People bringing in nothing more than what they were wearing when they arrived at rescue centres.
13 people in Oxfam office.
Require volunteers.
Drop eberything for emergencies. Oxfam organises work for cash programme. Effected families lend a helping hand to repair for a small amount of cahs.
Oxfam distributes hygine kits control spread of diseases.
Last 9 years Oxfam pushing for DRRM Law (to prevent disaster as well as responding).
After Ketsana DRRM law was oushed through. A year later Oxfam still in area.
Typhoon currently hitting Phillipines, Government more prepared now. Lower death count.
Cash for work -not default response.
Government started conditional cash transfer. Poverty education programme. Skilled labout is scarce, is being exported. Base of poverty lies a very narrow line of intellectuals.
They are making money from abroad and that money is being pumped into the economy - became a hard habit to break.
Policies and programmes very important to get things going.
Policy in itself doesn't change things  - make sure policies are implemented on the ground.