Regeringen udsender fredag et forslag til ny udviklingspolitik, som allerede har cirkuleret i et uofficielt udkast. Strategien og regeringens hidtidige udmeldinger om den har været diskuteret på en offentlig paneldebat mandag, arrangeret af NGO-forum. Tirsdag og onsdag var Projektrådgivningen vært for to debatmøder i Århus og København.

På alle tre møder kom etiopiske Netsanet Demissie Belay fra den globale civilsamfundsorganisation CIVICUS med centrale indlæg i debatten, som afspejler diskussionen set fra Syd.

Skriver Projektrådgivningen i en pressemeddelelse torsdag.

DE VIGTIGSTE POINTER ER:

- Strategien forholder sig ikke til et af de væsentligste problemer for en demokratisk og fredelig udvikling, nemlig det faktum, at civilsamfundet, ytringsfriheden og de folkelige organisationer er under stigende pres fra undertrykkende regimer i stadig flere lande.

- Strategiens fokus på økonomisk vækst og øget produktivitet er rigtig. Men det er vigtigt, at væksten kobles til personlig frihed, social retfærdighed og en rimelig fordeling af velstanden internt i udviklingslandene.

- Danmark bør gennem sin udviklingspolitik lægge afgørende vægt på at skabe rum for, at borgere overalt i verden kan engagere sig, tage initiativer, organisere sig og holde deres regeringer og hinanden til ansvar.

PRESSEMEDDELELSE FRA CIVICUS:
Her følger Netsanet Belay CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizens Participation - stillingtagen til den danske udviklingsstrategi i form af en pressemeddelelse distribueret af Projektrådgivningen.

Human Rights, equality and freedom as the underlying values and goals of the new Danish Policy for Development Cooperation

Denmark is currently in the process of defining its new policy for development cooperation. The policy formulation process is being led by a new Minister for Development that calls himself the “Minister for freedom”. I, Netsanet Demissie Belay, have been invited by the Project Advice and Training Centre (PATC – Projektrådgivningen) to share my experiences and views and give input towards the policy formulation process.

Based upon the limited documents and information available, hints that I have picked up while in Denmark, my brief dialogue meeting with the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Søren Pind, and meetings with member organizations of PATC, I would like to share my perspectives and reflections for consideration in the process of formulating the new Danish Policy for Development Cooperation.

My main concern largely relates to what doesn’t seem to be addressed in the new Policy, about the role and state of civil society, and its virtual silence on the growing attacks and narrowing down of space for civil society.

Today, parallel to the growing backlash against the spread of democracy and the resurgent challenges to fundamental freedoms and Universality of Human rights, civil society groups and activists around the world, both in the global South and North, are facing increasing restrictions and narrowing down of their operating space. The world is seeing a cascade of restrictive regulatory measures, laws and policies. Legitimate activities of CSOs are increasingly being criminalized, growing restrictions are being imposed on access to foreign funding by local civil society groups and governments are introducing highly intrusive supervisory regulations. All in the name of security, internal sovereignty and law and order. But the reality is repression, silencing citizens from taking charge of their own destiny. The upcoming Danish Policy for Development Cooperation seems to have ignored or at least down played this troubling global reality.

The focus seems to be on pure “economic growth”, a return to market fundamentalism! We are living in a world where the experience and reality in the South is clearly showing that freedom is not only an enabling key instrument to development but also a basic constituent in itself. There is little doubt that economic growth and increased productivity remains to be one of the key factors for development in South. It is crucial however to question both the design of this pursuit for economic growth and how its implementation takes place on the ground.

The overall goal of economic growth in the developing world should necessarily be poverty alleviation and that implies the main focus should be on small scale farmers, fishers and small private businesses and enterprises. That will support an economic growth oriented towards developing communities, disadvantaged and marginalized groups. There needs to be a conscious choice to promote equality and social justice and to enable nations to grow with equitable distribution of wealth within the society. Blind support for the private sector in the South also carries a risk of supporting large scale companies who are in many countries supporting the status quo of repressive regimes and governments.

The Danish Development Cooperation should promote an enabling space for citizens around the world to engage, take action, organize and hold their governments and each other accountable. This should be the very foundation of the Danish Policy for Development Cooperation, and this approach should define and determine actions, possibilities, initiatives and focus for all other engagement mechanisms and forms. This would create a policy with a coherent focus – peoples and civil societies rights. This platform should be used to build upon aligning all other policy areas to this fundamental principle.

Contact
This statement is distributed by Projektrådgivningen on behalf of Netsanet Belay and CIVICUS.

Netsanet Belay will be in Denmark till midday, Saturday 20. marts.
He can be contacted for interviews and further information through Nicolai Houe, nh@prngo.dk, Mobile +45 28 71 47 96

Additional information:
www.civicus.org
www.prngo.dk