Australia’s ‘Stop the Clock’ Movement Fights to Keep Foreign Aid From Falling to Historic Lows

Photo from Campaign for Australian Aid.

Image from Campaign for Australian Aid.   ………Sary avy amin'ny Fanentanana mikasika ny Fanampiana ho an'i Aostralia

Hetsika ‘Ajanony ny Lakolosy’ n'i Aostralia Miady ho Fitazonana ny Fanampiana Ireo Firenena Avy Any Ivelany Mitotongana Mankamin'ny Tantara Ratsy

A coalition of aid groups is urging the Australian government to reverse cuts to foreign aid planned for May this year. Should the cuts go ahead, Australia's aid would dip to its lowest level since records began in 1960.    ……………Mamporisika ny governemanta Aostraliana ny fivondronana misy an'ireo firenena mpanampy mba hanemotra ireo fanapahana mikasika ny fanampiana ho an'ireo firenena avy any ivelany izay vinaniana ho azo ny volana mai amin'ity taona ity. Mety hitarika ny fanampiana Aostraliana hitotongana ambany be sahala amin'ny faritra nisy azy tamin'ny taona 1960 ny tsy fihambahambana hanapaka ireo fanampiana.

In a press release announcing Campaign for Australian Aid's pledge to “stop the clock” on further aid cuts, Campaign Director Tony Milne said:   …….Tao anaty filazàna angazety iray misy fanentanana Fandraisana andraikitra mikasika ny Fanampiana, mba ‘hanajanona ny lakolosy’, dia milaza ny Mpitarika Fanentanana Tony Milne fa:

 

We are calling on the Government to reverse the final scheduled $224 million cut to the aid budget so that Australia does not become the least generous we've ever been with the lowest aid budget ever.    ……..Miantso ny governemanta izahay mba hanemotra ny fanapahana mikasika ny fanomezana farany, 224 tapitrisa Dolara, vola fanampiana tapaka, mba tsy ho i Aostralia no tena lasa fara-hidiny indrindra amin'ny fanampiana ara-bola marefo azony mbola tsy  fahitanay hatrizay.

Representing more than 65 development organizations, churches, businesses, and community groups, the campaign is calling attention to the vital role Australian aid has played in international development, from humanitarian assistance in Syria, to the provision of clean drinking water, to support for education programs throughout the Indo-Pacific:    ……………..Solontenan'ny fikambanana mikasika ny fampandrosoana maherin'ny 65, fiangonana, mpandraharaha, ary ireo vondron'ny fiarahamonim-pirenena, hiantsoana fanentanana mba ho tonga saina mikasika ny andraikitra goavana manoloana ny fanampiana Aostraliana lalaovina eo amin'ny fampandrosoana iraisam-pirenena, ho an'ny fisahanana ny ara-pahasalamana ao Siria, ho an'ny fanomezana rano fisotro madio, ho an'ny fanohanana mikasika ireo fandaharana ara-panabeazana manerana an'i Indo-Pacific:

Fanapahana #FanampianaAostraliana hanana loza amin'ireo tetikasa mazava izay manavotr'aina. Afaka manampy ve ianao #Fanajanonana NyLakolosy mikasika #FanampianaAostraliana? https://t.co/MNdLCUr5Im

Tamin'ny taon-dasa, #FanampianaAostraliana namatsy fanampiana ara-tsakafo maika ho an'ny olona maherin'ny 4 tapitrisa tao Siria. #HajanonyNyLakolosy https://t.co/dYVJooFZYm

Tamin'ny taon-dasa, nanofana mpampianatra efa maherin'ny 100.000 teo amin'ny faritra misy anay ny fanampiana Aostraliana #AustralianAid#StopTheClockhttps://t.co/kAUntlcCjz

Members of the public are also petitioning Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison to stop the impending budget cuts:   …….Nanao fanangonan-tsonia ho an'ny Mpitantam-bola Aostraliana Scott Morrison ihany koa ireo fikambanam-bahoaka mba hanajanonana ireo fanapaham-bola mananontanona:

@ScottMorrisonMP ô fotoana izao#HanajanonanaNyLakolosy sy hanafoanana ny fanapahana ireo 224tapitrisa dolara mikasika ny #FanampianaAostraliana ara-bola ⏰🚫🔪 pic.twitter.com/o1bkgKKdTO

Some Internet users mentioned the so-called “Panama Papers” (where 800 Australians have been named, so far), pointing out the unfairness of overlooking tax evasion by the super-rich, while slashing foreign aid.  ……………..Nasongadin'ireo mpampiasa aterineto sasantsasany ny antsoina hoe “Panama Papers” (izay nahitana anarana Aostraliana miisa 800, hatramin'izao), nanindry mafy ny tsy rariny mikasika ny fiparitahana hetra ataon'ireo mpanankarembe, manao fampihenana ny fanampiana avy any ivelany.

#Fahantrana sy ny #panamapapers – manao fanamarihana ireo mpisolo vava anay nahoana ny etika #tsy mitovy no#AustralianAidpic.twitter.com/SK489awEqK

The State of Australian Aid……………..Ny Fanjakana manoloana ny Fanampiana Aostraliana

Australian aid has been in a downward spiral for some time now. Despite former Prime Minister John Howard's promise in 2000 to raise foreign aid to 0.7 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015, it was treated as an aspirational rather than a prescriptive goal. Aid levels fell to historic lows in 2003–2004. When the Labor Government under Kevin Rudd was elected in 2007, a commitment was made to increase the foreign aid budget to 0.5 percent of GNI by 2015. However, this target was deferred (largely in response to the global financial crisis) and ultimately never realized before former Liberal leader Tony Abbott came to office in 2013.     ……………..Tafahitsoka tanaty fihodinana ambany dia ambany ny fanampiana Aostraliana nandritra ny fotoana vitsivitsy. Na dia teo aza ny fampanantenana nataon'ny Praiminisitra teo aloha John Howard tamin'ny taona 2000 mikasika ny hampitomboana ny fanampiana avy any ivelany, mba ho 0.7 isan-jato n'ny vola miditra amin'ny firenena (RNB) hatramin'ny 2015 no mankaty, natao toy ny fitsiriritana izy io fa tsy tanjona napetraka ho araka ny lalàna. Nianjera toy ny tamin'ny tantaran'ny taona 2003-2004 ireo haavon'ny fanampiana. Rehefa voafidy ny Governemanta Hiasa, teo ambany fitondran'i Kevin Rudd tamin'ny taona 2007,  nisy ny fandraisana andraikitra mba hampitomboana ho 0,5 isan-jaton'ny RNB mikasika ny teti-bolan'ny fanampiana tamin'ny taona 2015. Na izany aza, nahemotra ho amin'ny fotoana manaraka indray io tanjona io (amin'ny ankapobeny noho ny krizy ara-bola maneran-tany) ary farany, tsy notanterahina mihintsy raha tsy tonga teo amin'ny fitondrana i Tony Abbott filoha liberaly tamin'ny taona 2013.

Unprecedented cuts to the aid budget were announced in December 2014 under Abbott. Adjusting for inflation, aid was reduced by 20 percent (or A$1 billion) in 2015–2016—the largest cuts ever in a single year. Future cuts will see Australian aid fall to 0.22 percent of GNI in 2017–2018— a new record low.…………….Tsy mbola nisy ireo fanapahana mialoha mikasika ny teti-bola fanampiana nolazaina tamin'ny vola Desambra 2014 tamin'ny fitondran'i Abbott. Mba  Ho fanitsiana ny vidim-piainana, nahena ho 20 isan-jato ny fanampiana (na 1 lavitrisa dolara A) ny taona 2015-2016 – fanapahana lehibe indrindra tao anatin'ny taona iray monja. Fanapahana ho avy no hita mikasika ny fanampiana Aostraliana latsaky ny 0,22 isan-jaton'ny GNI amin'ny taona 2017-2018- lalàna fandraiketana iray vaovao.

Excepting Cambodia, Nepal, and Timor-Leste, Australia's aid to countries in Asia was slashed by 40 percent; the Middle East by 43 percent; and Sub-Saharan Africa by 70 percent. The largest recipient of Australian aid today is Papua New Guinea, on which Australia relies heavily to detain, process, and resettle asylum seekers as part of its controversial offshore detention program. ……………….Ankoatran'i Kamboja, Nepal ary Timor-Leste, ny fanampiana Aostraliana ho an'ireo firenena ao Azia dia nahena ho 40 isan-jato; ny ao Afovoany Atsinanana nahena 43 isan-jato, ary ny Sub-Saharan Africa nahena ho 70 isan-jato. Ny tena mandray fanampiana Aostraliana lehibe indrindra sisa dia i Paqua New Guinea, izay fikirin'i Aostralia mafy mba ho tazonina, avadika sy handratoana olona mpialokaloka anisan'ny fikasàna fitazonana ranomasina, mampiadi-hevitra.

Will They or Won't They?    ………..   Ho izany tokoa ve izy ireo sa tsy ho izany?

While the government continues to mull over the upcoming May budget, it seems Australians’ attitudes towards aid have shifted. In a blog for the Development Policy Centre, Terrence Wood argues:     …………Raha mbola manohy mitsakotsako ny teti-bola ho avy amin'ny volana May ny governemanta, tahaka ny hiova ny fihetsik'ireo Aostraliana manoloana ny fanampiana. Tao anaty bilaogy mikasika ny Ivon-toerana Ara-politika mikasika ny Fampandrosoana, milaza i Terrence Wood fa:

As the Turnbull government considers whether it really wants to follow through with the aid cuts Tony Abbott’s government had planned for next financial year, it may want to take note of recent public opinion polling — polling that suggests that most Australians no longer think Australia gives too much aid… Australians’ enthusiasm for aid cuts has waned.      ………….Koa satria ny governemanta Tumbull mihevitra, raha toa hanaraka marina ny fanapahana ny governemantan'i tony Abbott mikasika ny fanampiana ara-bola izay homanina ho amin'ny taona manaraka, mila mandray fanamarihana mikasika ireo fanadihadiana ny hevi-bahoaka – fanadihadiana izay manasongadina fa ny ankamaroan'ny vahoaka Aostraliana dia tsy mihevitra fa manome fanampiana be loatra i Aostralia….. mihena ny fihetseham-pon'ireo vahoaka Aostraliana mikasika ireo fanapahana.

However, Robin Davies, also of the Development Policy Centre, identified other pressures that could lead to an even tighter squeeze on the Australian aid budget. This includes current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's pledge at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris on November 30, 2015:    ………………..Na izany aza, Robin Davies, ihany koa teo amin'ny Ivon-toerana Ara-politika mikasika ny Fampandrosoana, hita tao anatin'ireo tsindry hafa izay mety hitarika famihinan-tanana mafy loatra eo amin'ny fanampiana ara-bola Aostraliana. Ahitana ny andraikitry ny praminisitra ankehitriny Malcolm Turnbull izany nandritra ny fivoriambe mikasika ny fiovan'ireo toetr'andro ao amin'ny Firenena Mitambatra natao tao Parisy ny 30 Novambra 2015: 

contribute at least $1 billion over the next five years from our existing aid budget both to build climate resilience and reduce emissions. [emphasis added]      ………..fandraisana anjara fara-faha-ratsiny 1 lavitrisa dolara mandritra ny dimy taona ho avy amin'ny teti-bola efa misy mikasika ny fanampiana anay mba hanamboarana ny fiatrehana ireo andro ratsy sy hampihenana ireo fandaharana. [emphasis added]

At the time, his pledge drew fire from aid agencies for draining an already dwindling aid budget, while failing to commit effectively to any new funding.     ………….Amin'izay fotoana izay, hitondra afo amin'ireo fikambanana mpanampy mikasika ny fampandehanana ny teti-bola efa kely, ny fandraisany andraikitra, raha tsy misy fandraisana andraikitra matotra eo amin'ny sehatry ny fanampiana vaovao rehetra.

Other Australian aid experts have warned that the quality of aid is just as important as its overall quantity:     …………………..Ireo manam-pahaizana Aostraliana hafa mikasika ny fanampiana, nampitandrina fa manan-danja kokoa ny endriky ny fanampiana noho ny habetsany.

The aid budget cuts may not be reversed, but the decline in perceived effectiveness can be. Stakeholders are realistic about the prospects for future aid volumes. But they expect a more effective aid program… Listening to their voices will go a long way to minimising those risks, and putting Australian aid once again on an upward trajectory, if not in terms of volume, then at least, and just as importantly, in terms of quality.    …………….Tsy azo atao ny manafoana ireo fanapahana ny fanampiana ara-bola, saingy azo atao kosa ny fampihenana izany. Mahazo antoka ireo mpandray anjara mikasika ireo fijery mahomby mikasika ny haben'ny fanampiana ho avy. Saingy miandry fandaharana iray mikasika ny fanampiana tena mahomby izy ireo…. Ny fihainoana ny feon'izy ireo no mitondra mankany amin'ny fampihenana ireo loza ireo, ary hametrahana indray ny fanampiana aostraliana ho eo amin'ny lalana manonga, ary eo mikasika ny habeny, avy eo fara-faha ratsiny, ary indrindra indrindra, mikasika ny hatsarany. 

Atombohy ny resaka

Mpanoratra, azafady Hiditra »

Torolalana

  • Miandry fanekena ny hevitra rehetra. Aza alefa in-droa ny hevitra.
  • iangaviana ianao haneho fifanajàna amin'ny hevitra rehetra. Tsy ekena ny hevitra feno fankahalàna, vetaveta, mamely olona manokana.