new global policy, same local reality? · children pictured in north korea during the famine. this...

New Global Policy,Same Local Reality?Making the Post-2015 Framework Accountable to the World’s Poor

www.trocaire.org #Trocaire40

Connect with us:

Report of Conference held on21st March 2013, Royal Collegeof Surgeons, Dublin

Cover Photos (from left to right)

Trócaire Campaigners outside Belfast City Hall joined by IanPaisley Snr.

Bishop Eamon Casey, Chairman of Trócaire, speaking about theagency's campaign against apartheid in 1985.

Ethiopia's Olympic Champion Haile Gebreselassie during hisvisit to Ireland in 2005 to support Trócaire's Lenten campaign.

Pictured above (from left to right)

The Dunnes Stores strikers outside the Henry Street store in 1985.

Children pictured in North Korea during the famine. This phototaken by Justin Kilcullen, was chosen by Newsweek as one of it'spictures of the year,1997.

Food distributions for flood affected communities nearHyderabad, Pakistan, September 2010.

This report was produced by Trócaire's Central Policy Unit

Table of contents

Introduction 2

Plenary Session One:The global context for a new development framework 4

Plenary Session Two:What framework do we need beyond 2015 for just and sustainable development? 6

Plenary Session Three:Key themes from Trócaire's post-2015 research, My Rights Beyond 2015 8

Breakout Session One:Good governance and respect for human rights 10

Breakout Session Two:The role of SMEs in promoting just and sustainable development 12

Breakout Session Three:Models of agriculture for just and sustainable development 14

Breakout Session Four:Addressing unsustainable consumption patterns in 'developed' economies 16

Closing Plenary Session:Where to from here? 17

Biographies of speakers 18

Trócaire’s 40th Birthday Conference Report 1

Introduction

In 2013 Trócaire celebrated forty years since itsfoundation by the Irish Bishops. To mark thisimportant occasion, the international conference“New Global Policy, Same Local Reality?” washeld in Dublin on 21st March. The conference,which was also broadcast on the web, broughttogether staff, partners, policy makers, politicalleaders, faith-based leaders and friends ofTrócaire to reflect on the work of theorganisation to date and consider some of theburning global issues we currently face.

The backdrop to the conference was the countdown to the2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) and the policy debate around what will replacethese global goals. The fast approaching deadline for theMDGs has raised many questions. Have the goals been asuccess or failure? What will a new set of goals look like?Will the new goals reflect the needs of the people they aresupposed to assist? The conference provided a lively andengaging space to discuss these issues and shareperspectives on the future of the post-2015 developmentframework.

During the first part of the day the key note speaker,Professor Mohan Munasinghe, put some of the big issueson the table. He provided an overview of key global trendsand their implications for poverty eradication. Heemphasised the fact that structural issues remain the maindrivers of poverty, in the form of systemic greed and theoveruse of available resources by richer countries andindividuals. According to him, the lack of leadershipapparent in the world today is at the heart of the failure thusfar to initiate the transformational changes needed. Top-down ambition and action is increasingly unlikely, as thecontemporary deficit in successful multilateral processes,political will and leadership demonstrates. Our economicmodel, incorporating consumerism, is driving productionand consumption processes that are unsustainable, harmfulto the earth and contributing to growing inequality in ourown countries. The afternoon breakout sessions providedopportunities for all the participants to examine these issuesin greater depth.

A number of themes emerged from the various debatesduring the day. The first issue was the urgency ofaddressing global inequalities within the perspective ofplanetary boundaries. Inequality, both between and within

2 New Global Policy, Same Local Reality?

countries, is a growing issue, which is now compounded bythe imperative to address climate change. Multiple shocks,including the global food, fuel and economic crises, have beenfelt all over the world in recent years and resource shortagesin the form of water, food and energy are driving up prices ofnecessary commodities. Environmental harm, conflict andpandemics are increasing year on year and in a particularlyunjust situation, those who are least culpable, poor countriesand marginalised groups within countries, are those mostvulnerable to these shocks and changes.

Justin Kilcullen and Bishop Pierre-Andre Dumas enter the Royal College of Surgeons.

Another key theme was the need to ensure that thesuccessor framework to the MDGs maintains the positiveattributes of the MDGs, but addresses the shortcomings.In particular, there was a lively debate on the integration ofhuman rights as a foundation for the new framework. Thelack of a human rights lens in the current MDG frameworkis regarded as a critical missing feature that needs to beredressed as part of this new process. Frank La Rue, UNSpecial Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of theRight to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, spoke atlength about the importance of human rights to create andsustain the agency of the people we are trying to assist.The ability to demand human rights is a fundamentalaspect for cultivation, as it transcends the issue ofgoodwill, focusing on justice. It empowers people,making development more socially sustainable as it is themeans to addressing inequality, discrimination andcorruption.

Several speakers reflected on whether such weighty andcomplex issues can be addressed in a successorframework to the MDGs? Is there a risk that putting toomuch emphasis on one framework could undermine its’effectiveness? Whilst this is indeed a risk, severalproposals were put forward to ensure any new frameworkworks to address systemic issues. One possible means isto make the framework both comprehensive – tacklingsocial, economic and environmental imperatives, anduniversally applicable to all countries in the world,regardless of their developmental status. Universalaspects of development such as youth unemployment,inequality, gender equality and the overarching challengesof climate change, the effects of which are primarilygenerated from the Global North, must be addressed aspart of the framework if it is to be a legitimate andcredible process.

Bishop Dowling, Bishop of Rustenburg, South Africa, along standing friend and partner of Trócaire, summed upthe day in a powerful and moving speech. He felt that thebasic principles and tenets underlying the work of Trócairewere reaffirmed throughout the conference. These are asimportant today as when Trócaire was founded. The rightto live with dignity was recognised as a foundation forliving in a global society, where the rights of eachindividual are respected and promoted as the startingpoint for development. The challenge now is to look to thefuture and how Trócaire, working with many collaboratorsand friends, can work effectively to bring about thetransformative change articulated during the conference.


“The ability to demand humanrights is a fundamental aspectfor cultivation, as it transcendsthe issue of goodwill, focusingon justice. It empowers people,making development moresocially sustainable as it is themeans to addressing inequality,discrimination and corruption.”

Trócaire staff members, Trish Groves and Maebh Smith, get ready for the day ahead.


The introductory panel raised many key points to befurther developed through the day’s discussions, bypanellists and participants alike. A captivating presentationby Professor Munasinghe gave an often stark overview ofthe global challenges relevant to the post-2015development framework. Structural and systemic causesof poverty, inequality, climate change and societal self-reflection were some of the topics raised and discussed inthis session. Bishop Kirby reminded us of ourresponsibility to all people. He asked that we continue towork hard to redress the balance in systems that favourthe rich, with compassion and respect for the dignity andhuman rights of all people.

Structural issues remain the main drivers of poverty, in theform of systemic greed and the overuse of availableresources by richer countries and individuals. At the heartof this is the lack of leadership apparent in the world today,argued keynote speaker Professor Munasinghe. Top-down change is increasingly unlikely, as the contemporarydeficit in successful multilateral processes, political willand leadership demonstrates.

So what can a global framework achieve in a world with noleadership? In the discussion, Professor Munasinghespoke of the need to generate political will at a variety ofentry points. We cannot wait for action from high levelleaders anymore; we must start in the middle andgenerate pressure from there. If those at the top of thedecision-making chain are unavailable or inaccessible, thenlobbying of mid-level leaders such as mayors, churchleaders and other representatives must take place.

The issue of rising inequality, both between and withincountries, was emphasised by the entire panel. Multipleshocks, including the global food, fuel and economic crises,have been felt all over the world in recent years. Furthermore,resource shortages in the form of water, food and energy aredriving up prices of necessary commodities. Environmentalharm, conflict and pandemics are increasing year on year. In aparticularly unjust situation, those who are least culpable, poorcountries, and marginalised groups within countries, are thosemost vulnerable to these shocks and changes.

PLENARY SESSION 1The Global Context for a New Development Framework

The contributors to this session set the context for the day’s discussions. Combiningreflections on Trócaire’s history over the past 40 years with the global challenges toequitable and sustainable development, the presentations centred on the systemicand structural issues driving and perpetuating global poverty.

Chair: Justin Kilcullen,Executive Director, Trócaire

Official Welcome: Bishop JohnKirby, Chairman of Trócaire

Post-2015 Research Testimonies: Cliona Sharkey, PolicyOfficer, Trócaire & Crooked House (see Box 1)

Keynote Address: Professor Mohan Munasinghe, ‘Challengesof Sustainability and Inequality – development at a crossroads’

FULLSPEECHHERE

FULLSPEECHHERE

FULLSPEECHHERE

CROOKED HOUSEPERFORMANCE PIECEAs Professor Munasinghe vividlyportrayed the many global threats we face,the audience was reminded of the human storiesbehind the issues raised by the testimonies fromTrócaire’s 2013 research, strikingly brought to life byKildare Youth Group. The presentations weremutually reinforcing. Kildare Youth Group (part ofCrooked House Theatre Group) dramaticallyportrayed the experiences of people affected bypoverty and injustice in Malawi, India, Pakistan, Haitiand Sierra Leone.

Directed by Peter Hussey, the piece highlights themarginalisation of women, older people, youth,tribal groups and bonded labourers, and the barriersthey continue to face in accessing their rights.

WATCHTHEVIDEOHERE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlsEbgQUZJc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QCl1jnfNQ4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmXGTZPja4M

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjgFCPPB6Y0


Climate change was repeatedly highlighted by the keynotespeaker, and is deemed “the ultimate threat amplifier”.Commitments made by the international community to keeprising temperatures within 2°C of pre-industrial levels appearrhetorical, as the extent and rate of action on climate changemitigation remains vastly inadequate if we are to achieve this.Beyond a further 2°C increase in global average surfacetemperatures, severe and irreversible weather changes will takeplace. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)now estimates that this boundary will be breached, withtemperatures set to rise to at least 3°C-4°C above safe limits by2100. Even within the 2°C limit, food and water impacts aresevere. Commitments to mitigation, in international agreementslike Kyoto, have been weakened with each new iteration.

As a result of this inaction, the threat of ‘barbarisation’ loomsclosely. Professor Munasinghe paints an extreme picture, whereunbridled market forces drive existing problems of poverty,inequity and climate change to greater levels, fuelling conflict andthe development of a ‘fortress world’, where the rich live inenclaves and poor people exist outside the protected space.Although this may seem somewhat extreme, he pointed out thatthis would merely further a social structure that already exists inmany countries, albeit on a smaller scale.

Empowerment, action and foresight are essential elements ofchange, according to Professor Munasinghe. Individually we cantake many simple steps: switch off a light, plant a tree, eat lessmeat. But systemic issues must also be addressed. Forexample our economic model, encompassing consumerism, isdriving production and consumption processes that areunsustainable, harmful to the earth and contributing to growinginequality in our own countries.

To understand the damage our current model is doing, and toguide the steps that need to be taken, Professor Munasinghespoke about Sustainomics, a transdisciplinary framework forsustainable development. Sustainomics uses the threedimensions of the sustainable development triangle to analyseand consider the impacts of recommended pathways tosustainable development.

For example, the so-called green economy, which is oftenpromoted as one means of reducing our carbon emissionsand making development more environmentally sustainable,falls under the economic dimension of the triangle. To fullyunderstand how the green economy could contribute tosustainable development, however, the social andenvironmental impacts of policies promoted under thebanner of a green economy must be assessed. A greeneconomy in which benefits are not equitably shared will beunsustainable, as the social requirements will not be met.

Both Trócaire’s research and the keynote speech emphasisedthe need for a universal post-2015 development framework.It must work to promote action at all levels, in all parts of theworld. Values in the Global North must change, regardingconsumerist practices, and political will and leadership mustbe fostered outside of the traditional top-down, technocraticchannels. Is this a lot to ask of the successor to the MDGs?The conclusion was that this remains to be seen; but strongleaders are vital if this international agreement is to meet thedemands necessary for change.

“We are spending ourgrandparents’ savings now,but we are also spendingthose of our grandchildren”Professor Munasinghe

Social• empowerment

• inclusion/consultation• institutions/governance

Environmental• resilience/biodiversity• natural resources• pollution

• intra-generational equity

• basic

needs/liv

elihoods

• valuation/internalisation

• incidence of impacts

• inter-generational equity• values/culture

PovertyEquity

SustainabilityClimate Change

• growth• efficiency• stability

Economic

Kildare Youth Group, as part of Crooked House Theatre Group, perform theirpiece based on the experiences of participants' in Trócaire's 2013 research.

Professor Munasinghe delivers his keynote speech.


An initial area of debate to emerge from the panel was that ofmeasuring progress. The quantifiable measurability of theMDGs is understood as one of the strongest characteristics ofthe original framework, noted Dr Vandermoortele and shouldremain a criterion for the framework to come. The measurabilityof governance was disputed and much discussed throughoutthe day, provoking many comments from the floor.

Governance issues are often sensitive and divisive due totheir inherently political nature, and monitoring and assessingprogress has traditionally been seen as overly subjective. Fr.Sean Healy, from Social Justice Ireland, raised the point thatadequate tools to measure governance do exist and work hasadvanced in this area, though subject to political wrangling atEuropean and international levels. In response to manyinterjections in support of the inclusion of governance issuesin a post-2015 development framework, Dr Vandermoortelecontextualised this viewpoint in a discussion following PlenarySession Three (see Box 2 on page 13), suggesting that thoughthe importance of governance is unquestionable, the post-2015 framework may not be the right vehicle for carrying thedebate forward.

The lack of a human rights lens in the current MDGframework was identified by most panellists as a criticalmissing feature, and they agreed on the need to addressthis in developing the new framework. Frank La Rue spokeat length about the importance of human rights to createand sustain the agency of the people we are trying to assist.The ability to demand human rights is a fundamental aspectfor cultivation, as it transcends the issue of goodwill. Itempowers people, making development more sociallysustainable as it is the means to addressing inequality,discrimination and corruption.

The link between human rights and development is everclearer; but how will this be incorporated in the newframework? Dr Jan Vandermoortele has done some thinkingon this prospective feature of post-2015, and on the types oftargets to engage and stimulate stakeholders. He arguesthat not everyone is motivated by normative standardsframed by human rights; some people respond better toclear targets. He believes that these two approaches mustbe made complimentary; suggesting that goals could beformulated in terms of human rights, so they could beexpressed in numerical targets with progressive steps to fullrealisation. Solid indicators could be devised for concretemeasurement to encourage longevity of the overall goal.

The design of the process was another feature of eachpresentation. Participation of relevant stakeholders was amajor criticism of the initial global framework, as the MDGswere designed by a group of UN technocrats with little inputfrom governments or communities in the Global South.

“The global economy has amoral dimension and humanrepercussions”Bishop Dumas

PLENARY SESSION 2What framework do we need beyond 2015 for just and sustainabledevelopment?

This panel considered the successes and failures of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs). Both the process of agreeing a new framework and the content thatshould or could be included were discussed from a variety of perspectives.

Chair:Caoimhe de Barra,Head of InternationalDivision, Trócaire

Panellists: Dr Jan Vandermoortele,The MDGs and the post-2015development framework

Bishop Pierre-AndréDumas, Faith and thepost-2015 developmentframework

Dr Vincent O’Neill,Ireland and the post-2015 developmentframework

FULLSPEECHHERE

FULLSPEECHHERE

FULLSPEECHHERE

Frank La Rue, A rights-based approach and thepost-2015 developmentframework

FULLSPEECHHERE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCeEm6RMPnU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=grVVIaJPs8o

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghUW64cUPqQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oix11JrZcpc


All panellists agreed that participation of affected communitiesand governments is essential to avoid the mistakes from thepast, although Dr Vandermoortele is concerned that there isnot enough time for meaningful participation to inform the newframework. He fears that current consultations are more of abureaucratic exercise than a genuine attempt to ensureSouthern voices are formative in the forthcoming agreement.

Bishop Dumas in particular voiced his hope that the will of thepeople most affected will be listened to and taken intoconsideration. He asked for respect for local traditions, cultureand the abilities and agency that all people carry with them.He reminded participants that the choices we make haveramifications worldwide, and asked us to make room for faith,love and compassion in our lives.

The geographical focus of a successor framework was alsopart of the debate. There was consensus from the panel thatit must include goals for all countries in the world, and not onlycentre on countries in the Global South. To ignore countries inthe Global North is to ignore the fact that no country hasachieved all citizens having decent lives and equal access toopportunities. Universal aspects of development such asyouth unemployment, inequality, gender equality and theoverarching challenges of climate change, the effects of whichare primarily generated from the Global North, must beaddressed as part of the framework if it is to be a legitimateand credible process.

Dr Vincent O’Neill, from Irish Aid, spoke about how we mustprepare ourselves for the impact a global framework will haveon our own ‘local reality’ here in Ireland. Given the fiscalenvironment in Ireland at present, there are tensions in fundingfor domestic and international NGOs working on social justiceissues. Work on international and domestic issues is primarilycarried out independently of one another, so perhaps this is anopportunity to develop that relationship, and pool ourresources on similar issues at Irish and international levels.But is this feasible in the current Irish context?

Dr O’Neill also warned of devoting too much time to the post-2015 “industry”. Frameworks and international standardsalready exist, in many cases, to guide interaction in a variety ofcircumstances. Yet they are often ignored, demonstrating thelack of political will that exists to implement best practice indevelopment policy.

National ownership of any new framework’s implementationmust be fostered. This can be achieved by allowing eachcountry to prescribe the means to achieving the goals andtargets laid out in a new framework. Frank La Rue spoke onthe importance of fostering and facilitating grassrootsmovements. “Real change will always come from the bottomup”, he said, further stating advocacy is key to developingactive citizenship and fostering the ability of people to developtheir own priorities will help them demand that policiesaddress their circumstances and help make developmentsustainable into the future. Perhaps this is the way we canmove forward, but social change is not an easy process.

Overall the panel agreed that the successor framework to theMDGs must maintain the positive attributes of the MDGs, butaddress the shortcomings. It must use human rights as afoundation and integrate a rights-based approach todevelopment. It must be a universal framework, and we mustbe prepared for the challenges of a universal approach here athome. But are we ready?

Given the breadth of cumulative experience of the panellistsand the diversity of viewpoints, an emerging challenge is howto bring these insights and analyses together under oneframework, and how the learning from this panel, and theconference as a whole, can be brought forward in the work ofTrócaire on the post-2015 development framework.

The panel, chaired by Trócaire's Head ofInternational Division, Caoimhe de Barra, listenintently to Dr Jan Vandermoortele's presentation.

Dr Vandermoortele and Professor Munasinghe discuss the topics of the day.


Over the past two years, Trocaire has conducted a "listeningexercise" with communities we work with in Sierra Leona,Haiti, Pakistan, India, Malawi and Nicaragua. We asked whatwas needed, in their individual and local reality, to access theirhuman rights and live a happy life.

The research was not intended to produce a proposal for anew set of goals, nor to provide findings representative atcountry levels. The research provides a snapshot of the livedexperience of 240 women and men living in poverty in verydifferent contexts, a testimony of people’s daily reality, and ananalysis of their situation from a human rights approach. Apresentation by Cliona Sharkey, and a lively discussioninvolving the floor, other panellists and the Chair, teased outsome of the initial findings of the research, and how theyrelate to the post-2015 framework and the discussions fromthe morning panels.

Findings centred on the importance of accessing enablers inthe form of basic rights, including the right to work and the rightto food. Barriers were identified as corruption, discriminationand prohibitive government policies for poor people.

Lack of participatory processes for decision-making andinformation with which to demand accountability has ensuredthat the rights of poor people remain outside of political andpolicy discussions and decision-making in most researchcommunities. Discrimination on the basis of socio-economicstatus, poor education, gender, caste, religion and politicalaffiliation was reported across all case studies, and rights areseen as something for the elite. Women in particularexperienced barriers to accessing decision-making spaces andaccountability.

The discussion following this session was vibrant and touchedon points raised in earlier panels. In response to the floor, DrVandermoortele clarified his position on the inclusion ofgovernance in any new framework. He stated that theimportance of governance in all development contexts isunquestionable, however if we cannot sufficiently measure it,he fears the concept may be misused by stakeholders toreinforce a political agenda.

Conall O'Caoimh, Director of Value-Added in Africa and Chair of breakout sessiontwo, speaks with Dr Attiya Warris, who presented on pro-poor tax regimes in Kenya.

PLENARY SESSION 3Key Themes from Trócaire’s Post-2015 Research, My Rights Beyond 2015

This panel presented the initial findings emerging from the research Trócaire hascarried out to feed into the post-2015 development framework discussions. Key themeswere considered and discussed with conference participants.

Chair: Dr Lorna Gold, Head ofPolicy and Advocacy, Trócaire

Panellist: Cliona Sharkey, Policy Officer, withresponsibility for the post-2015 development agenda

FULLSPEECHHERE

Following this session, the Tanaiste, Mr EamonGilmore addressed theconference.The Minister’s speech touched on many of theimportant aspects from Trócaire’s research. The post-2015 framework must:

• Be underpinned by a rights-based approach;

• Ensure the space for participation, accountability and transparency;

• Be based on the experiences of people living inpoverty;

• Address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

FULLSPEECHHERE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u27A-68MI3E

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2DBCqV4xJ0


As an example, he referred to the definition of poverty in thecurrent MDG framework, and how it has been used to reinforcea neoliberal approach to development, as it focuses only oneconomic poverty. The reality is that these frameworksbecome more than the sum of their parts in internationalpolitical discourse. They become what they were not intendedto be and so the impact on international norms can be one ofthe most significant aspects of any new agreement.

The overreliance on numbers and quantitative details inevaluating success was also discussed, with a warning fromProfessor Munasinghe to use them wisely and triangulate dataapproaches where possible. Dr Gold, the Chair of the session,cautioned against too much faith in numbers, as statistics ofpeople living in poverty reduce even when people die frompoverty-related illnesses.

Dr Rachel Raykumari Thomas, a Trócaire partner who helpedfacilitate the research in India, spoke about the humiliation ofbeing poor, regularly felt by research participants. She remindedus that this cannot be measured by numbers but is an ofteninevitable part of life for the people with whom we work.

DR JAN VANDERMOORTELE, ON THE IMPORTANCE OFMEASUREMENT:“We have different perspectives, yes and no. I’m notchallenging the importance of governance and I’mnot surprised either by the findings. I’m trying toexpress myself a little bit better now. If we have anagenda which is not clearly and objectivelymeasurable, the risk is that we will fall back onsubjective leeway of interpretation. And then wehave no more debate about the real reality of wherethe people live in. That’s my concern. It’s notbecause I like statistics that I’m a stickler for numbers.No, it is essentially an issue of politics. I want toavoid, next time around, that anybody is going toabuse and misuse a global agenda for their ownideological perspectives. As we have with the MDGs.We have goals there which are not measurable.Poverty is one of them. What is poverty? We allhave our definition of poverty, but we don’t have aninternational agreed indicator as we have for infantmortality. That is established. Poverty then, theWorld Bank has developed an indicator there whichis very fuzzy, which is a silly indicator. But on thebasis of that the whole neoliberal view ofdevelopment is using it to say ‘stay the course,everything is fine, we are reducing poverty by half’.Whereas we know, anybody who gets close to reality,it’s just not true, it isn’t the case.”

Frank La Rue meets with Trócaire staffmembers, Sally O'Neill and Hilary Daly, andDeputy Pat Breen, Chairman of theOireachtas Joint Committee on ForeignAffairs and Trade.

Conference participants taking part in the day


As an overview of the issues, Dr Nata Duvvury reflected onparticipation, accountability and good governance in thissession. She distinguished government from governance,seeing governance as the realm in which government and non-governmental actors interact, to create the public realm inwhich we exist. She argued that good governance is notlimited to government, but should be a relevant component ofthe engagement of all development actors. Participation andaccountability are essential, she maintained, if the root causesof poverty and injustice are to be addressed, and a newframework is to be a relevant international agreement, ratherthan a technocratic exercise.

Trócaire partner, Jestina Mukoko, spoke about the issue ofgovernance in Zimbabwe, and how systematic targeting andexclusion of her right to freedom impacts on her work and herlife. The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) monitors anddocuments instances of politically-motivated human rightsabuses at community level, through volunteers who act asfield monitors. In recent years political leadership has begun tospeak out against political violence, but impunity forperpetrators remains.

Frank La Rue made the point that participation means equalvoice for all stakeholders, but if the social structure is unequal,then participation alone is inadequate as a tool to effectchange. Different sources of marginalisation must beconsidered if participation is to successfully disassemble thebarriers to accessing decision-making processes, to allowaccountability to become a reality.

Gender inequality continues to obstruct participation of womenin decision-making structures. Issues such as access to landor illiteracy can inhibit women’s participation and inclusion. InZimbabwe, gender inhibits women’s roles as human rightsdefenders, as politically-motivated rape adds another layer ofpotential violence to the risk of speaking out.

Breakout Session 1Good governance and respect for human rights as a foundation for justand sustainable development

This panel focused on the role of civil society and citizen action in demanding goodgovernance and respect for human rights. Participation, accountability and transparency areimperative aspects of human rights dialogue and are essential features of good governance.

Chair: Finola Finnan, Head of Programmes, Trócaire

Panellists: Dr Nata Duvvury, Overview on the fundamental role of civil society in development

Jestina Mukoko (Trócaire Partner), The Zimbabwe Peace Project – Case Study

Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression

“In Zimbabwe, gender inhibitswomen’s roles as humanrights defenders, as politically-motivated rape adds anotherlayer of potential violence tothe risk of speaking out.”From the presentation of Jestina Mukoko

Dr Nata Duvvury presents on the fundamental role of civil society indevelopment.


So how can we integrate these fundamental tools fordevelopment into the post-2015 framework? Frank La Ruesaw modern technology as one means to achieve equalvoice, via access to the internet. It is now easier to accessand share information facilitating accountability, but it is alsoeasier for governments to monitor citizens, and increasingnumbers of national security-motivated laws allow for blanketmonitoring and collection of citizen data.

Provision of information, however, is not always as rigorouslyadhered to. Access to information is included as part offreedom of expression in the Universal Declaration of HumanRights, and makes governments accountable to citizens onboth quantitative and qualitative aspects of decision-making.Transparency of and access to information needs to be agenuine commitment of domestic parliaments, to facilitatecitizens to demand accountability from relevant duty-bearers.

The post-2015 development framework provides anopportunity to address the fundamental drivers of povertyand injustice and incorporating participatory and accountablegovernance into the goals and targets will provide a means toempower people, in all parts of the world, to hold theirgovernments to account.

Jestina Mukoko presents on theZimbabwe Peace Project, workingon human rights issues in thecountry.

“New technology goesboth ways, sharing as wellas monitoring. More andmore national security lawsare allowing blanketmonitoring of key wordsand key messages”Frank La Rue


This panel focused on the East Africa region and providedtwo case studies for sustainable and equitable smallbusiness models. In the first case study, the Economy ofCommunion (EOC), entrepreneurs have a social mission.The EOC is part of Focolare, an inter-religious movementthat is striving for unity within humanity based on universalsolidarity. It is characterised by ethical trading that stressesthe importance of relationship building and exercises thecommunion of profit sharing, using one third of profits tocarry out community social work. Internationally, the EOCbusiness network strives to change business attitudes. InUganda, the EOC funds a nutrition centre that providesfood, education and medical care to children, as well asadvice to mothers on how to grow nutritional crops to feedthe family, and sell off excess produce.

Sosoma Industries Limited, presented by Dative Girmaharo,was the second case study presented. Sosoma Industriesis a small-to-medium sized enterprise (SME) that providessupport and opportunity to local communities it works with.Based in Rwanda, Sosoma provides technical and financialassistance to members of a local cooperative. It supportsaccess to markets, finance and land, as well as promotingpartnership with agro-processing, so that raw materialoutputs can be processed into value-added products formarket. Improving the nutrition of the local population isone aim of the company. Products include maize, soya andporridge, often fortified with valuable vitamins and minerals.Sosoma operates with a gender equality lens. Women andmen gain the same benefits, such as access to training,financial services and equal salaries, as well as equalparticipation in production activities.

Breakout Session 2The role of SMEs in promoting just and sustainable development

The role of business in development can come in many guises and the private sectoritself is a diverse and multifarious grouping. Recent development discourse reveals ashift towards engaging the private sector in development, particularly the large-scaleinternational corporate sector including foreign direct investment. The panel looked atinternational and national challenges and opportunities facing value-based approaches toequitable and sustainable development.

Chair: Conall O’Caoimh, Director, Value Added in Africa

Panellists: Dative Girmaharo (Trócaire Partner), Successful cooperatives and SME in Rwanda – Case Study

Ronald Mulenzi, Economy of Communion as an innovative model for poverty reduction – Case Study

Dr Attiya Warris, Kenya: pro-poor tax regimes and business

Ronald Mulenzi, presenter on the Economy of Communion, attending themorning sessions.


Dr Warris brought a global perspective to the debate, bydiscussing the role of tax. Businesses can have a positiverole to play in development, she argued. They can promotepro-poor tax regimes, fair tax payments, and refrain from taxavoidance. But the nation-state must also play its part. Ifforeign investors receive tax breaks, this can give them anadvantage over local businesses. Foreign companies areusually offered more favourable tax terms than indigenousSMEs, to attract investment. In the discussion, the benefitsof foreign direct investment and national SMEs weredebated, with a particular focus on tax revenues, raisingmany interesting points.

Tax should be a main source of revenue for governments ofcountries in the Global South. A healthy tax base facilitatesprovision of social security, education and infrastructure. Dueto the breadth of profits secured in multinational companies,they are often registered in tax jurisdictions with favourablylow rates, thereby sheltering profits from the tax due to thecountries they operate in. Tax avoidance robs countries andpeople of what is rightfully theirs, and sets up an inequitablesystem where those who are rich enough to exploit legalloopholes can avoid paying what they owe, while the restmust continue to honour those commitments.

SMEs on the other hand, are more rooted and embedded intheir local economies. In 2011, Sosoma Industries wasrecognised as the ‘Best Medium Taxpayer’ in Rwanda for2010. SMEs have the ability to analyse and influence policy,build the tax base for their country, mobiliseentrepreneurship, and provide social and economic servicesto the communities they work with. Any new developmentframework should address the issue of tax transparency, aswell as promote and support the development of local smalland medium enterprises.

Dative Girmaharo from Sosoma Industries Limited presents on successfulcooperatives in Rwanda.


This panel discussed the role of agriculture in development,at both national and international levels. Dr Coupe providedan overall analysis of the issues faced in global and localagricultural production. The agricultural agenda, argued DrCoupe, is not designed to provide the right conditions forsmall scale producers. To encourage food sovereignty, globaland national food production systems must devolve controlof food production to the lowest local level and policies mustbe put in place to support this.

Breakout Session 3Models of agriculture for just and sustainable development

Many challenges exist in current global agricultural production. Different visions ofagriculture, ideas of what it should achieve, and diverging interests in how it can be usedcan result in an agricultural schism between global and local production needs. Theobjective of this panel was to exchange ideas on where to go from here to achieve thechanges necessary to see this key sector respond to the equity and sustainabilitychallenge.

Chair: Michael O’Brien, Sustainable Livelihoods Policy & Advocacy Officer, Trócaire

Panellists: Dr Stuart Coupe, Setting the scene – the current challenges in promoting sustainable agriculture

Gertrude Kenyangi, Supporting women in agriculture in Uganda – Case Study

Dr Racheal Raykumari Thomas (Trócaire Partner), Women of Orissa for Rural Development (WORD)

So how do we use agriculture to enhance food security inan equitable and sustainable way? According to MsKenyangi, in Uganda smallholder farmers have no input intonational policies, plans or strategies on agriculture and foodproduction. As a result policies do not respond to thechallenges they face, and if they do corruption in thedistribution of subsidies can be a major hindrance.

Gertrude Kenyangi, Director ofSWAGEN, presents on smallholderfarming in Uganda


“Nature provides foreverybody’s need but noteverybody’s greed”Dr. Racheal Raykumari Thomas

A better balance between traditional knowledge andscientific knowledge is one starting point. Dr Coupe and DrRaykumari saw this as an alternative to the resource-intensive agriculture that dominates agricultural models atpresent. Knowledge-intensive agriculture is not susceptibleto corruption in the way that resource-intensive productionis. It reduces dependency on external systems and givescontrol back to the famers. They generate their own seeds,own foods, that are appropriate to local people. Knowledge-sharing needs to be accompanied by appropriate policies solocal communities can be supported to withstand land grabs,and granted official land rights and ownership.

But will this be enough? A participant from the Departmentof Agriculture was sceptical about the yields of small scalefarming to feed a growing global population. Following thepresentations the discussion focused on the issue oftechnology as the answer to increasing food availability.

The panellists were not convinced that technology is the‘silver bullet’ for food security. According to Ms Kenyangi,this approach ignores the fact that low production is not theonly source of food shortages in Africa. Climate change,‘natural’ disasters, and powerful gatekeepers like multi-national corporations are some of the issues facingagricultural production.

Dr Raykumari argued that the focus should not be limited to what we produce, but also include an analysis of whobenefits. The lessons from the Green Revolution in Indiamust be carried forward. Dependency on external inputs isunsustainable and the conditions for locally owned, bottom upinitiatives must be created and supported by policy-making.

Dr Racheal Raykumari Thomas, from Trócaire partner Women of Orissafor Rural Development.


This panel focused on investigating the consumerist culturethat dominates societies in the Global North. Dr Dorananalysed the underlying factors that drive consumerism. Hefound that consumption is constructed to be attractive to us.For example, junk food is designed to trigger our ‘bliss point’and rewards centres in our brain, making certain foodsirresistible. Large amounts of energy, resources andresearch go into the marketing of food and other items tomake them desirable.

According to Dr Doran, although we are not in control of thesystem, we are not powerless either. Careful reflection andcontemplation is required to uncover how consumerismdrives us to excessive consumption. Mindfulness is onemeans to understanding consumption. Mindfulness is anapproach that encourages individuals and communities tounderstand their relation to the public realm. Meditation canbe used to practice mindfulness, and make it a part of oureveryday engagement with the material world.

Bishop Dowling reinforced this concept. He saw the key tosustainable development as a shift in values and a transferof attitudes, away from self-interest and self-advancement.He challenges current models of production based oncompetition. Competition improves the position ofproducers, he argued, but does not improve the position ofthe masses. He questioned the role of consumerism in ourdaily lives. Have we lost our compass of what makes ushappy? Are we consuming what we need or consuming in away we think will make us happy? We must reflect on whatwe feel we gain through consumerism.

Breakout Session 4Addressing unsustainable consumption patterns in ‘developed’ economies

This panel addressed sustainable consumption from a holistic perspective, examining whatneeds to be done at a global, societal and individual level to change the drivers of theconsumerist culture we live in. Public policies, commercial inducements, and global mediaimages continue to vigorously promote resource-intensive consumption practices. If weare to make progress towards sustainable development, we must address unsustainableproduction and consumption. Panellists shared their thoughts on where and how we canstart to change the current pattern.

Chair: John Smith, Campaigns Coordinator, Trócaire

Panellists: Dr Peter Doran, Strategies for addressing unsustainable consumption

Bishop Kevin Dowling, The role of the Church in shifting values and consumption patterns

Professor Mohan Munasinghe, Proposal of the Millennium Consumption Goals

Professor Munasinghe put forward the MillenniumConsumption Goals as part of the solution. The MCGs seek toprovide consumption targets, designed to motivate the world’srich to consume more sustainably. Media and the privatesector have a role to play here as the current means ofoperating supports the status quo. A change in consumption isessential to relieve the burden on the planet, to preserve it forfuture generations, and the millions of other species that shareit with us now. The question is how can this be integrated intothe post-2015 framework? Will this new agreement be theright vehicle to achieve such dramatic change?

“You must define your meaningfulconsumption. Do not let meaninglessconsumption define you”Professor Munasinghe

Professor Munasinghe addresses breakout session four.

CLOSING PLENARY SESSIONWhere to from here?

The final session of the conference reflected on Trócaire’s contribution over the past40 years, on key messages from the sessions of the day, and possible ways to moveforward.

Chair: Dr Lorna Gold, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Trócaire

Panellists: Bishop Kevin Dowling, Where to from here?

Justin Kilcullen, Concluding remarks

In this final panel, Bishop Dowling and Justin Kilcullensummed up the discussions, emotions and learning from the day.

Bishop Dowling’s summation was a particularly inspirationalpart of the day. He felt that the basic principles and tenetsthat underlie the work of Trócaire were reaffirmedthroughout the conference. The right to live with dignitywas recognised as one of the starting points for living in aglobal society, where the human rights of each individual arerespected and promoted as the foundation for development.

He noted that the commitment to justice is manifest in theacknowledgement that the world’s resources belong toeveryone, and we must make strides to redress theimbalance in how resources are consumed, produced andshared among and within the nations of the world.

Justin spoke of the leadership deficit we’re experiencing,and was forthright when saying that perhaps we are betterto accept that the post-2015 development framework willnot bring the necessary change to end poverty and injustice.His words reaffirmed those of many panellists throughoutthe course of the day, saying change needs to happen fromthe bottom up, be that in Ireland, or India, or Sierra Leone.

The need to make way for voices from the South todetermine their own path is a learning to be carried forward.As is the reaffirmation that the work Trócaire does in Ireland,on advocacy, policy, campaigns and development educationis as essential to cultivate the work that needs to be donehere at home.

As the day drew to a close, the atmosphere coming from theaudience seemed to reaffirm that though it can be difficult tocontinue to fight against the injustices faced at home andabroad, we are part of a global movement, committed tofight the injustices of poverty, conflict, inequality.


Bishop Dowling attends the morning panels.

Esosa accompanies Trócaire photomontage with a beautiful renditionof Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution.

Conference participants listen to Frank La Rue speak on the importanceof participation.

Bishop Dowling finished with words echoing those ofNelson Mandela. “There remains a long walk to realfreedom, sustainable peace, sustainable and ongoingdevelopment to bring about true dignity, freedom and a lifeof quality for the poor of the world. Though we’ve come along way, we have much, much further to go.”

Biographies of speakers

Justin Kilcullen was appointedExecutive Director of Trócaire in 1993having worked for many years inAfrica and Asia. He is a pastpresident of CIDSE and of Concord,the confederation of Europeandevelopment NGOs, representingmore than 1,600 such organisationsacross the European Union. He iscurrently the European delegate onthe Global Council for civil societydevelopment effectiveness. He isalso a member of the NationalFamine Commemoration Committee.He retired as Executive Director ofTrócaire in October 2013.

Bishop John Kirby is a native ofBaylough, Athlone, Co Westmeath.He is Bishop of Clonfert and servedas Chairman of Trócaire from 1993-2013. Following his ordination in1963 Bishop Kirby was appointed toSt. Joseph’s College, Garbally, Co.Galway where he taughtmathematics and religion beforebecoming President and Principal in1979. He was appointed bishop ofClonfert in 1988 and is a member ofthe Episcopal Commission forJustice and Peace.

Caoimhe de Barra has worked inTrócaire since 1997. She holds adegree in International Marketingand Languages from Dublin CityUniversity (1992) and a Masters inDevelopment Studies fromUniversity College Dublin (1997).Prior to taking up the role of Head ofInternational Division, Caoimheworked as Assistant RegionalManager with Trócaire in SouthernAfrica. Caoimhe's areas of thematicexpertise include Governance andHuman Rights.

Mohan Munasinghe is recognisedas a leading expert on sustainabledevelopment, climate change, energyand environment. He is currentlyProfessor of Sustainable Development,University of Manchester, Chairman ofMunasinghe Institute for Development(MIND) and former Vice-Chair of theIPCC which shared the Nobel Prize forPeace for work on global warming andsustainable development. He isespecially known for the Sustainomicsframework that applies trans-disciplinarythinking to make development moresustainable, and for proposing the novelidea of Millennium Consumption Goals.He has won many international prizesand medals for research and authored95 books and over 350 technical papers.

Dr. Jan Vandermoortele servedwith the UN for 30 years. He wasDirector of the Poverty Group at UNDPin New York from 2001-05 and was theco-architect of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. Between 1995 and2001, he was Chief of Social Policy atUNICEF. He holds a Ph.D. inDevelopment Economics and publishesregularly in journals and books.

Dr. Vincent O’Neill is Director ofPolicy, Planning and Effectiveness inIrish Aid. A medical doctor byprofessional background, he hasextensive experience in internationaldevelopment and has lived for over 8years in Africa, in Sierra Leone, Ugandaand Malawi. He has just returned toIreland having overseen thedevelopment of a new countryprogramme in Malawi since 2007. Overthe past year he has had responsibilityfor leading the oversight of the Reviewof the White Paper on Irish Aid and thedevelopment of Ireland's Policy forInternational Development One World,One Future, published in 2013.



Bishop Pierre-AndréDumas, Bishop of Anse-à-Veau et Miragoâne,Haiti. He is President ofCaritas Haiti. He oversawthe Caritas relief operationfollowing the devastatingearthquake which hit Haitiin 2010.

Frank La Rue is the UN SpecialRapporteur on the Promotion andProtection for the Right to Freedomof Opinion and Expression,appointed by the UN Human RightsCouncil in 2008. He has a wideexperience in Human Rights,Democratic Development, SocialCommunication, Education, LatinAmerican Analysis and politicalissues. He is a Human RightsLawyer who acted in casespresented to the Inter-AmericanHuman Rights Commission and theInter-American Human Rights Courtand lobbying before the UnitedNations System on Human Rights.

Cliona Sharkey is a Policy Officerin Trócaire's Central Policy Unit withresponsibility for the post-2015agenda. Over the past ten years shehas worked in theintergovernmental and non-governmental sectors, includingposts at the UN Headquarters inNew York, the Council of Europe inStrasbourg, and coordinatingdevelopment projects in SouthernAfrica. Before taking up her currentrole she worked as Trócaire’sEnvironmental Justice PolicyOfficer, prior to which she spentthree years as the Climate Changeand Food Security Policy Officer.

Dr. Lorna Gold is Head of Policyand Advocacy in Trócaire. She hasover 15 years experience indevelopment policy and research.Prior to working in Trócaire, she heldthe ESRC and Rowntree Fellowshipsin Politics at the University of York.She publishes widely on issuesrelated to development policy andCatholic Social Teaching.

Eamon Gilmorewas appointed asTánaiste and Minister for ForeignAffairs and Trade in March 2011. Hehas been the Leader of the LabourParty since 2007. He was firstelected to the Dáil in 1989 for theconstituency of Dun Laoghaire. Hehas been re-elected at everysubsequent general election. He is anative of Caltra, County Galway andgraduated in Psychology fromUniversity College Galway, now NUIGalway.

Finola Finnan is the Head ofProgrammes in Trócaire. She hasworked for over twenty years ininternational developmentspecialising in Gender Equality, HIVand health and holds a MastersDegree in Community Health fromTCD. She has chaired a number ofNGO network groups including theJoint Consortium on Gender BasedViolence and the Catholic HIV andAIDS Network. She is currentlyengaged in research for Trócaire onwomen's participation in localgovernance and women'svulnerability to HIV.


Dr. Nata Duvvury is Co-Directorof the Global Women’s StudiesCentre at the National University ofIreland, Galway. She is adevelopment expert with researchinterests in gender, livelihoods,governance and social mobilization.She has authored more than fiftyresearch reports, peer-reviewpublications and papers in editedbooks.

Jestina Mukoko is the ExecutiveDirector of the Zimbabwe PeaceProject (ZPP), an NGO that monitorshuman rights abuses throughout thecountry. Ms. Mukoko is a long-timeleader in the human rights andactivist communities in Zimbabwe,and, as a broadcaster for theZimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation,a pioneering role model.

Conall O’Caoimh isfounder and Director ofValue Added in Africa. Hiswork on trade justice startedin policy and lobbying but inrecent years had shifted tobuilding a channel forAfrican-made goods intoEuropean markets.

Ronald Mulenzi is a Ugandanentrepreneur working in ResponsibleTourism in Uganda and Rwanda,trading as Afri safari cars ltd. Ronald isa member of the Focolare Movementwhich emphasises practical gospellove aimed at reaching universalfraternity. He runs his business on themodel of Economy of Communionand is a member of the EOCCommission for Africa.

Dr AttiyaWarris is a SeniorLecturer of the University of Nairobiin Kenya. She is an Advocate of theHigh Court of Kenya and a memberof the Chartered Institute ofArbitrators (UK) and a CertifiedPublic Secretary (Kenya). Shespecialises in tax policy andlegislation and its analysis inresearch as well as in its practicalanalysis and application within thecontext of negotiations with revenueauthorities and before tribunals andthe judiciary in Africa.

Dr. Stuart Coupe worked for 12years at Practical Action (formerlyITDG) before becoming anindependent consultant. Hespecialises in food sovereignty andlivelihoods in arid and semi aridlands, carrying out in-depth studieson improving crop, livestock andfisheries extension services. Hepublishes widely on developmentissues.

Gertude Kenyangi holds an MAand Bachelor of Science fromMakerere University. For a shortperiod after her studies she held awhite collar job with a bank as acredit officer before discovering thather calling was not in air-conditioned, pristine and sanitizedwork environments but with thepeople right at the grassrootsgetting her hands dirty. She resignedher bank job and founded Supportfor Women in Agriculture andEnvironment (SWAGEN), where shestill serves as Executive Director.

Biographies of speakers


Dr. Racheal RaykumariThomasis the Executive Secretary of WORD(Women’s Organisation for RuralDevelopment). Residing in Odishafor the past 17 years, she wasmoved by the food insecurity andchronic malnutrition in this region.She decided to work for the mostvulnerable indigenous communitieswith special emphasis on womenand children.

Michael O’ BrienMichael is Trocaire’s SustainableLivelihoods Policy & AdvocacyOfficer. He is a member of theDochas Livelihoods, Food andNutrition Security and CIDSE Food,Agriculture and Sustainable Tradeworking groups. Michael enjoyswriting and has addressed thethemes of governance and the rightto food, investment in agricultureand climate change and agriculturein recent work.

John Smith is the Coordinator ofTrócaire’s Campaigns team, based inMaynooth. John and the teamdesign and deliver public campaignsacross a range of advocacy issues.Over the past 2 years they havecampaigned on climate change,biofuels and HIV, among others.Previous to this John worked asCoordinator of the DevelopmentEducation unit for Trócaire, afterspending 4 years as an EducationOfficer within the team. Beforejoining Trócaire he completed aMasters in Social Science, focusinghis research on DevelopmentEducation and Global Citizenship.

Dative Girmaharo isProduction Manager ofSOSOMA Industries Ltd inRwanda. She has extensiveexperience in value chaindevelopment with farmerscooperatives including agendered focus, managingan agro food factory.

Dr. Peter Doran is a lecturer inthe School of Law in QueensUniversity, Belfast. Dr Doran’sresearch interests include: the roleof contemporary practices ofaskesis – the arts of caring for thebody and mind using physical andmental techniques – in supporting atransition to sustainableconsumption; the politics of well-being; and prosperity beyondtraditional measures of growth andeconomic performance.

Kevin Patrick Dowling wasborn in South Africa and becameBishop of Rustenburg in 1990.During the Apartheid era heparticipated in peaceful protestsand was key in providing a meetingplace for civic and political activistsand organizations who were at thattime denied basic human rights.Since the late 1990s he has workedtirelessly for the improvement ofthe lives of people in impoverishedcommunities, and in particular forthose living with HIV and AIDS.

Fsuoitirrittruut

NNu

dood

oF

em

WelbatS

krrkoorWWo

ylimaFFayppy

ppp

aap

HHa

oH

erreuurce

S

em

tlltaaleea

HHe

eerF

erachtth

coS

tsu J

gnng

iinhhittholC

yttyeetiieccio

naan

elleCCl

mocnI

em

noi

ttiaat

cuuc

dduEEd

ret

aW

n

ightMy R

s Bight

ond 2015:

ond 2015:

ccountAMaking the P

ightMy R

able to the Wccount-2015 FostMaking the P

yes Bight

September 2013

s Porld’ he W World’wamer-2015 F

ond 2015:y

September 2013

oors Pork w

ond 2015:

new global policy, same local reality? · children pictured in north korea during the famine. this...

Documents