Scotch College

Scotch is in for the long haul to Make Poverty History

Fighting poverty is still very much on the Scotch agenda in 2008.

Words: Mark Williams • Staff

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aim to strategically eradicate extreme poverty. But the life-saving goals can only be realised if developed nations honour their pledge to raise international aid levels to 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) by 2015. Without the support of ‘rich’ nations, the goals are dead in the water.

Last year a nationwide campaign was launched to rally support for the MDGs. Scotch College students actively supported the campaign through the Zero Seven human sign, which featured on the cover of the September 2007 Great Scot. Organisers claimed the campaign ‘let leaders of all political persuasions know that Australians are passionate about eradicating poverty’.

Real policy changes followed, including fund allocations of $47 million a year to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; $45 million to combat blindness in the Asia–Pacific region; $350 million or more to improve water and sanitation; and $150 million over three years to help our neighbours prepare and adapt to the effects of climate change. Seventy-five million dollars of Indonesia’s debt to Australia was also swapped for funding required to extend existing health programs.

Furthermore, a greater effort to focus the national aid program on achieving the MDGs will be made as a result of the campaign. Campaign organisers also welcomed a commitment by the incoming federal government to increase international aid to 0.5% of GNI by 2015, despite the fact that it ‘falls well short of the promised 0.7% needed to achieve the MDC’.

Scotch College has continued to support the Make Poverty History campaign in 2008.

Funds raised through the annual 24-hour hike were donated to the Oaktree Foundation, Australia’s first entirely youth-run international aid and development organisation. A number of Middle School students attended the Oaktree ‘Leaders of Change’ conference in March, and the Social Service student committee is working with Oaktree in an awareness-raising capacity.

There are a staggering 8.4 million child slaves in the world today. These children are without freedom, and are denied the educational opportunities needed to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Child slave labour is perpetuated by consumer choices in the developed world – particularly the clothes we wear and chocolate we eat. The Oaktree Foundation’s End Child Slavery movement consists of thousands of young Australians who are standing up against the injustice of child slavery, and making the switch to buy slave-free products. Scotch students are being challenged to consume with a conscience.

On Monday 11 February, the World Vision regional office manager overseeing partnership programs in Northern Zambia, Mr Wampembe Lukonde, visited Scotch to address the Senior School assembly.

Mr Lukonde once again thanked Scotch for its assistance in Kapumfi. He assured our students that ‘the situation is improving by the day’. The children of Kapumfi now have ambition and hope. For the first time, 20 Kapumfi students graduated and moved to a local high school. Parents in the community are much more inclined to send their children to school, as they can see that their children are more likely to become constructive members of the community, once educated.

During the assembly, Acting Principal Mr Ian Savage read letters from Kapumfi Head Teacher Mr Emmanuel Chansa, and a 13-year-old female student. (Transcripts of the letters appear on these pages.) A short video presentation showing Kapumfi students in class is also now available for viewing on the Scotch home page.

On Tuesday 4 March, Senior School students participated in a casual clothes day, raising $1,600 for the new Scotch Global Village program. Prefects for Social Awareness, Lachlan Cohen, Joseph McKenna and Hugh McKenzie, cleverly promoted the occasion by arranging for a group of their peers to dress as the Village People to perform during main assembly.

They explained: ‘The Global Village program coordinates teams travelling to countries in the Asia-Pacific to build homes for families in need. Not only builders but people from all walks of life, from cowboys to Indians, all volunteer and take part in the construction of houses in local communities. This year we are sending two Scotch building teams, one to Cambodia and one to Fiji. Individual participants have been asked to cover the cost of flights, accommodation and food.

‘However, the building materials needed will cost in excess of $15,000. This is where the policeman and GI come in. They will be patrolling to ensure all students in casual clothes have brought a donation!’.

The Global Village team trips offer students a practical means to support the Make Poverty History campaign, while providing a unique opportunity for immersion in the culture of the families being directly benefited.

The fight against ‘stupid poverty’ is far from over, but Scotch College is in for the long haul. GS