[Aidwatch] The $1.3bn question: where is your aid money going?

Tue Mar 20 21:27:48 PDT 2012

 *The $1.3bn question: where is your aid money going?*

* *

Dear supporter,

The Australian Government’s taxpayer funded aid arm, AusAID, now spends
about $1.3bn annually through multilateral organisations – huge
international organisations each with their own focus, priorities and
members vying for influence. AusAID is currently ranking these
organisations based on ‘effectiveness’ with money likely to be funnelled to
those who rank highly. But have AusAID got the criteria right?

AID/WATCH have been busy analysing these different organisations to provide
an independent assessment of their effectiveness based on ecological
footprint, record on labour rights and commitment to working with the
world’s poor.

We’ll be *discussing our assessments* next Thursday 29th March in Sydney
<http://www.aidwatch.org.au/events/the-13b-question-where-is-your-aid-money-going>and
would love to see you there! Come and hear our ideas about how the
multilaterals stack up in a social justice framework, and join in the
discussion about how we evaluate and understand multilateral organisations
and their relationship to the Australian aid program.

*When:    *Thursday 29 March, 6.30-8.30pm

*Where:   *Amnesty International Australia

                 79 Myrtle St

                 Chippendale, Sydney

Entry fee by donation

*RSVP *on facebook.com/AIDWATCH

*Update: AusAID, Toll Holdings and the troubled Cambodian railways project.
What happened next*

* *

Last month we released the report *Off the Rails: AusAID and the troubled
Cambodian Railways
Project<http://www.aidwatch.org.au/news/aidwatch-new-report-off-the-rails-ausaid-and-the-troubled-cambodian-railways-project-0>
,* which detailed how an AusAID funded railway rehabilitation program in
Camobdia had led to the displacement of hundreds of people, harassment of
communities opposed to displacement and advocating NGOs being shut down.
The report also critiqued the involvement of Australian company Toll
Holdings in the project, particularly why aid money was funding a defacto
privatisation program which Toll was likely to gain greatly from.

Since then AusAID have been grilled by the
Greens<http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/estimate/7afd22ed-c48e-4bfa-afdd-f0c6c22a0235/toc_pdf/Foreign%20Affairs,%20Defence%20and%20Trade%20Legislation%20Committee_2012_02_16_800.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22committees/estimate/7>on
their resettlement processes and the implementation of adequate
compensation for those displace by the project.

Recent reports<http://www.theage.com.au/business/toll-to-quit-cambodia-rail-plans-20120313-1uyeo.html>now
suggest that Toll Holdings, the private company with a 30 year
agreement to operate the railways will be pulling out of the controversy
plagued project. Toll are currently being very shy about their movements,
but we’ll keep you updated on this and how the issues raised in the paper
are being addressed as things progress

Keep up to date with AID/WATCH on our website
<http://www.aidwatch.org.au>and
onfacebook<http://www.facebook.com/AIDWATCH>
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