What is ActionAid International?

ActionAid International

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency whose aim is to fight poverty worldwide. Formed in 1972, for over 30 years ActionAid have been growing and expanding to the present situation – helping over 13 million of the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people in 42 countries worldwide.

ActionAid started as an organisation in Great Britain. In December 2003 ActionAid established a new head office in Johannesburg, South Africa, and began the process of making all country programmes equal partners with an equal say on how ActionAid operates. The international Secretary General is Ramesh Singh – a Nepalese based in South Africa.

MS and ActionAid International

In 2006 MS's General Assembly decided to examine the possibilities of seeking association with an international network in order to strengthen both our international policy and advocacy efforts and our development work on the ground.

In 2007 the General Assembly asked the Board to examine a possible future cooperation with ActionAid International in depth. After these studies the Board recommended association with ActionAid International which was decided by an overwhelming majority on MS's General Assembly in September 2008. Today, MS is a member of Action Aid International.

As a member of ActionAid International, MS can reach a much wider scope of the poorest in the world with support to long-term development efforts. Further more, the poorest will have a stronger say in international campaigning, establishing direct link to the poorest countries in the world.