Concerns about the budgetary cuts to development assistance

MS´partners in South are concerned about the budgetary cuts to development assistance by the Danish Government. These cuts have serious negative impact for partner organisations working at grassroots level, at a time when we are experiencing deepening poverty and severe conflicts in most regions in the South.

The worst affected people by conflict and poverty are indigenous communities, women and children. Women and poor people are precisely the groups that the Danish government wants to support through development assistance, but the implication of the budget cuts is that these groups are likely to suffer disproportionately.

We feel that there is an opportunity to assist the poor marginalized groups and communities in areas affected by conflict especially through the diversity and resilience of the NGO’s, Community based groups that MS works with in partnership for development. According to MS partner organisations, the experience in Africa, Latin America and Asia gives MS an unique advantage over other international organisations.

The developing world is already disadvantaged on access to ICT. The cuts in the development assistance budget will make the gap even wider and will sharpen the difficulties for MS partners in the South to improve the overall quality of life and the process of capacity building through information technology.

We note that development assistance has mutual benefit for both peoples in the South and the North especially if we take into consideration the opportunities for Danish investment and intercultural co-operation and learning.

Signed by,
Evelyn Nyakoojo, Uganda
Gopal Guragain, Nepal
Ricardo Pereira, Central America, Nicaragua
Chiedza Musengezi, Zimbabwe

Approved by MS's General Assembly the 21st of April 2002