Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 19 non-governmental organisations, which carry out humanitarian work in 90 countries. Their motto is "working with others to combat poverty and suffering".
Oxfam was originally founded in Oxford in 1942 during World War II by people from the Religious Society of Friends, social activism and academics from the University of Oxford, to fight against the famine that was ravaging Greece at the time, hence its first name: "Oxford Committee for Famine Relief" (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief). His mission was to convince the British government to allow food aid through the World War II Allied blockade of Axis-occupied Greece. The Oxford committee was one of the local committees formed in support of the National Hunger Relief Committee.
In 1963, Oxfam Canada was founded, the first of many abroad. The organization changed its name to OXFAM in 1965.
Mission and values
Oxfam recognizes the universality and indivisibility of human rights and has adopted these global goals to express these rights in practice:
- The right to a sustainable livelihood
- The right to basic social services
- The right to life and security
- The right to be heard
- The right to identity
Oxfam believes that poverty and powerlessness are preventable and can be eliminated by human action and political will. The right to a sustainable livelihood, the right and ability to participate in societies and make positive change so that people can live with their basic human needs and the right to be satisfied. Oxfam believes that peace and arms reduction are essential conditions for development and that inequalities can be significantly reduced, both between rich and poor countries and between nations.[citation needed ]
Work
Although Oxfam's initial concern was lack of food to alleviate hunger, in recent years the organization has developed strategies to combat famines. In addition to food and medicine, Oxfam also provides tools for people to become self-sufficient and opens up international trade markets where handicrafts and produce from the world's poorest regions can be sold at a fair price that benefits the producer..
Oxfam's program has three main focuses: development work, which seeks to lift communities out of poverty in the long term and provide sustained solutions based on their needs; assistance to people directly affected by conflicts or natural disasters (which often lead to the development of long-term work) especially in the Water and Health Sector settings; and Lobbying and popular campaigns, trying to influence political decisions about the causes of the conflict at the local, national and international levels.
Oxfam works on trade justice, Fair Trade, Education, Debt, international aid, livelihoods, Health, AIDS, Gender Equality, War (international industry campaign on Arms Trade Treaty), Natural disasters, Democracy, Human rights and Climate change.
Through programs like 'Saving for Change', Oxfam is working to help communities become more financially self-sufficient. The "Saving for Change" It is a program through which communities are taught how to form informal collective credit groups, through mutually beneficial groups, the members who tend to be mostly women, keep their savings in a fund that is used to give loans, for activities such as paying for medical care, paying for school fees, in addition to using the loans to finance small-scale business projects. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to leave communities with a self-sustaining organization, where people who would not otherwise be eligible for formal bank loans can access financial aid. By doing so, borrowers can start businesses that benefit not only themselves but also their communities.
In addition, Oxfam has provided relief services during various crises in different parts of the world such as: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the North Korean famine, the 2011 food crisis in the Horn of Africa, the drought in the Sahel in in 2011, the tropical storms Ingrid and Manuel that hit Mexico in 2014 or the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, among others. The "Bosfam" a Non-Governmental Organization, was also founded in May 1995, where women who participated in the Oxfam GB psychosocial project "radionice" internally protected women who were displaced by the Bosnian War. Oxfam has become a recognized global leader in providing clean water and sanitation to impoverished and war-torn areas around the world. IN 2012, Oxfam became one of the humanitarian groups that make up the Rapid Response Fund in the UK to secure safe drinking water in the aftermath of humanitarian disasters.
Oxfam Affiliates
Oxfam GB
Oxfam GB's headquarters are in Cowley, Oxford, while the UK stores are managed from the Oxfam Finance Office, located in Newcastle upon Tyne. In these stores second-hand products such as books, clothing, music and furniture are sold, donated by companies and individuals.
In 2008, Oxfam UK was recognized as one of Britain's leading employers by CRF, with 5,955 employees working worldwide at the time.
Oxfam Ireland
Oxfam Ireland is the name of the two chapters that are legally registered separately under their respective jurisdictions as Oxfam Northern Ireland and Oxfam Ireland, with headquarters in Belfast and Dublin, respectively. Oxfam Ireland applies a single management policy for both organisations.
Oxfam Intermón (Spain)
Oxfam Intermón was born in 1997, when the Spanish non-governmental development cooperation organization (ONGD) Intermón, founded in 1956, affiliated with the Oxfam confederation. Its main management body in Spain is a board of trustees with independent people from civil society, the academic and business world, and other entities. Its current general manager is Francesc Cortada.
Their motto and fundamental strategy is "We change lives that change lives", they address root problems, from all fronts (economic, social, political, environmental) and linking local and global action so that their actions and programs are sustainable over time and reach future generations, generating a multiplier effect.
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam Canada's history dates back to 1963, when the Oxford Famine Relief Committee in Great Britain tried to establish a Canadian branch. Oxfam Canada was independently incorporated in 1966; the first board of directors included 21 Canadian personalities. In 1967, Oxfam Canada became a key organizer of the successful 'walk across the country' Walkathon. In that year, Lester Pearson (then Prime Minister of Canada) organized the first Miles for Millions march, and with the proceeds, Oxfam began providing educational materials to schools and running campaigns to support public policy development. In 1973, Oxfam-Québec became an independent member of Oxfam International.
The early 1970s were a critical period of growth for Oxfam, as it began its own programming abroad in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and established a network of staff and volunteers across Canada to support your original idea. The original idea was born with Oxfam stores. During this same period, Oxfam Canada began to look at its role in the development process moving away from a traditional charity model (one-time donations) towards long-term development programs (working in the community to bring about positive change and durable). Deeply involved in the international movement against Apartheid in Africa and Central American solidarity in the 1970s and 1980s, Oxfam Canada sought to address the underlying root causes of poverty. This in turn led to Oxfam's role as a major advocacy organization in the 1990s, mobilizing public support for changing policies that perpetuate poverty.
Oxfam Canada is a founding member of Oxfam, the worldwide federation of Oxfam.
Oxfam Mexico
Oxfam Mexico was born in 2008, when the organization Rostros y Voces joined Oxfam International. Thus, it becomes the first affiliate of the Confederation to develop and implement projects within its own territory. In Mexico, one in two people is poor; while only four people concentrate 9% of the country's total wealth. For this reason and since 2015, Oxfam Mexico has been working to combat inequality and thus reduce poverty, through four strategies:
1. Generation of knowledge and high-quality analysis of the Mexican reality. Oxfam Mexico links the national context, with the regional and global, to present fundamental evidence for the elaboration of its influence strategies.
2. Creation of campaigns through which Oxfam Mexico sensitizes society about economic and social problems. Oxfam Mexico calls on people to work together to achieve a better quality of life for all people.
3. Development of programs focused on combating inequality to reduce poverty in rural and urban contexts. Specifically, the programs contribute to strengthening the local capacity to influence the distribution of resources, and thus break the cycle of inequality.
4. It provides humanitarian aid locally and globally in disasters and emergencies.
Since 2015, Oxfam Mexico has been working on the "IGUALES" to combat inequality and consequently reduce poverty, based on the results of his report "Extreme inequality in Mexico. Concentration of economic and political power", written by the renowned economist Gerardo Esquivel. Oxfam Mexico seeks to improve the conditions and livelihoods of the most vulnerable people, by strengthening local organizations and influencing governments and companies, to guarantee a less unequal society for all people.
Oxfam America
In 1970, Oxfam America became an independent non-governmental organization, dependent on and affiliated with Oxfam in response to the humanitarian crisis created by the fighting for the Bangladesh Liberation War. Oxfam America's headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts, with a policy and campaigns office in Washington D.C. and seven regional offices around the world. Oxfam America's campaigns are about; adaptation to global warming, food security, the reform of aid to the access of medicines and Fair Trade.
Oxfam-Quebec
In 1973, Oxfam Quebec became an independent member of the Oxfam International movement. Driven by the popularity of Yvon Deschamps, Oxfam Quebec has become an organization appreciated by Quebecers. Its mission is to get the French-speaking population involved in the situation in developing countries.
Oxfam Australia
Oxfam Australia is a not-for-profit, independent, secular community-based aid and development organization, and an affiliate of Oxfam International. Oxfam Australia's work includes long-term development projects, emergency response and campaigns to improve the lives of disadvantaged people around the world. Its aim is to give disadvantaged people better access to social services, an effective voice in decisions, equal rights and status, security in conflicts and disasters.
Oxfam Australia's activities are funded primarily by community donations. Oxfam's development and advocacy programs use 73% of donated funds, with 16% used for fundraising and advocacy, and the remaining 11% for administration. In the case of emergency appeals, 85% of the funds are used directly for emergency purposes.
In 2009, Oxfam Australia's work reached 4.64 million people in 28 countries. This was made possible by the support of more than 310,000 donors and activists.[citation needed]
Oxfam Novib (Netherlands)
Oxfam Novib is the Dutch affiliate of the international organization Oxfam. The organization is headquartered in The Hague, it was founded under the name Novib in 1956. Novib, an abbreviation for "Nederlandese Organisatie Voor Internationale Bijstand" (Dutch Organization for International Aid), was later changed to "Nederlandese Organisaite Voor Internationale Ontwikkelingssamenwerking" (Dutch Organization for International Development Cooperation), due to a change in focus of the organization's development work.[citation needed]
In 1992, Novib became an Oxfam affiliate and the organization changed its name in 2006 to Oxfam Novib.
Oxfam in Belgium
Oxfam in Belgium is a coordinating body for the Belgian components of the Oxfam movement, namely Oxfam Solidarity, Magasins du Monde Oxfam and Oxfam Wereldwinkels.
Oxfam Solidarity incorporates the activities of Oxfam Belgium (founded in 1964) and those of Oxfam projects (created in 1976); supports around 200 projects and programs in the South for a total of around 10 million euros, thanks to co-financing by the Belgian government and the European Union. The organization's income comes from recycling activities, supported by donors and as a result of campaigns.
Oxfam Wereldwinkels (founded 1971) and Magasins du Monde-Oxfam (founded 1975) remain autonomous bodies, with a focus on fair trade. With more than 220 points of sale, many groups and 7,000 volunteers, they form a movement that, guided by the principles of fair trade, pursues objectives similar to those of Oxfam Solidarity.
Oxfam France
Oxfam France was founded in 1988 under the name "Agir ici pour un monde solidaire" (Act here for a world of solidarity). His work was already based on campaigning and promotion, both of which were rare in France at the time.
Agir ici became an observer member of Oxfam in 2003, and a full member in 2006.
Based in Paris, Oxfam France says its missions are to inform, raise public awareness and mobilize citizens. Oxfam France's advocacy and research work focuses on economic justice (particularly tax revenues in developing countries, ODA, tax havens and innovative financing), Agriculture (speculation, food premiums, biofuels, land grabbing and trade rules), the protection of civilians and health.
Oxfam France is funded mostly by public donations and institutional donors.
He has five second-hand shops: three bookstores (two in Paris, one in Lille), a clothing store in a store in Lille, and one in Strasbourg.
Oxfam Germany
Oxfam Germany has its beginnings in an initiative of individuals who, in 1986, opened a second-hand shop in Bonn inspired by British charity shops. Although not officially associated with Oxfam, the shop was run by volunteers who sold the donated goods, with the proceeds contributing to projects carried out by Oxfam GB. A second store, following the same model, was opened in Cologne in 1991.
Oxfam officially came to Germany in 1995 with the founding of the charity Oxfam Deutschland e,V. and its business subsidiary, the Oxfam Deutschland GmbH shop. Oxfam Germany became an affiliate of Oxfam International in 2003.
Since March 2013, Oxfam has operated 42 charity shops in 28 German cities, including five Oxfam bookstores and three fashion stores. According to the official site of Oxfam Germany, there are 2,400 volunteers in those stores.
Oxfam Hong Kong
Oxfam Hong Kong began in 1976, when volunteers got together, opened a thrift shop, and raised funds for anti-poverty projects around the world. Some of the first actions in the 1970s and 1980s were to advocate for justice in the Vietnamese Boat People/refugee crisis in Hong Kong, and to help save lives in Ethiopia during the 1984 famine. To date, Oxfam Hong Kong has helped the poor in more than 70 countries/states around the world.
Oxfam India
Oxfam's involvement in India began when it was awarded money in 1951 to fight famine in Bihar. Bihar at that time was one of the poorest and most populous states in India. Bihar and famine would bring Oxfam back to India in 1965 to cope with drought due to bad monsoons. Bihar held a population of 53 million, of whom 40 million relied on agriculture for a living. This would compound for India in the future, as food production had not kept pace with its growing population. An estimated 2,400 tonnes of milk was purchased by Oxfam over the course of the droughts and famines and at its peak it was feeding more than 400,000 hungry children and their mothers.
In 1968 Oxfam India's first field director, Jim Howard, created the action programme: Gramdan Oxfam or OGAP. This would be the first rural development program in Oxfam's joint history and the first step towards a new Oxfam "operational".
Oxfam India was established on 1 September 2008 under Section 25 of the Companies Act 2005 as a Delhi-based non-profit organization and is now a member of the international Oxfam confederation. This year was marked by the 60th birthday of Oxfam in India.
Oxfam International
The Oxfam International Secretary (OIS) leads, facilitates and supports collaboration among affiliates to increase Oxfam International's impact on poverty and injustice through advocacy campaigns, campaign development and emergency response.
The OIS board is made up of: the CEO, the presidents of each affiliate, and the OI president. Affiliate presidents are voting members, but are not paid. The CEO and President of OI are not voting members. The board also elects a vice president and treasurer from its own voting members.
The board is responsible for ensuring that Oxfam International is accountable, transparent and fit for purpose. The constitution and the strategic plan are also approved by their respective directives. The board takes the recommendations of the executive director and ensures that the confederation is working towards the agreed objectives. The board must also agree with the members of the organization, as it selects the honorary chair, its vice chair, the board table and the executive director of OI. A number of subcommittees with expert members are also mandated by the board to help with specific issues.
The official language of Oxfam International is English; English, French and Spanish are the languages used to work. In 2009 and 2010 Oxfam had approximately 77 staff (including commission placements and temporary staff covering women on maternity leave). Employees are financed by donations from affiliated organizations and it has a budget of $8.7 million.
Activities
Oxfam has four main themes for its resources, which are: Economic Justice, Essential Services, Rights in Crisis and Gender Justice.
Economic justice focuses on making farm work for farmers and farmworkers living in poverty and vulnerable circumstances, and making rules to make trade fair for poor countries, to reduce climate change and energy crises.
Essential services focus on; demand that national governments fulfill their responsibilities for the equitable delivery of good quality health, education, water, sanitation, support for civil society organizations, alliances so that governments can be accountable for these services, the guarantee of better policies, more funding from rich countries and international institutions, as well as ensuring that they honor existing commitments on aid and debt reduction.
Rights in crisis focuses on improving the capacity to offer better protection and assistance, through improvements in skills and capacities, working with and through local organisations, and in particular reinforcing the role of women, changing the policies and practices of the international humanitarian system to offer better protection and assistance, and working within the framework of human security, with a greater emphasis on conflict prevention, peace building, reconciliation and long-term development. term.
Gender justice focuses on supporting women's leadership at all levels to gain greater decision-making power and control over their lives by increasing the number of women receiving education (two-thirds of the children who are denied school are girls), to acquire literacy and skills so that they can work, working to end gender-based violence by changing the ideas, attitudes and beliefs of the men and women who enable violence against women, and strengthening Oxfam's gender learning capacities to ensure that gender justice is achieved in all its projects.[citation needed]
Oxfam shops
Oxfam has many shops around the world, which sell fair trade and donated items. Its first charity shop was opened in 1948, although sales did not begin until 1947. Proceeds from these shops are generally used to help other charities or to promote Oxfam's relief efforts around the world.
Much of their stock still comes from public donations, but today they also sell fair trade products from developing countries such as; Africa, Asia and South America, such as handicrafts, books, music records and instruments, clothing, toys, food and ethnic creations. These objects are brought to the public through fair trade to help increase the quality of life for their producers and the surrounding communities.
Oxfam scandals
In February 2018, it emerged that Oxfam covered up orgies with prostitutes belonging to a group of high-ranking officials who have distributed humanitarian aid in Haiti since 2010, when an earthquake struck that killed 220,000 people, injured another 300,000 and left about a million and a half homeless Haitians.