ActionAid

{{Short description|International non-governmental organization}}

{{Infobox organization

|name = ActionAid

|image = Actionaid logo.svg

|size = 270px

|formation = {{start date and age|1972}}

|founder = Cecil Jackson-Cole

|type = International NGO

|status = Nonprofit organization

|headquarters = Johannesburg, South Africa

|region_served = Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Americas

|membership = Child sponsors

|leader_title = Secretary General

|leader_name = Arthur Larok

|purpose = ActionAid works with communities to reduce poverty and promote human rights

|website = [http://www.actionaid.org/ www.actionaid.org]

}}

ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.actionaid.org/who-we-are|title=Who we are|publisher=ActionAid|access-date=25 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005813/http://www.actionaid.org/who-we-are|archive-date=20 August 2018|url-status=dead}}

ActionAid is a federation of 45 country offices that works with communities, often via local partner organisations, on a range of development issues. It was founded in 1972 by Cecil Jackson-Cole as a child sponsorship charity (originally called Action in Distress) when 88 UK supporters sponsored 88 children in India and Kenya, the primary focus being is providing children with an education, further the human rights for all, assisting people that are in poverty, assisting those who face discrimination,{{Cite web|url=http://www.actionaid.org/what-we-do|title=What we do {{!}} ActionAid|website=www.actionaid.org|language=en|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113034100/http://www.actionaid.org/what-we-do|archive-date=13 November 2017|url-status=dead}} and also assist people who face injustice. ActionAid works with over 15 million people in 45 countries to assist those people.

Today its head office is located in South Africa with hubs in Asia, the Americas and Europe. ActionAid was the first big INGO to move its headquarters from the global north to the global south.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/why-actionaid-had-move-its-headquarters-britain-south-africa|title=Facilitating more than leading|website=Development and Cooperation|language=en|date=10 October 2015|first=Adriano|last= Campolina|access-date=4 December 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.devex.com/news/internationalizing-your-ngo-4-lessons-from-actionaid-84477|title='Internationalizing' your NGO: 4 lessons from ActionAid|website=Devex|language=en|first=Anna|last= Patton|date=6 October 2014|access-date=4 December 2017}} ActionAid's current strategy aims to "build international momentum for social, economic and environmental justice, driven by people living in poverty and exclusion".{{Cite web|url=http://www.actionaid.org/publications/action-global-justice|title=Strategy 2028: Action for Global Justice|website=www.actionaid.org|access-date=4 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074519/http://www.actionaid.org/publications/action-global-justice|archive-date=20 August 2018|url-status=dead}} This includes running campaigns and providing training and resources for social movements.{{Cite web |last=ActionAid |date=2024-01-17 |title=Interactive, Self Paced Mini Courses on Organising : Global Organizing and Leadership Development GOLD |url=https://commonslibrary.org/interactive-self-paced-mini-courses-on-organising-global-organizing-and-leadership-development-gold/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}

Tax and economic justice

ActionAid has been campaigning for tax justice since 2008, conducting research into the effects of various international tax treaties and supporting local people and organizations to hold their governments to account.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jul/07/the-anatomy-of-a-campaign-tax-justice-actionaid|title=The anatomy of a campaign: tax justice, ActionAid|first=Jenny|last=Ricks|website=The Guardian|date=7 July 2015}} It argues that losing tax revenue to avoidance harms the world's poorest and most marginalized people, who depend on tax-funded public services.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/216-global-taxes/52401-how-tax-havens-plunder-the-poor.html|title=How Tax Havens Plunder the Poor|website=Global Policy Forum}}{{Cite web|url=https://business-humanrights.org/en/actionaid-report-says-shady-tax-treaties-disproportionately-favour-multinationals-increasing-inequality-poverty-in-poor-countries|title=ActionAid report says "shady" tax treaties disproportionately favour multinationals, increasing inequality & poverty in poor countries|website=Business and Human Rights Resource Centre}} It is also often the case that the tax revenue lost in these treaties can exceed the amount of international aid money send to developing countries.{{Cite news|url=https://www.svd.se/bistand-verkar-inte-i-ett-vakuum|language=sv|title=Bistånd verkar inte i ett vakuum|website=Svenska Dagbladet|date=16 February 2012}}

In 2011, ActionAid revealed that 98% of the UK's FTSE 100 companies use tax havens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/10/companies-actionaid-tax|title=98 of FTSE 100 companies use tax havens|first=Alice|last=Gribbin|website=New Statesman|date=11 October 2011}} In 2013 its research into corporate tax avoidance in Zambia showed that Associated British Foods were avoiding paying millions of dollars in corporate tax.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/video/2013/feb/09/associated-british-foods-avoids-corporate-tax-zambia-video|title=Sugar manufacturer Associated British Foods avoids paying corporate tax in Zambia – video|website=The Guardian|first=Daniel|last=Boffey|date=9 February 2013}}

Women's rights

ActionAid integrates women's rights into all of its programming and project work, but also undertakes campaigns that focus specifically on these issues.

Notable examples have included raising awareness about unpaid care work{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/22/women-do-four-years-more-work-than-men-in-lifetime-report-shows|title=Women do four years more work than men in lifetime, report shows|first=Amelia|last=Hill|newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 September 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/dawn-foster/women%27s-paid-and-unpaid-work-and-colonial-hangover|title=Women's paid and unpaid work, and the colonial hangover|website=openDemocracy|first=Dawn|last= Foster|date=17 July 2015}} and sexual harassment{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/country/50-percent-bangladesh-women-face-unwanted-touching-at-markets-shopping-says-actionaid-study-1434028|title=50% women face unwanted touching at markets: Study|website=The Daily Star|date=17 July 2017}} and violence{{Cite web|url=https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/actionaid-safe-harm/|title=Gemma Chan Shares Powerful Stories From Sexual Violence Victims In New ActionAid Film|website=Grazia|first=Rebecca|last=Cope|date=8 December 2016}} (including acid attacks{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brave-acid-attack-victims-take-9997726|title=Brave acid attack victims take to catwalk as they 'refuse to hide their faces'|first=Gabriel|last=Zamfir|author2=Kara O'Neill|website=The Mirror|date =9 March 2017}}) in Bangladesh, offering free cancer tests to women in Nigeria who could not afford them,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/05/18/actionaid-nigeria-offers-free-cancer-tests-to-100-women/|title=Actionaid Nigeria Offers Free Cancer Tests to 100 Women|website=This Day|date=18 May 2017}} and tackling female genital mutilation in Sweden.{{Cite news|url=https://www.svd.se/tusentals-flickor-i-sverige-riskerar-konsstympning|language=sv|title='Tusentals flickor i Sverige riskerar könsstympning'|website=Svenska Dagbladet|date=14 June 2017}} ActionAid's Who pays? report concerning the impact of supermarket price wars on the income and lives of women in the developing world was listed for debate under an early day motion in the UK's House of Commons in 2007.UK Parliament, [https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/33308/actionaid-who-pays-campaign ActionAid Who Pays? Campaign], tabled on 18 May 2007, accessed on 5 March 2025

Climate justice

ActionAid's advocacy work on climate change focuses on climate justice, guided by the experiences and needs of its country's programmes. Its most prominent engagement comes through the annual Conference of Parties, where it supports communities vulnerable to climate change to influence decision-making processes.

It calls for rich countries to live up to pledges of providing climate adaptation grants{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/11/how-conflict-increases-countries-climate-change-risk/|title=How conflict increases countries' climate change risk|website=World Economic Forum|date=20 November 2015|first=Megan|last=Rowling}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-accord-trump/trump-win-will-not-derail-global-climate-effort-activists-vow-idUSKBN1342MD|title=Trump win will not derail global climate effort, activists vow|website=Reuters|first=Laurie|last= Goering|date=9 November 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/news/wwf-care-action-aid-launch-adaptation-report/|title=WWF, Care And Action Aid Launch Adaptation Report|website=Blue & Green Tomorrow|date=11 November 2016}} and pushes for agreements to improve the lives of those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=14 December 2015 |title=Paris climate change deal too weak to help poor, critics warn |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/14/paris-climate-change-deal-cop21-oxfam-actionaid |website=The Guardian}} ActionAid was also critical of climate insurance policies, such as those purchased by Malawi in 2015, since those insurance policies fail to deliver when they are desperately needed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.times.mw/action-aid-faults-drought-insurance-that-failed-malawi/|title=Action Aid faults drought insurance that failed Malawi}}

Emergencies and humanitarian aid

ActionAid promotes women's leadership in humanitarian responses, arguing that women are best positioned to identify their needs and those of the communities around them in times of crisis.{{Cite web|url=https://leftfootforward.org/2016/05/world-humanitarian-summit-time-to-shift-power-to-women-on-the-frontlines/|title=World Humanitarian Summit: Time to shift power to women on the frontlines|website=Left Foot Forward|first=Michelle|last= Higelin|date=25 May 2016}} Strengthening citizens' rights is also a focus, such as campaigning with Haitians for greater transparency and accountability in how aid money was spent after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/two-years-actionaid%E2%80%99s-earthquake-response-continues-huge-challenges-remain|title=Two years on, ActionAid's earthquake response continues, but huge challenges remain|website=ReliefWeb|date=11 January 2012}}

As it has established relationships with communities and other NGOs in countries that are prone to ecological events, ActionAid is often able to respond quickly to emergencies. Notable crises and responses have included the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 in the Indian Ocean,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/finance-actionaid-close-budget-its-six-month-tsunami-relief-spend/article/620866|title=Finance: ActionAid close to budget on its six-month tsunami relief spend|website=Third Sector|date=29 June 2005}} drought in East Africa{{Cite web|url=https://www.tech4goodawards.com/finalist/mobile-phones-save-lives-in-remote-african-communities-affected-by-drought/|title=Mobile phones save lives in remote African communities affected by drought|website=Tech4Good Awards}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/african/en/audiotrack/actionaid-appeals-help-drought-hit-areas-east-africa|title=ActionAid appeals for help in drought-hit areas of East Africa|date=25 June 2019}} and India,{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/drought-causing-unprecedented-suffering-actionaid/article18315209.ece|title=Unprecedented crop loss in State, says ActionAid|website=The Hindu|date=29 April 2017|last1=Rao|first1=Mohit M.}} and floods in Ghana,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/ActionAid-donates-to-Dome-flood-victims-363946|title=ActionAid donates to Dome flood victims|website=GhanaWeb|date=23 June 2015}} Rwanda,{{Cite web|website=The New Times, Rwanda|title=Action Aid donates to flood victims|url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/20200|date=26 May 2010}} Sierra Leone,{{Cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201510053105.html|title=Sierra Leone: Action Aid Donates Food Items to Flood Victims|website=All Africa}} Bangladesh and Nepal.

On 4 October 2018 ActionAid announced that Pakistan government had ordered 18 international aid groups (including itself) to leave the country.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-tells-18-international-ngos-to-leave-country-says-actionaid-1926938|title=Pakistan Tells 18 International NGOs To Leave Country: Report|website=NDTV.com|agency=Reuters|date=4 October 2018|access-date=5 June 2019}}

Child sponsorship

Child sponsorship is one of ActionAid's primary sources of income. Donors sponsor an individual child{{Cite web|url=http://sofii.org/case-study/actionaids-welcome-to-child-sponsorship-package|title=ActionAid: the welcome to child sponsorship package}} from a community in a developing country and receive regular updates about the child's progress and development.

Sponsorship funds support the child's whole community, "so children have a healthy and safe place to live and grow up." This support takes the form of providing clean water, healthcare, agricultural programmes, education centres in areas where schools are not available, and community income generation schemes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.actionaid.org.uk/blog/news/2016/07/04/six-things-you-should-know-about-sponsoring-a-child|title=Six things you should know about sponsoring a child|website=ActionAid UK}}

In 2018, ActionAid USA stopped using the child sponsorship method of fundraising, and switched to a monthly giving program.

Alliance-building

As ActionAid has grown in influence, building alliances with like-minded organisations has become a key focus area. Announcing this approach at the World Social Forum in 2015,{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/mar/23/world-social-forum-tunis-activists-united-against-global-power-grab|title=World Social Forum can inspire activists to unite against the global power grab|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Adriano|last= Campolina|date=23 March 2015}} ActionAid has played a role in convening civil society and community groups to tackle issues of youth political participation in the Middle East{{Cite web|url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/ngo-seizes-election-opportunity-boost-youth%E2%80%99s-political-mobilisation|title=NGO seizes election opportunity to boost youth's political mobilisation|website=The Jordan Times|first= Laila|last= Azzeh|date=6 August 2017}} and global inequality.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fightinequality.org/en/about/|title=About – Fight Inequality|access-date=4 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119213743/https://www.fightinequality.org/en/about/|archive-date=19 November 2017|url-status=dead}}

Supporting social causes through the mass media

ActionAid made India's first Bollywood film focusing on AIDS,{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} Ek Alag Mausam, a love story involving HIV positive people, based on a script by playwright Mahesh Dattani.{{cite web

|url=http://ww.smashits.com/ek-alag-mausam-based-on-aids/bollywood-gossip-2794.html

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104205719/http://ww.smashits.com/ek-alag-mausam-based-on-aids/bollywood-gossip-2794.html

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=4 January 2013

|title='Ek Alag Mausam' based on AIDS

|publisher=Smashits.com

|access-date=17 November 2012

}}

ActionAid also supported Shyam Benegal's film, Samar, which is based on the book Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives by Harsh Mander.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2001/05/20/stories/1320017c.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030729115858/http://www.hindu.com/2001/05/20/stories/1320017c.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 July 2003|website=The Hindu|title=Working for change|date=20 May 2001|access-date=28 November 2018}} The film raises issues about Dalits.

Notable leaders

Javeria Malik {{Cite web |title=NGO Safety and Security Lead, Board Chair, Crisis Manager and Security Trainer |url=https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Speaker/1202/Javeria-Malik |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=International Women's Day |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=CSD |date=2014-08-01 |title=Security from Experience VI: Javeria Malik (ActionAid International) |url=https://centreforsafety.org/security-from-experience-vi-javeria-malik-actionaid-international/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=CSD - Centre for Safety and Development |language=en-GB}} is the first Pakistani woman{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Gayle |date=2017-11-14 |title=ActionAid Inspires Women in Security |url=https://www.nsi.org.uk/actionaid-inspires-women-in-security/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=NSI |language=en-GB}} to lead the Global Safety and Security Unit at ActionAid International and was featured on the official website of International Women's Day 2022. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XniCVjQL904 INSSA Insights] has featured Javeria as the first female Chairperson of the [https://inssa.org/board-of-directors International NGO Safety & Security Association.] Her interview published by the [https://citysecuritymagazine.com/editors-choice/javeria-malik-global-security-advisor-actionaid-international/ city security magazine] was nominated for the best article of the year award.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-15 |title=Javeria Malik - Global Security Advisor ActionAid International |url=https://citysecuritymagazine.com/editors-choice/javeria-malik-global-security-advisor-actionaid-international/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=City Security Magazine |language=en-GB}} She was interviewed by [https://gisf.ngo/resource/gisf-podcast-inclusive-security-e6-security-managers-of-today/ Global Interagency Security Forum] {{Citation |title=Inclusive Security E6: Security Managers of Today |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8M75PKco9w |language=en |access-date=2022-10-30}} to speak on the topic of inclusivity and anti racism in the nonprofit and aid sector.

Marco De Ponte is currently a member of the Global Leadership Team and also at the helm of ActionAid Italia since 2001. He has led ActionAid's expansion into new countries and is a well known civil society leader in Italy and internationally. He has previously engaged extensively, in particular as a human rights activist with Amnesty International and in the field of humanitarian assistance. He is on the coordination committee of the Italian Inequality Forum Forum Diseguaglianze e Diversità and has published extensively on issue of social justice and public policy.{{Cite web |title=Marco De Ponte |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/autori/marco_de_ponte/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=HuffPost Italia |language=it}}{{Cite web |title=Marco De Ponte |url=https://www.journalismfestival.com/speaker/marco-de-ponte |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Marco De Ponte |url=https://www.festivaldellapartecipazione.org/?relatori=marco-de-ponte |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Festival della Partecipazione |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |title=Quale Europa. Capire, discutere, scegliere - Forum Disuguaglianze Diversità |url=https://www.donzelli.it/libro/9788855225748 |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Donzelli Editore Srl |language=it}}{{Cite web |date=2021-06-15 |title=Marco De Ponte |url=https://www.vita.it/autore/marco-de-ponte/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Vita.it |language=it-IT}}

References

External links

{{Official website|http://www.actionaid.org}}

Category:Development charities based in South Africa

Category:Organizations established in 1972

Category:Organisations based in Johannesburg