Italy: a “Pact” against poverty

CINI, Italian Organization for Coordination of International Networks, whose members are ActionAid International, Amref, CBM, Save the Children, Terres des Hommes, WWF Italy, has presented on February 13th 2006 in Rome the results of an investigation commissioned to the Millward Brown company.

According to this study, Italians are more interested in helping the struggle against poverty than in giving money for military expenses or health care expenses. 55% of people interviewed would be positively influenced by a candidate who would commit, if elected, to struggling against poverty.

Considering these results CINI has met representatives of the main political parties and proposed them to subscribe an Italian Pact for struggling against poverty.

This Pact asks in the first place for the creation of a Ministry to coordinate policies toward sustainable development and to struggle against poverty worldwide. In the second place it asks for an increase of public resources for aid to development. A third request is the creation of a permanent forum where NGOs can exchange ideas not only about new projects but also about coherence among policies.

www.cininet.org