Thread: The Good The Bad And The Ugly - A Review Of 2008 From Oxfam

For thousands of people around the world 2008 was a tough year, with a number of violent conflicts causing widespread suffering, and the triple crunch of climate change, the food crisis and the economic downturn hitting the poorest hardest, said Oxfam today.In countries such as Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Sri Lanka, ongoing conflicts continue to blight the lives of millions of poor men, women and children, and impede progress in reducing poverty.In the DRC, renewed fighting has displaced hundred of thousands, and the Israeli blockade of Gaza is depriving residents of food, fuel and water.It has also been a â??year of living dangerouslyâ?? for humanitarian aid workers, with an increase in direct attacks, kidnappings and other impediments to operations, in a number of countries including Somalia and Afghanistan.Climate Change is making it harder for poor people to make a living from the land, and has led to an increase in weather-related disasters. It is also partly to blame for the spike in global food prices, which pushed an extra 40m people into hunger this year.Meanwhile, the financial crisis is hitting hard both at home and abroad, with the looming danger that rich countries, which are already falling behind on promises to increase aid, will use economic difficulties at home as an excuse to neglect poor people in their hour of greatest need.But itâ??s not all bad news. Well-targeted aid has made a difference to millions of poor peopleâ??s lives in 2008. In Nepal, an extra 60,000 women were able to give birth in health centres, thanks to UK aid. And in Malawi, direct budget support from Germany has helped the government spend more on health, resulting in one third fewer child deaths, and 130,000 people receiving treatment for HIV.Another highlight of 2008 is that the publicâ??s support for Oxfam remains strong, despite the recession. High-profile appeals have been met with generous responses; and on the high street and online, Oxfam shoppers are demonstrating their loyalty, with trading profits up on last year.Barbara Stocking, CEO of Oxfam said: â??In our business, there is often a lot of bad news and this year has been particularly challenging with the triple crunch of climate, credit and food hitting poor people hard. Like many charities and businesses, we planning for lower growth and having to make some tricky decisions about where to make cuts.â??But itâ??s important to focus on the good things as well. We are eternally grateful for the ongoing support from the British public, many of whom are still giving to us, despite facing economic difficulties at home. It is your support that enables us to carry on our work around the world â?? from humanitarian response to the longer term campaigning and development programmes that have the potential to make even more of a difference.â??Looking at Malawi, Nepal, and numerous other countries, we are reminded that aid works. It saves lives and brightens futures, and by paying for education, aid money breaks the cycle of poverty.â??For this reason we must not lose hope, or flag in the fight. Indeed, 2009 must be a massive year for Oxfam and anyone who cares about humanity and our shared future. With the critical UN meeting to agree a new deal on climate change we will be focusing much of our efforts on campaigning for an ambitious agreement that dramatically cuts emissions and takes necessary action to protect poor people from the impacts already being felt.â??There are many challenges ahead, but with your help, we believe will can and will rise to them.â??

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I really hope 2009 is a better year. With the world economy grinding to a halt, global warming, conflicts everywhere... ugh, it's so overwhelming. Must stay positive though!

In some way, the state of the economy will help force some green issue, for one things most people will consume less.
In UK, the economic downturn has forces many of the people who take holidays abroad to abandon that plan so there will be less flying.