Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem travels to Beirut and reports on a meeting held to assess the past, present and future of the Global Call To Action Against Poverty.

When I told some friends and colleagues that I was going to Beirut their reaction was one of concern: What is taking you there? How many Africans will be there and what would take a Pan-Africanist to Beirut? To the second question the answer is very simple. I have never been anywhere without finding an African. You will find at least one or two Nigerians. Indeed any place you do not find a Nigerian you will be well advised to find your lady luck elsewhere! Africans are the adventurers of the latter part of the 20th century and the most mobile in the 21st.

European migrants, asylum seekers and refugees of the past centuries have re-written their history to read like epic stories of adventure, courage and the spread of 'civilisation' and 'progress'. In the future Africans may also repackage the desperate search for economic opportunities by our economically active populations across the world as adventure stories.

The first question is a reaction to the image of Beirut that many people have internalised, shaped by its prolonged conflicts of the '80s where pictures that have become familiar today about Iraq first confronted the world. The image of Beirut as a lawless city of armed bands and hostage-takers has endured. Hence the concern of my friends.

However Beirut is as normal as any mega city in the world. Of course if you look critically enough the symbols and memories of its not- so- distant past of armed occupation and current semi-armed status is not difficult to find. There are still buildings riddled with bullets and security men in hotels with bulging suits concealing weapons. But life just goes on.

I am in Beirut attending a conference of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). This coalition of various NGOs and CSOs from all the regions of the world was formed in 2004 to campaign for the eradication of poverty. Immediately in their sights then were the different international political opportunities presented in 2005 for fighting for a better international order, addressing inequalities, between peoples , nations and peoples, and within countries and making the leaders of the world accountable to the peoples of the world.

Britain had declared 2005 the year for Africa and the coincidence of the UK heading both the EU and the G8 raised hopes in certain quarters that some progress could be made in building a fairer international order. British NGOs were very important in building and shaping the global campaign. This was both a positive and negative benefit to the campaign.

There were many doubters including myself. But the GCAP coalitions believed in taking advantage of the situation to force certain debates, mobilise around a number of issues and put forward alternative policy positions. While they cannot claim to have achieved most of their policy platforms they can congratulate themselves that at the level of popular mobilisation, the issue of poverty has gained political priority internationally. Governments and international institutions were forced to react to the demands. The progress made in terms of policy changes may have been modest but focus on the issues was very significant.

Some of my own concerns about the 2005 activities had to do with my suspicion that come 1st January 2006 poverty would still be afflicting billions of people across the world and the media and 'saviours' of 2005 would have moved on to other things. I believe then and now that it requires more than a few concerts, symbolic gestures by richer countries, celebrity 'clicks against poverty' and endorsement by other media friendly figures for poverty to be wiped from the surface of this very rich earth we inhabit. Poverty amidst plenty is not just about specific policies but the structure of socio-economic systems both nationally and internationally. Therefore ending poverty amidst plenty requires changing the structures of power nationally and internationally. It will not be an act of charity but a deliberate demand for justice.

The Beirut meeting provided an opportunity for the GCAP activists to asses the year, savour their victories and examine the challenges that remained and decide where they go from hence.

The consensus is that the campaign should continue but with a more realistic inventory of its expectations and greater attention focused on regional and national efforts and mass activism to end poverty. The meeting made an honest assessment of 2005, guided by an independent review by external evaluators.

In spite of criticisms, some of them very biting and potentially divisive, the GCAP coalition partners are going to continue the campaign and review the struggles again at the end of 2007. While 2005 was dominated by international issues and what many critics called 'events chasing' the next phase is going to be shaped by issues of national and local campaigns on how to make governments both in the north and the south accountable to their peoples and honor the commitments they have made in 2005 and in the UN through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While 2005 was dominated by the celebrities and campaigners in the north the next phase of the global campaign against poverty is going to be focused on peoples action, where ever that may be, thus putting into action that slogan from the women's movement: thinking globally and acting locally.

* Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is General-Secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala (Uganda) and Co-Director of Justice Africa

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