Action Group for Eritrea

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Action Group for Eritrea

• 08 DECEMBER 2007

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Agenda

• Brief introduction to AGE
• Why lobby?
• Achievements
• What can we do?
• Appeal

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Brief Introduction to AGE

• Set up to lobby and call for the unconditional
  implementation of the decision of the EEBC
• AGE is a non-profit making, impartial,
  non-partisan, civic organisation
• Started activities in September 2003
• Formally set up on 20 February 2005 with members
  and terms of reference
• Run by elected board members

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AGE Core Principles

• promote the interest of Eritrea in the UK.
• lobby the British Government to put pressure on
  Ethiopia to immediately implement the rulings of
  the Boundary Commission.
• advance the social and economic development of
  Eritrea

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AGE Guiding Principle

• Members concentrate on issues that bind them
  together while respecting their differences

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AGEs Main Activities

• Lobby the British government to exert pressure on
  the Ethiopian government to compel it to abide by
  the rulings of EEBC.
• Call on the British government to stop playing a
  negative role by providing Ethiopia unconditional
  moral, financial and political support
• Increase awareness and campaign for our voices to
  be heard by decision makers.
• do everything possible to fight the injustices
  being committed against our country

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Why lobby?

• The international community have repeatedly
  betrayed the people of Eritrea. 
• The British government has failed to use its
  leverage and capacity to push for the
  implementation of the Boundary Commission.

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Why lobby?

• British governments policy is contributing to
  the instability of the region and is prolonging
  the suffering of the Eritrean people. 

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Why lobby?

• Because Ethiopia would not have been able to
  defy an international ruling without the
  unconditional support it is getting from Britain
  and western nations. 

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Ethiopia

• Largest concentration of poor people on the
  planet DFID website 2007
• Ranks 170 out of 177 countries
• (UN Human Development Report 2006)
• 15 million people at risk of starvation
• 81 live below a poverty line of 2 a day.
• Ethiopia survives on handouts

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Human Development Index - Ethiopia
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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• We the British Government are not contemplating
  any sanctions on Ethiopia and I do not think most
  of the international community is either .
  there is no thought that the British Government
  puts a gun to the head and says Britain will no
  longer provide you with financial assistance
  unless you immediately give effect to the
  decision of the Boundary Commission.
• Mr James Bevan, Africa Director of the FCO

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• UK openly supported Ethiopia's call for
  'dialogue' and initiated the notion of acceptance
  EEBCs decision in principle.

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• "We are looking to Ethiopia to accept the border
  decision in principle and enter into dialogue
  .. we are calling on Ethiopia to accept in
  principle the decision to be on equal footing on
  moral grounds with Eritrea, who are now having
  the upper moral ground."
• Chris Mullin, UKs minister for Africa
• an important step forward, which the
  international community has been urging the
  Ethiopian government to take.
• Chris Mullin and Hilary Benn

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• PM Meles Zenawi was nominated by PM Tony Blair
  as one of the commissioners of Commission for
  Africa

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• The British government is at the forefront of
  countries that campaigned hard for Ethiopias
  debt to be cancelled without any preconditions.

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UKs Support to Ethiopia
Development Aid
This is a 600 increase in 4 years.

• Ethiopia will become the largest recipient of UK
  development assistance in Africa.

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• 70 million - Productive safety net Programme
  (2005 2007)
• 11 million - Humanitarian relief (2005 / 2006)

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• UK is the 3rd largest investor in Ethiopia
• Visits to Ethiopia by
• PM Tony Blair in 2004
• Hilary Benn in October 2004, June 2005 and
  January 2006
• Chris Mullin
• Lord Triesman, in December 2005 and January 2007.
  

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UKs Support to Ethiopia

• UKs support has emboldened the Ethiopian
  government to such an extent that it has no fear
  of any consequences for its intransigence.
• British governments policy is contributing to
  the instability of the region and is prolonging
  the suffering of the Eritrean people. 

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Achievements

• Face-to-face Meetings
• Letter Writing Campaign
• Media Watch
• Petitions
• Peaceful Demonstrations
• Books for Eritrea Campaign

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meetings with
• MPs
• MEPs
• Government Officials and other influential
  persons including Civil Servants
• Select Committee members for Foreign Affairs
• the Department for International Development
  (DfID)
• Members of All Party Parliamentarian Groups etc
• Journalists

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Face to Face Meetings

• Meeting with Labour MPs

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meeting with Lib Dem MPs

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meeting with Conservative MPs

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meeting with Lords

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meeting with MEPs

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Face to Face Meeting

• Meeting with FCO and DFID

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Face to Face Meeting

• Representatives of the Eritrean
  Communities in the UK

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Face to Face Meeting

• The Eritrean community meet candidates from
  different parties during the 2005 National
  Election

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Letter Writing Campaign

• Hundreds of letters sent to
• Government Ministers
• Civil Servants
• Select Committee members for Foreign Affairs
• Select Committee members for DFID
• All Party Parliamentarian Groups
• Prominent MPs and Lords
• Other Individuals

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Letter Writing Campaign

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Demonstration

• December 14, 2003

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Demonstration

• July 4, 2005
• outside Downing Street planned to coincide with
  the G8 summit in Scotland

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Demonstration

• December 12, 2005
• (on the 5th anniversary of the signing
• of the Algiers agreement and to
• oppose the UNSC Resolution 1640

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Demonstration

• Strasbourg
• October 2005

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Petition

• December 16, 2003
• July 4, 2005
• December 12, 2005

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Petition

• On the 11th of December 2003, a letter and
  petition was submitted to the House of Commons
  through Tony Cunningham, MP for Workington.
• The Public Petition requesting for international
  sanctions against Ethiopia was presented and read
  in the House of Commons on the 16th of December
  2003.

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Media Watch

• Inform and enlighten the Media
• E.g Meeting with Journalists
• Challenge inaccurate media coverage of Eritrea

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Media Watch
This country used to be divided almost
evenly between Muslims and Christians. Now
Muslims have Islam World Rule as their prime
priority therefore infidels must be
eliminated. The conservative voice 15 May
2007 hardline Muslims in Eritrea have ordered
a clampdown on the lifestyles of Christians in a
modern day holy war The Express on Sunday -
12 February 2006
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Publications

• Published 18 pages long dossier
• Leaflets and other campaign materials

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Book for Eritrea

• Collected and sent
• 35,000 books
• and other educational materials to
• Ministry of Education
• Hazhaz, Edaga Hamus and Embagaliano Library
• Barentu Library
• Ministry of Justice
• and Others

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Achievements

• Put pressure on the government via our
  representatives
• Many MPs have tabled questions in Parliament -
  Hansard
• Increased awareness
• Amongst the public
• Politicians and other influential people
• Opened communication channels
• With government officials
• MPS and MEPS
• Mobilised our people 
• Demos etc
• Acquired invaluable lobbying experience

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What can we do?

• Petition
• A petition letter is prepared to be submitted to
  PM Gordon Brown on Monday the 10th of December
  2007

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What can we do?

• Letter Writing
• Sample letters prepared
• Letter to MPs by snail mail
• Address MPs name
• House of Commons
• London SW1A 0AA

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What can we do?

• Letter Writing
• Letter to MPs by e-mail
• Address MPs name_at_parliament.uk
• E.g. Blairt_at_parliament.uk

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What can we do?

• Letter Writing
• Letter to MPs using website
• Address http//www.writetothem.com/
• Use your post code to identify your MP and send a
  letter - 5 minutes work

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What can we do?

• http//www.writetothem.com/

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What can we do?

• http//www.writetothem.com/

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What can we do?

• Face to Face Meeting
• Get together in a smaller groups and Meet your MP
• MPs surgery dates can be found at local
  libraries

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Website www.eritrea.co.uk