Leadership on public and political opinion

Australia

An April 1996 survey carried out by Frank Small & Associates found that some 60% of Australians wanted aid to remain at the same level or to increase. Also, based on a survey of 1028 adults in 1993, Garth Luke (Australian Attitudes to Overseas Aid, April 1997) found that Australians have a high level of awareness of poverty but little understanding of its causes and little hope of any change. They have a low level of confidence in both government and NGO aid programmes and tend to overestimate the amount of official aid

ACFOA, NGOs, the churches and to some extent the media take the lead. Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade held a parliamentary seminar on aid in July 1996 as a means of encouraging public debate on the aid programme and to feed into the preparations for the Review of the Australian Aid Programme. NGOs have stated that more resources need to go towards building public understanding on development. A seminar is being planned by AusAID and ACFOA to commence planning longer-term cooperative work on public attitudes to aid

Austria

No recent polls. There is public support, but political support is traditionally low

Foreign Ministry, Standing Subcommittee in Parliament and the NGO coalition AGEZ take the leadership role promoting aid. The aid administration takes responsibility for wider issues such as trade and environment. The administration strengthened its own efforts to inform the public about its activities and to create a positive image of development cooperation in a broad sense

Belgium

The Belgian public has the least confidence in development cooperation in Europe, but nonetheless 51% is in favour of more Belgian official aid, 72% think it is important but one out of every two Belgians doubts the accuracy of information provided on development aid

NGOs are the forerunners in conveying a positive image of the South and development cooperation, while Belgian television and a Flemish newspaper have launched a series of old official aid scandals and have conveyed a largely ‘mlserabalistic’ and sceptical view of the South and development cooperation. ABOS publications are meant to reach a broader public, but are not well known

Canada

Polls in November 1995 and December 1996 indicate a downward trend of those in favour of long-term aid over humanitarian relief (74% in 1991 to 49% in 1995). A focus study released by CIDA in September 1996 indicated that people would rather focus on the philanthropic side of aid over the returns for Canada

A CCIC Taskforce on Building Public Support for Sustainable Human Development recommended a series of actions in 1996 for the NGO community to coalesce to promote notions of ‘global citizenship’ in all their public messages. This was in response to diminishing public space for discussion of international issues. The first week in February is International Development Week, but because aid cuts have now eliminated funding for direct NGO participation, CIDA produces generic material for use during this week

Denmark

Politicians, NGOs and media researchers lead the field in bringing awareness of international issues to the public

Finland

A March 1997 opinion survey conducted by Mori for UNFPA sampled 1004 Finns on their views of priorities in Finnish development assistance. The highest percentage favoured health care (69%), then education (58%), emergency aid (55%), children’s living conditions (49%), the environment (40%), AIDS/HIV prevention (36%), family planning (32%), country Infrastructure (28%), agriculture (25%) and 1% replied spontaneously that aid should not be given at all

Ostensibly, the Department for Development Cooperation in the Foreign Ministry is responsible for promoting information and support for ODA. With the deep cuts in ODA in early 1992, though, emphasis on lobbying and information has been increasingly the province of NGOs, which, with churches, politicians, the media and industry, are the main players

France

NGOs are the driving force for public awareness of development issues. The government states that it and its people have an interest in providing aid (commercial, employment, geopolitical and military). It has seen development education as the non-governmental sector’s responsibility, but a combined awareness raising campaign is now planned for 1997

Germany

Recent surveys among the population show that 28% regard poverty as the third most important global problem after hunger/malnutrition and the environment

The aid administration is interested in both wider questions of interdependence and those of a short-term domestic interest to Germany

Ireland

No recent poll

The development community as a whole, including NGOs and solidarity groups promote international issues. NGO-led initiatives with social sectors have strengthened commitment to development issues by youth, trade union and women’s movements. The government funds development education through an independent and representative body – the National Council for Development Education

Japan

In October 1996, 32.9% of the population felt aid programmes should be expanded; 46.9% that they should remain at the current level; 12.9% that they should be reduced; 1.8% that they should be terminated and 5.6% said they did not know

Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expanding its information activities to win support for its aid programmes, but the media is more active in reporting development issues

Netherlands

No recent poll

Debate very much led by academics and NGOs. Churches and labour unions also take part. The media also support the debate with many newspaper editors specialising in development issues. The aid administration has a public policy aimed at public support for development cooperation and there is a permanent budget for development education channelled through a national commission (NCDO) which is free to divide the funds among NGOs. Two magazines are distributed, one in schools, the other, free

New Zealand

no recent poll

NGOs and government lead the field. Minister’s Advisory Committee in 1995 recommended the government fund an ongoing programme of public awareness and development education in partnership with NGOs and requested NZ$ 500,000. The minister said he would allocate a modest amount for carefully targeted development education activities through NGOs and NZ$ 140,000 was included in the 1996/7 budget. The minister was concerned to increase public awareness of New Zealand’s place in the world at large

Norway

An opinion poll by Statistics Norway in 1996 showed that 84% of the population were in favour of development aid, compared with 85% in 1986 and 1993. Thus, support is strong and stable. Half the respondents felt the present level of aid was reasonable; 12% called for Increases and 30% for reductions. The last figures show a setback from 12% in 1986 and 26% in 1993

NGOs, church groups, a few minority political parties and youth groups within the parties play a leading role. The government mainly promotes public support through its contributions to the information activities of the NGOs

Portugal

Public support is high: 93% think development aid is important, 69% that the EU is in the best position to deliver it to Africa and 71% that it can help solve the problems of poverty

There are many NGO initiatives to build public awareness and solidarity and to work with schools to create informed commitment to sustainable development

Spain

A CIS survey in November 1996 found that two out of three favour 0.7% of GNP going to developing countries; 32.7% feel the state should help less developed countries continually through development cooperation projects and development aid; and 62.4% feel it should guarantee the well-being of Spaniards before helping other countries

NGOs and the 0.7% platform lead the arena. Politicians and members of the business community also show interest and play a role. The government has organised two campaigns to promote public support and has financed many others via NGOs

Sweden

Sida carries out a survey annually. In 1996, 44% favoured increasing/maintaining level of aid – compared with 85% in 1975; and 42% were in favour of diminishing/abolishing aid – compared with only 15% in 1975

Most visible leads in promoting aid are NGOs and churches. The strong downward trend in support for development aid indicates a lessening commitment by politicians. However, the government has stated the need to intensify work on development education and information and the 1997 budget has increased its allocation to information activities through Sida by over 37% from MSEK 24 in 1996 to MSEK 33. Combined with government funds to NGOs for information work (for 1995) the figure is estimated around MSEK 100

Switzerland

The Swiss Coalition of Development Organisations has commissioned an opinion poll on sustainable development. Only 34% knew what this was, 20% had never heard of the concept and 67% consider the state is not doing enough to promote it. Some 64% consider that companies’ efforts are insufficient, but 50% consider their own behaviour is sufficiently ecological

NGOs take the lead in promoting aid

United Kingdom

No new poll since September 1995 survey found that 81% agreed that it was important to provide aid. Support for development NGOs tested by Gallup in January 1997 found 70% of the public giving donations, 31% doing so regularly, with 70% buying goods benefiting development NGOs

The incoming government has replaced ODA– the Foreign Office department responsible for aid administration – with DFID, a department of development cooperation with an independent cabinet seat and an explicit intention to increase public awareness. These steps, with the appointment of a high profile Secretary of State who is talking of the need to mobilise political will both domestically and within the DAC, suggest a new leadership on development issues. With the Foreign Secretary also stressing a more ethical approach to foreign affairs, NGOs are hopeful that development is becoming a genuine priority for government. Only time will show whether this new will is swamped by domestic interests

USA

A July 1996 survey, An Emerging Consensus: A study of American Public Attitudes on America’s Role in the World, reported that when Americans are asked to set their preferred level of investment in international efforts, the majority usually sets a level the same as or higher than actual levels. When respondents were asked how much out of every $1000 of the US economy goes to foreign aid, the median estimate was $100, while the actual figure is between $1 and $1.50. Only 10% thought that this amount was too much

USAID is active in promoting public and political support for its programmes, but has acted virtually alone in recent years. Senior policy-makers occasionally mention the importance of sustainable development, but tend to pay it little attention in their planning or policies. Much attention paid to international interdependence and globalisation, but that does not usually generate concern for poverty alleviation or aid-funded economic development. In addition to administration officials responsible for development programmes, the NGOs are the principle leaders in promoting an understanding of development cooperation. Currently, political elites show little interest in development issues