Yesterday Shakar Arbab, Oxfam’s Programme Officer for Pakistan was involved in a debate at Blackburn Cathedral giving his perspective on the development of Pakistan. The panel also included Canon Chivers and Anjum Anwar MBE. The audience was a mixed group with 2 councillors attending.
For the first time the Oxfam’s North West team broadcast live an event on the web. After several technical glitches Michael, Serena and myself got the feed working. Although requiring a last minute change to an iphone, it
successfully, if wobbly, went live.
Canon Chivers and Anjum Anwar posed questions to Shakar on a range of development issues relating to Pakistan. It was then opened up to questions from the floor. Watch the video and turn the sound up!
The part of the meeting I found most worrying was the questions posed from the floor. There was clearly a feeling amongst the audience (some, not all), presumably enhanced recently by the glut of media sources condemning the use of aid money in the past, that they would no longer donate cash, even to emergency appeals.
This really worries me as we continue towards climate change, a rise in natural disasters and a need for adaptation. It is quite clear that the need for aid will only increase. Shakar correctly explained the ways Oxfam ensures all money is accounted for, but the questions persisted. It is hard enough to raise money for development work without people’s attitudes altering.
The media is there to hold organisations and governments to account, but the impact of a negative story can be great. So Oxfam must increase its effort to accurately portray the methods it has in place to ensure money is accounted for and spent.
Overall a successful event, Shakar clearly emphasised the great work Oxfam is doing in Pakistan while also showing the need to work with local communities to achieve the results most needed. I am looking forward to being able to do web feeds in the future, although with better sound and a more stable base than my shaky arms!