Development
Franciscans International demonstrates our shared concern for the poor through programmes and initiatives that promote people-centred development.
The concept of development speaks to the very core of being human: being able to grow, to realize our potential and to become our fullest selves. Franciscans International advocates for pro-poor development policies at the United Nations, and specifically focuses on the right to development and financing for development.
Right to Development
 The 'right to development' is a unifying principle that supports and protects the individual's right to develop in many arenas, from basic physical survival to intellectual, economic, and political development. It speaks for the promotion and protection of the whole body of human rights; and puts the onus primarily on States to ensure equal access to resources and to promote fair development policies and international cooperation. The right to development can be invoked both by individuals and by peoples.
The official content of the right to development is found in the Declaration on the Right to Development , adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1986.Article 1 of the declaration states, "the right to development is an inalienable human right by virtue of which every human person and all peoples are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and to enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized."
Since 1986, the right to development has been reaffirmed in the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and numerous documents, yet its full acceptance and implementation remain elusive.
Franciscans International strives to transform the right to development into an empowering tool to end suffering, deprivation, and marginalization through participating in discussions at the United Nations about the meaning of this right and urging governments to implement policies that promote it.
Financing for Development
 Financing for Development (FfD) is about funding poverty eradication. The overall goals of FfD are to eradicate poverty, achieve sustained economic growth and promote sustainable development as humanity moves toward a fully inclusive and equitable global economic system.
FfD is addressed in the Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals, followed by the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico in 2002. This collaborative meeting between United Nations Member States, the Bretton Woods Institutions (World Bank and IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), non-governmental organisations, and members of civil society resulted in the adoption of the Monterrey Consensus by Member States.
The Monterrey Consensus promoted the MDGs by recommending that wealthy nations contribute to official development assistance (ODA) by setting aside 0.7% of their gross national product for FfD initiatives.
FfD promotes an economic environment that encourages public and private initiatives (including at the local level) and fosters a dynamic business sector, while improving income growth and distribution, raising productivity, empowering women and protecting labour rights and the environment. Moreover, FfD endorses effective partnerships (locally and especially globally), as well as national leadership and ownership of development plans. Therefore, sound economic polices, solid democratic institutions responsive to the needs of the people and improved infrastructure must be instituted and managed within these partnerships without corruption.
Franciscans International monitors the FfD process to ensure that financing is sustainable, gender-sensitive, and people-centred in order to promote effective partnerships all over the globe.
Case Studies
Sr Valsa Joseph, FMM has worked with the Dalits and Tribal peoples of India for over 20 years, people who are continuously denied participation and development in economic, social and political fields. In collaboration with others, Sr Valsa has helped to empower these marginalized groups through non-formal education programmes and self-help groups.
Br Emilio Gavarette, OFM Cap., lives in solidarity with some of the poorest people in rural Honduras. In the San Francisco de Opalaca, indigenous community where he works, almost half the population is illiterate and access to health care and social services is rare. Br Emilio strives to end physical, emotional and spiritual deprivation through providing local education and support.
Resources
How Can I Help?
- Incorporate a human rights approach to your current development work.
- Find out your country's position on the right to development. Look for statements at the Commission on Human Rights.
- Research how much your government spends on financing for development or official development assistance; where those funds are going; and how they are being spent. Share this information with your community and advocate against or for the current policies.
- Mobilize communities and pressure governments to:
- integrate financing for development and official development assistance of at least 0.7% GNP in national budgets;
- provide technical support to developing nations; and
- increase public investment in long term sustainable development plans.
- Write your local papers about FfD and projects that your community has undertaken. These projects could include:
- Supporting local development projects for youth including tutoring centres, after school programs, mentoring, sports, peer mediation training, etc.
- Supporting local micro-finance projects.
- Locating a sister congregation in a least developed country (LDC) and supporting a micro-finance project, a well, livestock, a school, development programs for women etc.
FI Publications
Best Practices in Poverty Eradication
Right to Development: This 32-page booklet - released on 16 January, 2004 - chronicles the proceedings and presentations from the fourth FI Right to Development (RTD) seminar.
 FI
Statements, at the United Nations, on Development
Franciscans International, as an NGO with General Consultative
Status with the Economic and Social Council, delivers official
written and oral interventions before United Nations forums
in New York, USA and Geneva, Switzerland. Listed below are Franciscans
International statements on the Development:
2005
"Summary Report." A written statement presented at the
Commission on Human Rights (61st Session) 2005. (2005-04-22)
"On Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements." An oral statement presented at the
13th Session of the Commission for Sustainable Development, On Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements.. (2005-04-12)
"Agenda Item 6: General debate on national experience in population matters: Population, development and HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on poverty." An oral statement presented at the
UN Commission on Population and Development 38th session:. (2005-04-06)
" Agenda Item 3: Population, development and HIV/AIDS with particular emphasis on poverty: Socialization of Children." An oral statement presented at the
13th Session of the Commission for Sustainable Development, On Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements.. (2005-04-06)
"Agenda Item 7: The Right to Development
(oral statement)." An oral statement presented at the
Commission on Human Rights (61st Session) 2005. (2005-03-22)
"Agenda Item 3(a): Youth Intervention
(written statement)." A written statement presented at the
Commission for Social Development (43rd Session) 2005. (2005-02-09)
"Agenda Item 3(a): Education
(written statement)." A written statement presented at the
same meeting. (2005-02-09)
"Agenda Item 3(a): Social Integration
(written statement)." A written statement presented at the
same meeting. (2005-02-09)
"Agenda Item 3(a): Structural Adjustment
(written statement)." A written statement presented at the
same meeting. (2005-02-09)
2004
"Oral Intervention for the Commission for Social Development –
on International Migration and Public Sector Effectiveness.
February 3, 2004." An oral statement presented at the
42nd Commission for Social Development. (2004-02-17)
"Vision for Public Sector Effectiveness." A written statement presented at the
same meeting. (2004-02-17)
2003
"High Level Segment
30 June- 2 July 2003
“Promoting an integrated approach to rural development in developing countries
for poverty eradication and sustainable development”." A written statement presented at the
The Economic and Social Council. (2003-07-21)
"Review of the global situation of youth." An oral statement presented at the
Commission for Social Development. (2003-05-07)
"Population, Education and Development." An oral statement presented at the
Commission on Population and Development. (2003-04-04)
2002
"World Summit on Sustainable Development." A written statement presented at the
World Summit on Sustainable Development. (2002-08-26)
"Statement submitted by Franciscans International (FI) To the Economic and Social Council
." A written statement presented at the
The Economic and Social Council. (2002-07-01)
"Group Statement submitted by Franciscans International (FI) To the Economic and Social Council." A written statement presented at the
same meeting. (2002-07-01)
"Item 7: Right to Development." An oral statement presented at the
UN Commission on Human Rights, Fifty-eighth Session. (2002-03-26)
2001
"Financing for Development." A written statement presented at the
Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Financing for Development. (2001-10-15)
"Item 7: The Right to Development.." A written statement presented at the
UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS,
Fifty-seventh Session. (2001-03-19)
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