Kristina Crawford, Ambassador for the Global Poverty Project met with Grassroots Intern, Tom Maguire, to discuss the work she has been doing over the last couple of years. Here’s what she had to say:
Can you tell me a bit about the Global Poverty Project and the work you have been doing with them?
The Global Poverty Project (GPP) is a campaigns and awareness-raising organisation that works to end extreme poverty across the world. The Global Poverty Project concept was formally launched in New York at the UN High Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2008, with the support of Salil Shetty (then Director of the UN Millennium Campaign); Stephen Smith MP (then Australian Foreign Minister); and Tim Costello (CEO of World Vision Australia). Over the following months, a research and production team worked with leading academics, communications experts, and aid and development organisations to develop the film 1.4 Billion Reasons.
Credit: Global Poverty Project
The GPP launched in the United Kingdom two years later, in 2010. In 2012, they set up their ambassador programme which trained and mobilised around 100 volunteers in the UK to deliver the 1.4 Billion Reasons presentation about extreme poverty to local communities in the UK. The focus of the 1.4 Billion Reasons campaign is to educate audiences on what extreme poverty is, what we have done to tackle the issue so far and to discuss with audiences how we can take action to help end extreme poverty. I have been a GPP ambassador since the scheme was started in 2012.
On the Isle of Man specifically, where I am from, being a GPP ambassador has given me the opportunity to highlight the issue of extreme poverty to the Isle of Man Government (who are separate from the UK Government). Despite making a commitment to give 0.7% of GNI by 2015, the Isle of Man currently only gives 0.07% to overseas development aid! So as well as delivering presentations for 1.4 Billion Reasons, I have also had the privilege of fronting the campaign to pressure the Government to increase their overseas aid budget.
