On November 5th 2020, the British government announced that it would spend only 0.5% of its Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) – a huge departure from the legally mandated and internationally agreed target of 0.7%.[1] In a separate statement, U.K. NGOs have earlier criticized the move, and raised the alarm on the “truly shocking” lack of government transparency in implementing cuts to development aid.[2] Earlier this year, British diplomats were reportedly

You are invited to Aid Talks Webinar #3, hosted by Reality of Aid-Asia Pacific and Aid/Watch. 18 March 2021 4 PM Manila / 7 PM Sydney REGISTER HERE: bit.ly/AidTalks_GenderJusticeNow Aid Talks will dive deep into how women and gender diverse peoples from the Asia Pacific region embrace, advocate and are ushering in feminist, just and rights-based solutions for lives, livelihoods and development justice. Amid the long history of women’s and gender justice struggles and movements,

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have long proven their significance in pushing for a rights-based, people-centered sustainable development. They have demonstrated and reaffirmed continuing dedication to their own effectiveness as development actors or partners and continuing engagement with governments and institutions to uphold long-standing commitments on effective aid and development cooperation.   However, CSOs still face challenges in pursuing their work with the global trend of shrinking civic spaces, especially in the midst of responding to

  Myanmar Photos (above) from Ben Small and India Photos (below) from Google   Escalating attacks on peoples’ rights and on democratic rule have been sweeping Asia Pacific the past few weeks. From the months-long farmer protests in India to the military coup in Myanmar, the region saw the masses’ prowess to take ownership of the streets and assert a just and people-centered development. The Reality of Aid Network – Asia Pacific (RoA-AP) extends its

The Reality of Aid Network – Asia Pacific (RoA-AP) welcomes 2021 with conviction and vigor, ready to power through the multiple and intensifying crises we are facing with stronger and louder assertions.   Early this year, we learned of a new variant of COVID-19, which led many national governments to review their cross-border restrictions and community quarantine policies. Other countries enforced lockdowns (again) following an increase in cases that overwhelmed hospitals and as precautionary measure

Together with its CSO members, the Reality of Aid – Asia Pacific (RoA-AP) has officially launched its CSO Aid Observatorio, a CSO-driven database of development projects funded by bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) or funded through International Finance Institutions (IFIs).  The CSO Aid Observatorio’s creation arose out of the censure targeted towards IFIs, including the International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Much of this pressure from