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Changing the world in four steps

For the past 18 months Oxfam Australia has been developing its new strategic plan For a just world without poverty. Communications Manager Vedran Drakulic outlines the document that will shape the way we work over the next six years.

Oxfam Australia in 2013

Right now is a critical time in Oxfam Australia’s history. Our organisation has grown considerably; we need to be able to improve and demonstrate our effectiveness and we need to be even more accountable.

The process of developing our strategic direction for the next six years was a journey of profound importance. We consulted with supporters, members, volunteers, Board members and staff from around the world, analysed our past performance, examined key trends influencing poverty and injustice and looked at key local and global political, economic and social factors.

The final product, For a just world without poverty, will guide our long-term development, emergency, advocacy and campaign work until July 2013. The plan focuses on two core commitments — to help people living in poverty achieve their rights as full citizens and to support them to hold governments, corporations and international organisations to account. It is organised around four external change goals — economic justice, essential services, rights in crisis and gender justice — which will help us bring about positive change in the lives of people living in poverty.

CHANGE GOAL 1: ECONOMIC JUSTICE

More women and men will realise their right to secure and sustainable livelihoods.

We will continue to work with partners, allies and communities to focus on sustainable livelihoods, particularly for women, girls and other marginalised groups. In rural areas, we aim to improve access to land and natural resources and improve agriculture production in environmentally sustainable ways; strengthen women’s leadership and participation in decisions related to livelihoods; strengthen workers’ organisations; improve labour rights; and help communities be better prepared to deal with natural disasters, environmental hazards, climate change and HIV and AIDS.


Cabangile Myeni is a single mother of three, from Jozini, South Africa, now cares for her sister's two orphaned children. Oxfam Australia and local partner Sibambisene supports the family with food parcels and seeds to grow a home garden. Photo: Matthew WIllman/OxfamAus

Economic justice in action: climate change equity

Oxfam Australia recognises that current economic models are not only inequitable, but also environmentally unsustainable. We will work at national and international levels to ensure than people living in poverty are central to all work around climate change by highlighting the devastating impacts of climate change on poor communities and lobbying the Australian government to pay their share of global adaptation costs.

CHANGE GOAL 2: ESSENTIAL SERVICES

The Millennium Development Goals and targets on essential services will be achieved and people living in poverty, especially women and girls, will realise their rights to accessible and affordable healthcare, education, water and sanitation.

We will focus on holding governments accountable for the provision of essential services, with particular attention to the rights of women, girls, people living with HIV and AIDS and their families, and other marginalised groups. We will work to strengthen the ability of communities and civil society groups to hold their governments to account. We will advocate and campaign for more and better quality aid and target the policies and practices of development bodies involved in essential services at local, national and global levels.

Essential services in action: closing the gap in Indigenous health

Oxfam is campaigning to close the gap in Indigenous health in Australia. Bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations, the Close the Gap campaign aims to work with all Australian governments to commit to a plan of action to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians within 25 years.

CHANGE GOAL 3: RIGHTS IN CRISIS

All women and men in humanitarian crises will be assured of both the protection and the assistance they require, regardless of whom or where they are or how they are affected, in a manner consistent with their human rights.

Working with partners, allies and Oxfam International, we will continue to improve the performance, accountability and quality of our humanitarian work, with an emphasis on investing in disaster risk reduction and mitigation, increasing accountability to beneficiaries, strengthening women’s leadership and participation in humanitarian programs, and providing qualified personnel. We will increase our investment in humanitarian advocacy and continue to respond to major emergencies throughout the world.

Rights in crisis in action: enhancing collaboration in emergency work

Oxfam Australia will collaborate with AusAID, the Australian Government’s aid agency, and ACFID, the Australian Council for International Development, to improve the effectiveness of supply chains for emergency responses in the Asia-Pacific region.

CHANGE GOAL 4: GENDER JUSTICE

Many more women will gain power over their lives and live free from violence through changes in attitudes, ideas and beliefs about gender relations; and increased levels of women’s active engagement and critical leadership in institutions, decision-making and change processes.

We will work to improve women’s leadership and participation in decision-making in areas such as control of land or economic assets, delivery of gender-equitable essential services, and better outcomes for women and girls during humanitarian crises.

We will support programs that ensure women’s sexual and reproductive rights are protected, address women’s and girls’ vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and reduce gender violence.

Gender justice in action: changing men’s attitudes and behaviour

Oxfam Australia recognises that to effectively achieve gender equality and reduce gender violence, there needs to be a shift in the behaviours, beliefs and attitudes of men. We will continue to support initiatives by organisations such as the Women’s Action Group in Zimbabwe and the We Can End Violence Against Women campaign in South Asia that work to end practices which perpetuate gender inequity.

STRENGTHENING OXFAM AUSTRALIA

To continue remaining a relevant and efficient aid and development agency, we have identified seven organisational change goals to help us to ensure our work is effective. We will strive to be a cohesive global agency; to support our staff effectively; to be highly accountable, innovative and flexible; to grow our income, programs and number of supporters, activists and volunteers; and to live out our values in our daily work, especially around environment, gender equality and diversity.

To make all this work, we will continually monitor our performance against this plan and against changes in the external environment and stakeholders’ expectations and satisfaction. Where necessary, we will alter the plan accordingly and use the learnings to adapt to changing circumstances and improve our effectiveness.