Update from Autumn Conference 2019

This September at Bournemouth Conference, LDID hosted a panel series on three issues in international development: the provision of education in emergencies, the role of faith in development, and the intersection between planetary and human health. We were delighted to be joined by many of our regular members as well as conference attendees and organisations from across the development sphere.

With the support of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, our discussion began on education in emergencies. Baroness Sheehan, Lib Dem Development Spokesperson, led a lively discussion between Simon Bishop, Deputy CEO of Plan International UK and Sarah Beeching from the Global Partnership for Education, and Martin Barber from United Against Inhumanity. It was discussed how, around the world, UNHCR estimates that 68.5 million people have been forcibly displaced, and there are 25.4 million refugees. Many of these displacements are the result of protracted crises, and many refugees (including substantial numbers of children) are likely to remain in unstable settlements for significant periods of time. It is critical to prevent this generation of children from missing out on an education, a fundamental human right outlined in Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals. It was encouraging to hear about Plan International’s Education in Emergencies programme, the work done by the Global Partnership for Education in 65 developing countries to achieve provision of basic education, and United Against Inhumanity’s civil society initiatives to secure this in the political sphere.

Thanks to the sponsorship of Muslim Aid, we followed with a discussion about the contemporary role of faith in development. Faith-based organisations have become increasingly important actors within international development, playing a crucial role particularly in areas such as humanitarian assistance, economic justice, and more recently, responding to climate change. Faith-based organisations are also recognised for their ability to reach local beneficiaries, as religious affiliation is often a critical part of community-based development. However, there have also been queries raised in recent years about the principles of engaging with faith-based organisations for governments and other donors such as the World Bank, given their partiality. It was a privilege to hear from three leading speakers on the subject: Jehangir Malik OBE, CEO of Muslim Aid; Elizabeth Jewkes, Chair of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, and Patrick Watt, Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Christian Aid.

Our final discussion focused on global health, and the intersection between climate change and human health, thanks to support from the ONE Campaign. The health of people and planet are inextricably linked; changing climate factors such as droughts, floods and severe weather conditions inevitably lead to changing patterns of disease transmission or food security. For example, some vector-borne diseases such as malaria have been found to be especially sensitive to changes in climate. As such, it is crucial to ensure that these connections are being understood and factored into health policy and interventions, not only to increase their chances of success, but also to mitigate their own contribution to climate change. Chaired by Benn Simms, CEO of the Tropical Health and Education Trust, the audience gained an insight from leaders in global health including Professor Paul Ekins, from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change at UCL and Tim Cole from the ONE Campaign. We were delighted to be joined by Ed Davey MP, one of the Lib Dems’ leading environmentalists.

We are grateful for the ongoing support from BOND and CAF, who facilitated a drinks reception where audience members could reflect on the discussions and reflect on further cross-party collaboration. We look forward to seeing familiar faces at our Spring Conference event in York!