ActionAid Denmark fights poverty by promoting the political empowerment of the world’s poor. MS supports long-term development work, education programmes and campaigns as well as exchange of experience and knowledge between people. MS is part of ActionAid International.
We work in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nepal. We also implement regional programmes in Central America and the Middle East.
OUR WORK
Fighting poverty through political empowerment
MS is an active part of ActionAid International, a worldwide movement of people committed to end poverty together and create change and development. Poverty springs from powerlessness and lack of influence. We fight poverty by ensuring greater political influence for the world’s poor and marginalised at the local, national and international levels.
Long-term development
Together with 200 partner organisations in Africa, Central America, Asia and the Middle East, MS works to bring about long-term development in the world’s poorest countries. Our partners range from local community based organisations to national NGOs and international networks. While others provide medicine, roads or money, we focus on education, cooperation and the ability to organise, e.g. by investing in people, since all development is ultimately dependent on people. The starting point for pro-poor political developments people is self-help and political empowerment.
People for Change: direct contacts of solidarity
MS emphasizes the value of solidarity and direct contacts between people, both in our travel and exchange programme ‘Global Contact’ and through the professional work of our development workers and advisers in the projects and programmes we support. The People for Change approach offers a variety of opportunities which range from internships and periods of study for globalised young people to the deployment of professional advisers in our development work. All these approaches require personal commitment and a shared global responsibility.
Training for Change: education
In order to fight poverty, poor people’s participation and influence are crucial. Through education and awareness building in both rich and poor countries, we provide citizens with tools, skills and knowledge to enable them to act collectively to bring about social change. For 32 years, MS has been running a major training centre in Tanzania. Based on this experience and the Danish tradition of ‘people's high schools’, MS has established learning centres called “Global Platforms” in Kenya, India, El Salvador and Copenhagen. This is part of an ambitious venture to promote training for volunteers and professionals from all over the world.
Action for Change: campaigning
Only the poor and marginalised themselves can secure genuine influence over their own lives. But in a globalised world, decisions taken by politicians in the rich part of the world directly affect the living conditions of the poor. As a consequence, development in poor countries goes hand in hand with a global policy of solidarity. It is important that the world’s poor establish their own voice in order to champion their cause. Through campaigns, debate and advocacy, MS works to bring about change, for instance, in trade policy.
ActionAid International
Today, MS is associated with ActionAid International and is known as MS ActionAid Denmark. Together, we fight poverty in more than 50 countries and work for democratic governance and political empowerment of poor people. ActionAid International began in the United Kingdom, but today its headquarters are in South Africa. As part of ActionAid International, MS is able to reach many more of the world’s poor through development work and direct encounters between people. This also enables the voices of the poor to be heard in international campaigning to a much greater extent.
