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In March 2012, the Government announced a reduction of more than 8 percent over 3 years to the budget of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). This $319 million cut is equivalent to the cost of one of the sixty-five F-35 fighter jets the Government wants to buy.

We are calling on the federal government to reverse cuts to CIDA and restore funding in Budget 2013.

Budget 2013 reaction – press release

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN!

ACTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

  1. Sign up to have your organization listed as a supporter of the campaign. Send an email to admin@acgc.ca.
  2. Encourage your supporters to get involved. Circulate a link (https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/prime-minister-stephen-harper-reverse-the-cuts-to-international-development) to the online petition.
  3. Help us spread the word! Encourage your partner and funding organizations to also endorse the campaign.

Supporters

 

ACTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS

  1. Sign the petition calling on the government to reverse the cuts. Share the petition with your networks. We are aiming for 10,000 signatures! Download a print version of the petition and collect more signatures! (pdf)
    Return signed copies of the print version and photography by January 25, 2013, to RESULTS Canada
  2. Write a letter to Prime Minister Harper. Send a copy to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and your M.P.All M.P.s have the same address (House of Commons (K1A 0A6) – no postage required) or you can send your letter by e-mail tostephen.harper@parl.gc.ca and jim.flaherty@parl.gc.ca. Look up the name and e-mail address of your M.P. on the Parliament of Canada web site.A sample letter is included below. We encourage you to adapt and personalize this text to make your letter more powerful. More tips on writing to your government.Sample letter to Prime Minister Harper

    Your address

    Date

    The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
    Prime Minister of Canada
    House of Commons
    Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

    Dear Prime Minister:

    I am concerned about Canada’s declining budget for international development. The Canadian International Development Agency is set to reduce expenditures by $319 million over the next three years.  Scaling back Canadian assistance will hurt poor families in the developing world. I urge you to restore funding for CIDA in Budget 2013.

    I believe that we have a moral responsibility to help people in the developing world and I think most Canadians would agree. CIDA leads Canada’s international effort to help people living in poverty, including important projects to improve food security, enable access to education, provide life-saving medical treatments and strengthen democracy, among others. The Agency collaborates with Canadian NGOs to contribute resources and technical expertise to address development challenges on the ground. CIDA also supports Canadian engagement in bilateral multilateral development mechanisms and delivers humanitarian assistance in areas impacted by natural disasters.

    These investments are making a difference but cut-backs threaten to undermine progress.  Canada should reinvest in international development in Budget 2013. Please restore funding for CIDA to 2011 levels at a minimum.

    Yours sincerely,
    Your name and signature

    c.c.         The Hon. Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance
    Your M.P.

  3. Request a meeting with your MP to express your views in person. Look up the name and e-mail address of your M.P. on the Parliament of Canada web site. RESULTS Canada’s tips for meeting with your M.P. will help you prepare! Print out the campaign brief and bring it along to the meeting (pdf).
  4. Write a letter to the editor to share your concern with a wider audience. Look up contact information for papers across the country here. Click here for tips on how to write a powerful letter that gets published.


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