mySalvos

The group of Salvationists who lobbied politicians in Canberra earlier this year.  

Salvationists are being urged to use this month’s gathering of world leaders in Brisbane for the G20 summit as an opportunity to turn the spotlight on corruption in Developing countries.  

Working with Micah Challenge, one of its advocacy partners, the Army’s Australia Eastern Territorial Social Justice team is helping to promote the “Shine The Light” campaign.  

Team coordinator Casey O’Brien says the G20 summit is not only an opportunity to keep our world leaders accountable, but also a chance to increase public awareness of corruption.  

“Every year, Developing countries lose large amounts of money to corruption through tax dodging, bribery and illicit financial flows,” said Casey.  

“This money, which is often given by Western countries as aid intended to help the poor, instead often falls into the hands of the rich due to various forms of corruption.  

“This is money which could be used to provide basic essential services such as health care, education and water. It is money that, if used correctly, could lift millions out of extreme poverty.”  

The Shine The Light campaign asks the Federal Government to: require all multinational corporations registered in Australia to report transparently on a country-by-country basis; establish a public register listing the true owners and beneficiaries of companies, trusts and foundations; and persist in raising awareness on the world stage of the importance of an automatic exchange of information, particularly ensuring that Developing nations are able to benefit from this move.  

“With the G20 Summit being held in Brisbane, it’s local news a great opportunity for Australia’s leaders to influence discussion and bring tax dodging and corrupted use of aid money to the world stage, breaking down the walls of financial secrecy,” said Casey.  

“We can help our leaders to see the importance of this issue by taking action ourselves. Micah Challenge will be holding a number of events in Brisbane from 7-9 November, just prior to the G20, and it would be wonderful to see as many Salvos as possible supporting these events.”  

Earlier this year, Casey led a team of 11 Salvationists to Canberra where they lobbied politicians as part of Micah Challenge’s “Voices for Justice” event. In a series of meetings, the team asked their elected representatives to consider the implications of tax dodging on the global poor and to commit to taking action to minimise corruption in Developing nations.  

For more information about being involved in events leading up to the G20 Summit, go to micahchallenge.org.au/brisbane, and for details about the Shine The Light campaign, go to micahchallenge.org. au/shine-the-light.  

This article first appeared in the November edition of Pipeline.