DFID Bloggers join global discussion on poverty
15 October 2008
Staff from DFID's country offices are joining bloggers around the world this
Wednesday as part of Blog Action Day. Every year Blog Action Day unites the blogosphere around one
topic, and for 2008 the focus is poverty.
Sharing that same focus,
DFID Bloggers will be joining around 9,000 others in the online debate
throughout the day. The idea is to "change the conversation that day, to raise
awareness, start a global discussion and add momentum to an important cause."
DFID Bloggers – the new blogging arena made of DFID staff - offers personal,
real life perspectives of development from those working on the ground to fight
poverty. It also gives readers the chance to debate the issues DFID staff meet
in their day to day work.
So far, five bloggers have joined the project from around the world, including
Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iraq and Tanzania, but many more are set to join as the
initiative continues to grow.
Every week, the blogs will help build up a picture of the work DFID does,
exploring the key challenges for development including climate change, natural
resources, conflict and rebuilding, good governance, improved health, widespread
education, fair trade and effective aid.
By launching this new platform, DFID wants to engage more people in its work to
help people across the globe, to be open about its programmes and to share new
ideas about development.
Howard Taylor, Head of DFID Ethiopia and one of the DFID Bloggers, says
"It's a no-brainer to help others in this inter-connected world we now live in.
DFID's work around the world has a real impact on millions of lives. That's why
I'm keen to blog - to have a conversation with the public to talk about what we
do, how we do it, and what impact we have. And to discuss the pros and cons of
different approaches."
Log on now to read the latest blogs and join the debate at
http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk
To celebrate Blog Action Day, Mark Kent, the UK Ambassador in Vietnam, has
invited the Head of DFID's Vietnam office, Fiona Lappin, to express her thoughts on DFID's
work to tackle poverty and other related issues in Vietnam. Read her blog in
English
or
Vietnamese.
And find out more about other events taking place in the blogosphere on the
Blog Action Day
website.
