Tag Archives: Oxfam

.

This morning.

Davos, Switzerland.

The Irish Times reports:

European commissioner for trade Phil Hogan has stepped in to address business leaders attending IDA Ireland’s annual dinner at Davos this week, as the Irish contingent at the World Economic Forum (WEF) is shaping up to be the smallest in recent times.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had been due to host the IDA dinner on Thursday for 40-50 international executives at the Swiss Alpine village, but this was cancelled last week as he called a general election for February 8th. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe also cancelled his planned appearance as the campaign got under way.

WEF regulars Bono and Denis O’Brien will also not be attending this year, according to their representatives.

Phil Hogan to address business leaders at IDA event at Davos (Joe Brennan, The Irish Times)

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Meanwhile…

A new report by Oxfam has found that Ireland has 17 billionaires – the fifth highest number of billionaires per capita in the world.

Oxfam launched the study ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos which begins later today.

In its summary, Oxfam writes:

“Economic inequality is out of control. In 2019, the world’s billionaires, only 2,153 people, had more wealth than 4.6 billion people.

“This great divide is based on a flawed and sexist economic system that values the wealth of the privileged few, mostly men, more than the billions of hours of the most essential work – the unpaid and underpaid care work done primarily by women and girls around the world.”

The report can be read in full here

Rollingnews

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Further to Oxfam’s report on tax havens, which cited Ireland as the ‘6th worst corporate tax haven’ in the world.

Stephen McDermott writes:

In light of the report from Oxfam, I thought it might be worthwhile drawing your attention to a piece I wrote for this month’s Village magazine [link below].

As Oxfam International continues to call for multinationals to pay more tax, it is engaged, interestingly, in practices in the UK which one commentator has described as looking “remarkably like tax avoidance“.

Furthermore, as a member of the Irish Charity Shops Association, Oxfam Ireland has previously lobbied for further reductions in its own tax here.

In response, Oxfam Ireland have since claimed that the “positives of reducing a charity’s tax/rates liabilities [sic] are obvious”.

Some might argue that Oxfam would say that, but perhaps you’ll let your readers decide for themselves….

FIGHT!

Oxfam: Hypocrites Or Pragmatists (Stephen McDermott, Village magazine)

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Alice, from Oxfam, writes:

This is a special message all the way from Zimbabwe from our colleague Musa Sibindi. Musa has a message for the people of Co. Laois ahead of the opening on a new Oxfam shop in Portlaoise on Friday and she even has a (very impressive) go at speaking Irish! Thanks, Musa!

Go han-mhaith ar fad!

Oxfam Portlaoise

9037350490373512Doireann Gilna, left, and Ruchika Mathur from Oxfam Ireland

Last night.

The GPO, O’Connell Street, Dublin

Mark writes:

Campaigners from Oxfam Ireland held a vigil of light last night  as part of the global #WithSyria event to show solidarity with Syrians and to mark this weekend as the fourth anniversary of the start of the conflict, which has claimed more than 200,000 lives and seen 11 million people flee their homes.

The campaigners are calling on the international community to boost the humanitarian response, do more to prevent attacks on civilians and prioritise a political solution. Oxfam is providing emergency aid to nearly 1.5 million people in the region, including clean drinking water, cash and relief materials, such as blankets, stoves and hygiene supplies.

Oxfam Ireland

Syria: Four Years Of Mayhem (New York Times)

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

sodastream-hopes-scarlett-johansson-can-revive-its-brand-during-the-super-bowl

Actress Scarlett Johansson has quit as an ambassador for Oxfam amid a row over her support for an Israeli company that operates in the occupied West Bank.

A spokesman for the actress said she had a “fundamental difference of opinion” with the humanitarian group. She will remain a brand ambassador for SodaStream, which has a factory in the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim.

Oxfam opposes trade from settlements, considered illegal under international law – something Israel disputes.


Scarlett Johansson quits Oxfam role over SodaStream row (BBC News)

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Jim Clarken, CEO of Oxfam Ireland launching ‘A Cautionary Tale; The True Cost of Austerity and Inequality in Europe’. a new report by International aid agency this afternoon

The last Irish budget increased taxes by 1.3% on those earning €20,000 — seven times more than the 0.2% tax increase on those with €100,000 a year while those on €200,000 paid a mere 0.1% more.

Oxfam estimates that of the €14.3 trillion held by individuals in 52 tax havens around the globe, almost 5%, or €707bn, is sitting in Irish accounts. “It’s time to take the side of ordinary people rather than the privileged few,” said Jim Clarken.

 

€707 billion.

$941,299,800,000.

Just ‘sitting’ there.

Austerity filling the pockets of Ireland’s richest (Irish Examiner)

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)