Aid not Arms

We want to ensure that aid focuses on preventing human rights abuses, international development and eradicating poverty. An increasing amount of aid goes to military and security activity, so this creates concerns regarding the aid’s current form. How can we make sure that aid returns to its founding principles?

Our guest speakers:

• Aisha Dodwell works on policy and campaign strategy at Global Justice Now, across a number of topics including aid policy, migration and corporate power. Aisha previously worked with Médecins Sans Frontières managing their policy and public engagement work in the UK. She also spent four years teaching courses in global politics and human rights at Kingston University.   
• Ann Feltham joined the CAAT staff in 1985 and is now Parliamentary Co-ordinator. CAAT's work over the years has focused on the UK government's promotion of arms exports, especially to human rights violators and to regions of conflict. It uses many methods, from protests against arms fairs to legal action.  
• Dr Rim Turkmani is a Senior Research Fellow at the Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She directs the Syria conflict research programme at the Unit. Her policy-oriented research work focuses on identity politics, legitimate governance, transforming war economy it into peace economy and the relationship between local and external drivers of the conflict. She is a member of the Women's Advisory Board to the UN special envoy to Syria.  
• Elliot Murphy is an academic lecturer and journalist who has written extensively about UK politics, Arms Trade and Austerity. He is UCL representative on Médecins Sans Frontières and has been active with the Stop the War Coalition.