Dear John,

We are excited to announce that today Health Poverty Action is joining organisations from across the world to ditch the use of the word “aid” and replace it with “Global Redistribution” in our communications.

The new name emerged out of a successful consultation process spanning thirteen countries, run by the Track Changing working group of the Kampala Initiative which researches the language of so called “international development”.

The group has chosen alternative terms such as “Global Redistribution” to move away from a language of charity, and instead reflect structural inequalities such as geopolitics, historical legacies and current injustices in polices such trade, tax and climate.

The way we talk about issues impacts how people, think, feel and act on them. A shift in language is one small step to exposing the root causes of poverty and poor health and creating solutions to them.

Today, eighteen organizations and a number of individuals working in the sector spanning nineteen countries commit to using these new terms in their daily communications, and are calling on others to join us.

Will you join us?

The more people that commit to using this new language the more we can normalise it. Join us by sharing the pledge on social media and with any organisations or individuals working in “international development” and ask them to sign too.

Thanks for your ongoing support.

In solidarity,

Hamimu Masudi

Policy and Campaigns Officer and Co-Chair of the Track Changing Initiative.