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Unfortunately half of the human beings in the world, live on less than $2 a day (Gates,1999). In the remaining parts of the world, most of the people are below the poverty level. People, who are thinking that they have not a good life and in such a desperate condition, can not be considered as poor class. Because of those statistics, poverty addresses to people under that level. People have to think twice as it is said in “But Seriously” (Collins, 1989, track 7) about the worse situations people in. In addition, this poverty ratio may be considered optimistic in the countries which are not developed. As a world-wide problem, there are poverty, incredible suffering and inequal societies. One attempt to alleviate the inequal standard of living world-wide, is the non-governmental organization, Oxfam which will be discussed and evaluated in terms of its background and projects in order to predict some modifications that may improve the process or a framework that can be conducted in Turkey.

Oxfam, has deep roots, it traces its history to the early 1960s. It originated in Britain and its name was Oxford Famine Relief. It expanded its borders to Canada, America and to many European countries in the following ten years (Oxfam International,2004). Offices were established on every single continent and they started to call themselves as Oxfam, as an abbrevition of the full name. This work of spreading has been performed with many volunteer staff and financial support from the affiliates. The society’s consciousness and efficent advertisement of the organization helped to get over this problem.  Oxfam, firstly, dealed with providing educational materials, tried for schools and students who had not enough purchasing power. Moreover, Oxfam undertook the advocacy work in public policy. Nowadays, Oxfam’s aims has been extended. Oxfam’s aims are trying to give people the rights to a sustainable livelihood, to services, to life and security, to be heard and to an identity (Oxfam International,2004). Oxfam is interested in common society problems concerning many things that may be thought, such as the problem of poverty, itself, and problems caused by poverty which can be named as the connotative matters. For instance, the unavailability of healthy food or the unavailable access to safe water. Also the unavailable right of been heard by world’s enlightened countries because of many social deprivation and social unsufficience, is in the goals of the Oxfam. At the end, those all stop at general economic situation, poverty. For accomplishing a mission that deals with this -large scale of- problems, organization is divided specific parts for more concentrated study.

There are many projects and plans which were carried out by the branch offices of Oxfam. We can say that it has many parts dedicated to specific areas such as Middle East, Eastern Asia and Southwest Africa. In the countries of these areas, Oxfam’s primary objective is to provide basic human needs to those who are in lack of food and safe water access. For example, after the military damage in 2002 in Iraq, and after the earthquake in 2003 in Iran, Oxfam has performed many programs concerning the needs of  those residents. It’s also active in other continentals such as in south-America and Ocenia. For a more specific instance, in Papua New Guinea, Oxfam members are in study about mines’ general situations. In this country, there are many mines, which have a huge impact on local people, offers them opportunities of economical benefit (Oxfam International, 2004). However, people do not work in even adequate condition, also the solid waste and garbage of the mines are considered as a potential earth and water pollution. Oxfam members are trying to make the mine owners provide better work standards and do regulation in production in order to save the workers’ health level and prevent environmental pollution. It is because the researchers reported that the condition of workers, that is encountered with mostly teenagers, was dangerous enough to create health problems and environment pollution as consequences (Oxfam International, 2004). Members, in this point, are trying to create a common sense to obtain more sustainable rights for workers by visiting different organizations, doing interviews. Oxfam, actually tries to create a common sense about the unsustainable condition of people all over the world, at the same time it organizes aids for those specific people as conducting group activities in order to learn their needs, to gather information and to reach them with help. Like these studies, the organization conducts campaings to create folk conscious at the same time.

As all other organizations, Oxfam has campaigns conducting and projects designing. There are several campaigns in macro platform. One of the campaigns is the “Play Fair at the Olympics” which informs people about the world-wide cloth companies to act more fairly about their labors’ wage levels and work hours which are being considered to be unfair. One another is the “Control Arms” campaign. This project warms people for the unregulated weapon supply, which is seemed as the main cause for the criminals and police of arbitrary murdering. The main idea is to create a folk wisdom against purchasing weapons easily in order to restrain the unwanted incidents. As a third, we see the “Education Now” campaign which has an extremely acute effect on every country (Oxfam International, 2004). This education program focuses on the governmental actions, because they see that the education problem of such a local area can be alleviated mostly by the administration of the place. Actually, in the web site, it gives links for people to mail the government or the local presidents as a reaction. Also, there is an option for people to donate. This campaign has reached 4 million of affiliates so far and there is a preparation to lobby which was planned to hold between 19th and 25th April, 2004. This lobby action is considered as the world’s biggest ever lobby (Global Campaign for Education, 2004). Even though the number of the campaigners seems quite high, it has to be considered low when we discuss the world’s population. In addition, there are arrangements of donors and famous persons to encourage peole and interperet their construals about the organization and the campaign by giving presentations and conferences. The education program is mostly specified in childhood education. It is said that there are approximately a hundred million of children who have never seen any education (Oxfam International, 2004). The campaign informations are advertised in many magazines and periodical publications in all over the world and handouts are distributed by the volunteer staff of Oxfam.

 If we happen to evaluate these projects, it is hard to say that those will change much. As a high rate, people will not do unacceptance reactions however, the conscious of the people will not be enough to change things like large scale powers and platforms. Although, the general thought seems like some way, the things will not take progress in that way because, the administration of huge companies, like weapon and cloth firms, can not take the risks of such a shrink. Neverthless, the action people put towards can be effective in long term situations. The third campaign’s effect can be quite efficent whenever there will not be any serious recoil. If we bear in mind the necessity of high education in many countries, we can see a space that needs to be filled in any condition. So, we can say that the project addresses the exact problem. However, because of the low economical power of such those places, the need has occured. In order to maintain the economic side of the process, the people should be much orientated to donation. The feasibility of the project and organization should be taken into consideration quite crucially.

There is a potential need in Turkey which can be reduced by such an organization. Actually, Oxfam can not exactly eliminate the problem. However, the time will let it to be broadened and after such intentionally made projects, the general view of people will get optimistic and following actions will be made in more sustainable conditions with many supports from the residents and the government. One important point is that the conjectural preparation for such a NGO, has already created by tiny groups of people in Turkey. In another word, substructure of the association is ready in Turkey. This point holds its importance because, Oxfam as a rooted organization, has the possibility to put sanction on those groups to get unified so that they can make the process as a whole and give service from different hands.

In conclusion, there is a reality of poverty all over the world, even in a place that nobody ever thought of. So many people became impoverished, waiting for a sensitive work to be performed which will change their lives. Alleviation of this problem has been already nationalized in so many countries in the name Oxfam, with credible background, practical projects, reasonable solutions and remarkable process’. It’s presented to the world as a framework that does not encounter so many problems.

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