Welcome to the latest edition of the LG alliance newsletter. This issue is packed with updates on how councils are responding to the situations in Haiti and Zimbabwe, new reports, opportunities to get involved, funding programmes, details of our upcoming online Fairtrade Q&A and much more..If you have a story or upcoming event that you would like to include in the next newsletter, please let us know Upcoming eventsFairtrade Councils - Online Q&A (16-18 March)
Interested in Fairtrade, but not sure how to get your council involved? Achieved Fairtrade status but not sure what next? Following the celebrations in cities & towns across the UK for Fairtrade Fortnight 2010, Hannah Reed, Fairtrade Towns Manager at the Fairtrade Foundations will host an online Q&A session on all things fairtrade. Ask the experts, share your experiences and link up with other Fairtrade enthusiasts facing similar challenges...get involved Latest news Haiti - UK councils quick to respond UK councils were quick to respond to the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti. Fire and rescue teams from local authorities across the country were some of the first on the scene, and many councils contacted the LGA to find out how they can get involved. read more... New report on effect of recession on local governments globallyUnited Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) – the World association for local governments – has recently released a report on the effects of the recession on councils globally. read more... New Fairtrade guide - just for councilsThe Fairtrade Foundation has just released a new guide on how to get involved in Fairtrade, specifically designed for councils. The guide includes details on why councils should support fairtrade, simple steps about what local councils can do, answers to common questions and useful links & further support. Click here to access the guide. European Committee of the Regions calls for Fair trade StrategyThe European Union’s Committee of the Regions (CoR) has unanimously adopted an opinion calling on local and regional authorities, EU Member States and the European Commission to join forces with the CoR to support fair trade. read more... Zimbabwe: calling all UK councilsFollowing calls for capacity building support from new councils in Zimbabwe, the LGA has volunteered to coordinate the local government response. It recently hosted a meeting with UK councils interested in supporting Zimbabwe, to brief councils on the current situation and discuss a possible UK council response. read more... World Cities call for greater decentralisation and more collaborationThe World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty ended its biennial conference in Rotterdam last Friday with a call for more transparent, accountable, responsible and democratic governance as a precondition for overcoming poverty. The Rotterdam Declaration was issued by conference delegates, including mayors and officials from cities across the world...read more At home: news from UK councils
Global Learning across North London
Councils and teachers from across several North London boroughs recently got together to look at how local authorities can better support global learning in schools and how this in turn is helping to build more cohesive communities. read more... Welsh & African communities celebrate UN awardsOver 140 people came together on St David's day to celebrate the work of Welsh and African communities working together to make poverty history. The celebration was focused on three community links who were awarded a United Nations Gold Star....read more ...and away: news from councils overseasHaiti: municipal reconstruction via a joint Dutch, French and Candian programmeJaap Breugem from the Dutch Municipal Association, VNG International, describes the urgent need to restore basic services in Haiti and the joint approach to municipal reconstruction in Haiti that is being taken by the French, Canadian and Dutch local authority associations. read more... Getting involvedCommonwealth Professional Fellowships SchemeThe Commonwealth Scholarships Commission is currently inviting applications from UK local councils to host visits from professionals in developing Commonwealth countries. The aim of the scheme is to share skills and knowledge between Commonwealth countries. Funding is available to cover costs of visits for up to three months (longer visits can be considered). For further information click hereDFID Community Linking Programme UpdateA huge thank you to all local authorities and councils who contributed to the consultations for the DFID Community Linking Programme (DCLP). The programme is launching in spring. Register to receive further information at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/dclp
Visit the LG alliance website for more on what UK local government is doing to fight global poverty and bring benefits to local communities ...and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter | 
