The Government is providing $6.9m to New Zealand non-government organisations for overseas development projects through the New Zealand Official Development Assistance (NZODA) programme, Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Robson announced today.

"Grants have been approved to support work by: Caritas, Christian World Service, Oxfam NZ, Save the Children NZ, Tear Fund, Water for Survival, and World Vision, says Matt Robson.

“These grants are made annually to support the overseas development work of New Zealand NGOs, and are the first grants to come from the NZODA’s Voluntary Agency Support Scheme (VASS) allocation of $9 million.

"Government recognises the valuable role NGOs play in addressing poverty and promoting sustainable development worldwide.

“Providing this assistance recognises NGOs have expertise at working at grassroots level with the poor in developing countries in an effective and cost efficient manner.

Matt Robson said NZODA has supported New Zealand NGO community development activities through the voluntary agency scheme for about 30 years.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>