Big intro to how young people can get involved in the IF Campaign, hearing first hand from Oxfam Notaional Youth Board member Tim Jennings

You may have heard a buzz around the word IF lately. It's trended on twitter, had over six thousand likes on facebook and has had fifty thousand people sign up to it. But what is IF? To give it its full title 'Enough Food IF' is a brand new movement of over a hundred coalition charities, of which Oxfam is one of them. Its ultimate goal is to eradicate hunger from the world but there are four big IFs to make this goal a reality. They are to keep to our Aid budget target of 0.7% GDP. To pressure our Governments to act on tax avoidance that occurs in the poorest of countries. Stopping the culture of land grabs in these countries. Finally, a theme that runs through the above three 'IFs' is to increase transparency in Governments and multinational countries.

To learn more about these aims take a look at the Enough Food IF website. But what I want to stress is what you personally can do as a young person. As a member of the Oxfam National Youth Board I can see first hand how much power a young person has to make a positive change. I was lucky enough to go the official London launch of the IF campaign and there seemed to be a real emphasis on using social media through out this campaign. We saw tweets in real time come in and projected onto Somerset house while the event was being launched, giving the campaign a feel that this is an all-inclusive, non-exclusive movement that everyone can be a part of.  You have a facebook account & you most probably have twitter, this gives you instant access to promote the IF campaigns by liking the page and using the hashtag #IF.

Another way you can directly and instantly be an integral part of this campaign is by rallying your local MP to the cause. Last weekend I was at a training event in Manchester for IF, in which we took part in a workshop on how to rally your MP and what to ask for. We need the government to commit to its 0.7% Aid budget target this March in George Osborne Spring budget. There have been murmurs very recently of this 0.7% not all going to aid, this can't happen. Which is why it's so important you get involved. As a young person you have an upper hand with your constituent MP, as every MP loves to talk to young people as it ticks a box for them. But we are not there to be just a tick in a box we are there with a clear and powerful message that we need them to support the 0.7% Aid commitment.

This is just the start of actions you personally can take. Whether it's just a tweet or if it's contacting your MP whatever you do, you have made a difference in the campaign to feed everyone in the world.

Follow us @oxfamGByouth to hear first what events and actions we've got planned for the Enough Food IF campaign that you can get involved with.

Enoughfoodif.org

#IF