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Spanish lesson

For two months at the end of 1994, over 7,000 people camped outside government buildings in the Spanish capital to demand a rise in both the quantity and quality of Spanish aid.

The campaign slogan was "0.7 now", a reference to the target aid figure of 0.7% of GNP accepted by the industrialized nations 25 years ago.

Supported by leading church figures, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and 25,000 demonstrating students in 30 cities, the campaign demanded more information on Spanish aid and a radical overhaul to switch aid from military purposes to basic human needs.

The Spanish Government, currently giving only 0.23% of GNP in aid and ranked 18th among the 21 donor countries, has hinted that it might increase aid to between 0.35% and 0.5% of GNP for 1995 and to the target figure of 0.7% by 1996.