[Mb-civic] The Observer: Millions to link up for world's poor

[harry.sifton at sympatico.ca]

harry spotted this on the The Observer site and thought you should see it.

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Millions to link up for world's poor
Mark Townsend, Nick Mathiason and Heather Stewart
Sunday May 15 2005
The Observer


Up to 20 million Britons are expected to protest against world poverty as part of the biggest mobilisation against global inequality ever seen.In addition, 250,000 campaigners are planning to attend a rally in Edinburgh to coincide with July's G8 summit at Gleneagles where key talks among world leaders could witness Tony Blair securing a historic deal to help Africa's poor.Oxfam yesterday ordered five million more white Make Poverty History wristbands. The charity has already sold three million.Adrian Lovett, a campaign spokesman, said: 'At this rate we would expect between 10 million and 20 million will join the campaign.'Meanwhile, the BBC is understood to have cleared its schedules on the same day as the Edinburgh march in anticipation of a huge global event.Although the show of public support will bolster Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown's efforts to secure a breakthrough on debt, aid and trade, concern is rising in Whitehall that the key measures are failing to win US s
 upport.This week Blair will embark on a charm offensive with President Bush and European leaders. However, there are fears within government that progress on reaching international consensus on increasing aid and writing off poor countries' debt is stalling.Although officials maintain that plans to double international aid to around £60 billion a year and eradicate much of the debt of poor countries remain intact, privately they warn that agreement may not be reached during the talks.Among attempts to build an international consensus, Blair will suggest to the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, that supporting Britain's moves to tackle Africa's problems will help Germany in its attempt to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.'A real commitment to Africa can only help them,' a Downing Street official said last night.The government said that campaigners should wait until the end of 2005 before judging whether there has been any real prog
 ress on its international poverty agenda.A series of protest marches in Paris, New York and Berlin among others will culminate in the Edinburgh rally when tens of thousands will encircle Edinburgh to create a 'human wristband'.What you can do· Go to the website and join the campaign at makepovertyhistory.org.· Write to Tony Blair and describe why it is important that the Prime Minister maximises his influence at the G8 Summit. Contact details are on the website.· Get a white wristband. The campaign website lists shops and groups stocking the item.· Travel to Edinburgh on 2 July and join tens of thousands on a Make Poverty History rally.· Persuade local shops, restaurants, bars and newsagents to back the campaign.· Organise a landmark or building to be smothered in a giant Make Poverty History wrapper on 1 July, White Band Day.

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