Dress to impress at G8 summit
-20/06/05
A huge creative petition in the form of a two-story high dress is to be a feature of protests surrounding the impending G8 summit in Edinburgh as campaigners call for trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid for the world’s poorest countries.
The dress, made up of thousands of squares of material upon which people from all over the UK have written, sewn and drawn messages demanding Trade Justice, is a product of Christian activists the SPEAK Network.
It is being billed is a ‘visual challenge’ to both the UK government and G8 to change trade rules so they protect the poor in developing countries from exploitation by big companies, using the garment industry as an example.
SPEAKís Big Dress will host thousands of campaigners on The Meadows in Edinburgh acting as a colourful, creative centre to the massive day of campaigning expected to attract hundreds of thousands.
The Big Dress which is being published in the ëBook of Alternative recordsí and is bigger than the current Guinness world record breaking dress.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Naomi Kline author of ëNo Logoí, and Anita Roddick founder of The Bodyshop have each contributed a square to SPEAKís Big Dress and joined the cry for trade justice.
ìI’ve been encouraged by growing support for SPEAK from church leaders and MPs over the past five years,î says Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State (Pensions).
ìThe Big Dress is an imaginative, visual petition to decision-makers. It provides a physical space for people to learn more about the challenges of trade justice – and about God. 2005 is a critical year, with Britain’s leadership of the G7 and of the European Union giving us the chance to help MAKE POVERTY HISTORY. I support the Big Dress initiative wholeheartedly.î
SPEAK is a network connecting students and young adults encouraging them to campaign and pray on issues of global injustice.
Dress to impress at G8 summit
-20/06/05
A huge creative petition in the form of a two-story high dress is to be a feature of protests surrounding the impending G8 summit in Edinburgh as campaigners call for trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid for the world’s poorest countries.
The dress, made up of thousands of squares of material upon which people from all over the UK have written, sewn and drawn messages demanding Trade Justice, is a product of Christian activists the SPEAK Network.
It is being billed is a ‘visual challenge’ to both the UK government and G8 to change trade rules so they protect the poor in developing countries from exploitation by big companies, using the garment industry as an example.
SPEAK’s Big Dress will host thousands of campaigners on The Meadows in Edinburgh acting as a colourful, creative centre to the massive day of campaigning expected to attract hundreds of thousands.
The Big Dress which is being published in the ëBook of Alternative records’ and is bigger than the current Guinness world record breaking dress.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Naomi Kline author of ëNo Logo’, and Anita Roddick founder of The Bodyshop have each contributed a square to SPEAK’s Big Dress and joined the cry for trade justice.
‘I’ve been encouraged by growing support for SPEAK from church leaders and MPs over the past five years,’ says Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State (Pensions).
‘The Big Dress is an imaginative, visual petition to decision-makers. It provides a physical space for people to learn more about the challenges of trade justice – and about God. 2005 is a critical year, with Britain’s leadership of the G7 and of the European Union giving us the chance to help MAKE POVERTY HISTORY. I support the Big Dress initiative wholeheartedly.’
SPEAK is a network connecting students and young adults encouraging them to campaign and pray on issues of global injustice.