Santa tells Tony Blair to Make Poverty History
-09/12/05
Though the chimney was blocke
Santa tells Tony Blair to Make Poverty History
-09/12/05
Though the chimney was blocked for security reasons, sackloads of cards were hand-delivered to Number 10 Downing Street yesterday by Santa and his trusty elf helpers ñ to make the case for seasonal goodwill towards millions of people whose lives are threatened by poverty and global inequality.
The early delivery of goodies to Prime Minister Tony Blair from the Make Poverty History coalition totalled 750,000 postcards. They arrived from campaigners all over Britain calling on the UK Government to deliver trade justice in the upcoming Hong Kong world trade talks.
This was anticipating Make Poverty History’s third and final White Band Day, which takes place on 10 December 2005 (tomorrow). White Band Day is an unparalleled mobilisation of tens of millions of ordinary people.
Christian Aid, Tearfund, CAFOD, World Vision and many other church groups will join forces with many thousands across the UK to remind politicians of the depth of support for trade justice among the public.
The call will be the same whatever the location: Tony Blair and other rich country leaders must make radical changes to the way world trade is currently managed, so that it benefits poor people and the environment, not just the rich and powerful.
CAFOD’s head of campaigns, Alison Marshall told Independent Catholic News yesterday: “The WTO is the last chance in 2005 to progress a just trade deal for the world’s poor. In unprecedented numbers citizens across the world are calling on rich countries at the WTO to stop pushing poor countries into open up their markets against their will and to end export dumping that damages the livelihoods of poor people.î
She continued: “The spotlight is now shining on these elected leaders. They must deliver trade justice if they are to end this year of Make Poverty History by keeping their promises to the billions of people living in poverty around our world.”
The Vote for Trade Justice is part of a massive on-going global call for action for trade justice. Across the EU over 15 million Europeans have taken action this year on trade and poverty.
Already over 10 million ordinary people in both the developing and the rich world – from millions of cotton and coffee farmers in Africa to hundreds of thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh – have voiced their demand for change through trade justice petitions like the Big Noise to Make Trade Fair.
Ekklesia, the UK-based Christian think tank, is a member of the Make Poverty History Coalition.
[Also on Ekklesia: Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Trade Justice A Christian Response; Tory leadership candidate attacks Christian agency on trade justice; [Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Chancellor warns Christians that global justice will take a long haul; Campaigners gear up for third White Band Day; Christian adoption scheme exposes fowl trade rules]
Santa tells Tony Blair to Make Poverty History
-09/12/05
Though the chimney was blocked for security reasons, sackloads of cards were hand-delivered to Number 10 Downing Street yesterday by Santa and his trusty elf helpers – to make the case for seasonal goodwill towards millions of people whose lives are threatened by poverty and global inequality.
The early delivery of goodies to Prime Minister Tony Blair from the Make Poverty History coalition totalled 750,000 postcards. They arrived from campaigners all over Britain calling on the UK Government to deliver trade justice in the upcoming Hong Kong world trade talks.
This was anticipating Make Poverty History’s third and final White Band Day, which takes place on 10 December 2005 (tomorrow). White Band Day is an unparalleled mobilisation of tens of millions of ordinary people.
Christian Aid, Tearfund, CAFOD, World Vision and many other church groups will join forces with many thousands across the UK to remind politicians of the depth of support for trade justice among the public.
The call will be the same whatever the location: Tony Blair and other rich country leaders must make radical changes to the way world trade is currently managed, so that it benefits poor people and the environment, not just the rich and powerful.
CAFOD’s head of campaigns, Alison Marshall told Independent Catholic News yesterday: “The WTO is the last chance in 2005 to progress a just trade deal for the world’s poor. In unprecedented numbers citizens across the world are calling on rich countries at the WTO to stop pushing poor countries into open up their markets against their will and to end export dumping that damages the livelihoods of poor people.’
She continued: “The spotlight is now shining on these elected leaders. They must deliver trade justice if they are to end this year of Make Poverty History by keeping their promises to the billions of people living in poverty around our world.”
The Vote for Trade Justice is part of a massive on-going global call for action for trade justice. Across the EU over 15 million Europeans have taken action this year on trade and poverty.
Already over 10 million ordinary people in both the developing and the rich world – from millions of cotton and coffee farmers in Africa to hundreds of thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh – have voiced their demand for change through trade justice petitions like the Big Noise to Make Trade Fair.
Ekklesia, the UK-based Christian think tank, is a member of the Make Poverty History Coalition.
[Also on Ekklesia: Trade justice event to be biggest lobby this year; Trade Justice A Christian Response; Tory leadership candidate attacks Christian agency on trade justice; [Christian Aid laments receding trade talk hopes; Chancellor warns Christians that global justice will take a long haul; Campaigners gear up for third White Band Day; Christian adoption scheme exposes fowl trade rules]