Thousands of campaigners of all ages descended on central London on Saturday, 2 June, to send the UK Prime Minister a clear message: the world can’t wait, make aid work!
Protestors, many wearing white as they had for the Make Poverty History rally two years ago, lined the banks of the River Thames to raise their voices against poverty.
CAFOD supporters were there in strength, with hundreds joining in debates and activities before marching to the river and unleashing a volley of noise using alarm clocks, phone alarms, bells, whistles and drums.
The rally sent an urgent message to the leaders of the G8 industrialised nations at their forthcoming summit in Germany.
Two years ago, the G8 pledged to make poverty history by doubling aid and cancelling poor countries’ debts.
But the rich world is not on target to keep its promise. The G8 must act faster and go further if this generation is to end poverty, say campaigners.
Those gathered included Christians from across the church traditions, including many evangelicals whose interest in such issues has grown over the last decade.
Micah Challenge UK is part of the international Micah Challenge movement of evangelical Christians lobbying their governments to do more to ensure the fulfilment of the MDGs to alleviate extreme poverty by 2015.
World leaders signed up to the MDGs in 2000 and to mark the half-way point, Micah Challenge UK launched the ‘Blow the Whistle’ campaign to check the ‘half-time scores’ and keep the UK Government moving on its promises to the poor.
Events on 2 June 2007 kicked off with a Blow the Whistle Worship Service at the Methodist Central Hall in central London.
Special guests included representatives of some of the world’s poorest nations as well as the head of Tearfund, Matthew Frost, and the chief executive of World Vision, Charles Badenoch.