Anti-poverty campaigners ask “Where next after Make Poverty History?

Oxford WDM hosts conference at
Council Chamber, Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, OX1 1BX
Wednesday 8th March at 7:30pm
Door open 7:15pm Donation £2/£1

Acclaimed speakers Kofi Mawuli-Klu, Marlene Barrett and Paul Kingsnorth (1) will look back on what was achieved in the fight against world poverty in 2005. What was the true meaning of the G8 debt deal? What really happened at the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong? Above all, what are our future challenges in the fight for justice for the world’s poor?

In 2005 the UK, as host of the G8 and chair of the EU, had a central role on the global stage. Under the rallying cry of ‘Make Poverty History’ campaigners seized the opportunity to build massive public pressure to end the crime that half the world’s population live in extreme poverty, while a minority have extreme wealth. The highest paid executives of UK companies earn in one hour what half the world’s population earn in a year.

There was an unprecedented response to the campaign, with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating and millions wearing the white wristband.

Kevin Meaney of Oxford WDM said

“Make Poverty History did a great job of raising awareness, but the campaign to secure justice for the world’s poor is far from over. There were some small victories, such as the end to the harsh economic conditions attached to UK aid and for the few countries set to benefit, the limited G8 debt deal. The deal is inadequate not least because only 19 out of over 60 countries that have been identified as needing full debt cancellation immediately are set to benefit, and in any case not a penny has actually been delivered yet.

“The structural causes of global poverty remain firmly in place. Rich countries like the UK continue to force free trade policies like water privatisation and trade liberalisation onto the world’s poorest countries, policies which have proven time and again to hurt the poor.

“Join us and help us to look forward and build on the momentum created by Make Poverty History. In 2006 and beyond, WDM will continue to hold leaders to account and in solidarity with activists across the world we will continue the fight for the fundamental change and reform still desperately needed to truly make poverty history.”

WDM has been campaigning on debt, trade and aid for over 30 years and was a founding member of the Trade Justice Movement and the Jubilee Debt Campaign and now Make Poverty History. WDM is renowned for being at the forefront of development campaigning issues.

Contacts – Katharine Bosman 020 7737 6215  katharine@wdm.org.uk

Notes

(1) Speakers

Kofi Mawuli-Klu is Chair of the Pan-Afrikan Taskforce for Internationalist Dialogue (PATFID); Joint Coordinator of Rendezvous of Victory (ROV), the Anti-Slavery Abolitionist Heritage Learning movement and managing director of UEquipoise, an Equal Opportunities Advocacy, Training and Educational agency.

Paul Kingsnorth is a writer and environmental campaigner, he has worked on an orang-utan rehabilitation project in Borneo and has written for the Guardian, the Times, the Independent, New Statesman, Ecologist, New Internationalist, OpenDemocracy, and others. Between 1999-2001 Paul was deputy editor of The Ecologist, the world's longest-running green magazine. He wrote a book on the "anti-globalisation" movement, One No, Many Yeses and is currently writing a book on the destruction of landscape and community in England, and what can be done about it.

Marlene Barrett is Network Manager at the World Development Movement, with responsibility for WDM’s network of local groups and affiliated organisations, and its programme of events. She has been actively involved in campaigning on debt, trade and other development and human rights issues for many years. Her paid work began at Amnesty International campaigning against the arms trade, and includes three years at the heart of the Jubilee 2000 debt coalition, as well as freelance work for the Trade Justice Movement, Oxfam, the Global Campaign for Education and others. She is a keen cyclist and is involved in organic foodgrowing and local campaigns in north London.

Oxford WDM hosts conference at
Council Chamber, Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, OX1 1BX
Wednesday 8th March at 7:30pm
Door open 7:15pm