Author Topic: Make Poverty History (Read 4501 times)

Roy Bham UK · « **on:** May 19, 2005, 23:03:43 »

Not sure if this has been posted here before? If it has it is definitely worth another plug. ;)

You may have all seen the finger clicking advert on TV “Make Poverty History” by many famous faces? Well this Saturday on Channel 4's T4, a new version of the click film will be shown for the very first time, please try and watch out for it.

Since the original was shown on TV just a few weeks ago it has helped to spread the word far and wide about the massive opportunity that 2005 represents to stop poverty claiming a child's life every 3 seconds.

Channel 4 made their own version of the film - and it will be shown over the next 52 days in the run up to the all important G8 conference on July 6th.

If you want to join in and spread the word then follow the link below, you can send an e-mail to Tony Blair (and your friends and family) he has the power to give life to these kids.

Thank you for reading. ;)

Oh and don’t forget to order your white band. :)

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/

GREENWIZARD · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2005, 09:08:50 »

thanks RB for the link :)
i'll check my local oxfam for the wristband today :)

SpeedyMango · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2005, 10:39:51 »

Got myself a wristband a while back - they do go quickly!

The website also has a little html thingy that lets you put a 'wristband' across the top corner of your web page. I've done it on my blog.

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2005, 14:23:55 »

;) Well done to you both, Clive I only have my Webshots Web Page, I don't suppose I can place a banner on there can I ? ???

Had a quick look though your Blog BTW quite a lively plottie you have there. ;)

SpeedyMango · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2005, 14:38:08 »

Thanks Roy. It's only a small plot, but we do seem to be growing quite a variety of stuff!

I think you should be able to add the 'Make Poverty History' banner to any web page. The HTML script is on here: http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/getinvolved/banners.shtml, and it says to "add this code just under the <body> tag" on your web page template.

I'm afraid I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to web pages/html, so I don't know any more than that!

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2005, 14:51:30 »

;D Thanks Clive but I don't think I have access to the web page template? ??? Not to worry I'll have a tinker with it later. Thanks... Roy ;)

BAGGY · « **Reply #6 on:** May 20, 2005, 18:49:33 »

Oxfam only do the material wrist band which gets filthy on the lotty. I am told you can get the rubber ones on the net but haven'tlooked since way back when I first signed up.

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2005, 21:07:05 »

Baggy I believe they are in stock at Christian Aid = Traidcraft I agree the silicone ones would be better ;) here's the link... http://www.changesomething.co.uk/

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #8 on:** May 30, 2005, 09:02:19 »

;D Happy Bank Holiday 8) Not meaning to thrust this upon you, but if you find a quiet moment have a listen to this lovely version of Hole in the Bucket headed "Drop the Debt" you can view it by scrolling down the left panel, click the 56k dialup or Broadband it’ll only take a few minutes out of your day. ;) :-*
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/video/

Kepouros · « **Reply #9 on:** May 30, 2005, 22:21:27 »

As a matter of interest, the white wrist bands are, in fact, being manufactured in China by chinese peasants working in sweatshops for slave wages. However, no doubt the chinese economy will receive a slight boost.

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #10 on:** May 30, 2005, 22:36:24 »

I heard this too and Christian Aid have come clean and apologised for not checking their suppliers more thoroughly and may have made other arrangements if it is not too late :-[

Kepouros · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2005, 21:28:34 »

Ubfortunately however well meant the campaign may be, it will be no more successful than previous attempts to defeat third world poverty.

Third World poverty is due almost entirely to one or more of the following:

(a) Warfare, including internecine warfare, civil war, and disguised ethnic cleansing

(b) Corrupt and/or oppressive governments

(c) The protectionist policies of the European Union

(d) Natural disasters such as floods, drought etc., although most countries would recover from the effects of these if they were not hampered by the three above

Raising money for aid has little or no effect when dictators can block, control or subvert the means of distribution - Mugabe would only allow aid to go to his own supporters, the aid for tsunami relief is still being prevented from reaching parts of Sri Lanca and Indonesia, and aid to the african populated southern Sudan is still hampered or prevented by the arab dominated government in the north.

Even where african countries are peaceful and benignly governed, however, their economies are undermined and their producers impoverished because the European Union gives subsidies and tax rebates to european producers which allow the dumping of goods at prices so low that thiird world producers cannot compete. Our own government colludes readily in this system while at the same time speaking nobly of wiping out poverty.

And writing off x millions of government debt does not benefit the peasant living on a handful of maize each week - he never saw any of the aid in the first place - it simply leaves the government free to raise more debt to be deposited by the masters in swiss bank accounts or spent on private jet planes or fleets of BMW cars for their wives and concubines.

Unfortunately, for every Mandela there are a dozen Mugabes, and as long as they hold sway poverty will be rife in their domains however much money is thrown at the problem.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2005, 21:58:50 »

You're quite right; I've known warlords and politicians from my wife's country, Sierra Leone, and they only have one motive; get into office by any means whatsoever so that they can use it to get a share of the diamond wealth and get incredibly rich. Never mind the people; they don't count. The country's overflowing with the world's finest gem diamonds, and yet it's the world's poorest. I don't see any moral difference between Western politicians and African ones though; the difference is that here we have a legal system strong enough to keep them in check; over there they don't. Corruption scandals aren't that uncommon in the UK!

Bionic Wellies · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2005, 12:13:41 »

All of your observations may well be true but none of them absolve any one of us from trying to sort this out, we just can't use these as excuses to watch from the sidelines.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #14 on:** June 01, 2005, 13:09:21 »

Of course not! These people wouldn't have been able to make money if there hadn't been banks in the west willing to hold their ill-gotten gains, governments willing to 'recognise' any junta seizing power, firms willing to trade arms, with governments backing them, firms willing to buy oil, diamonds, whatever, without asking too many questions about the people they were buying from... Smuggled Sierra Leonean diamonds have supported wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Lebanon, at the least. That involved far more than just a few corrupt politicians at home!

Kepouros · « **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2005, 17:00:24 »

Quite right Robert. Unfortunately it appears that (as so often happens)sentiment has obscured the realities of the situation in people`s minds.

What so few contributors to this thread seem to realise is that campaigns such as this simply play into the hands of politicians, bankers and industralists in both the developed and the undeveloped worlds. The politicians etc. in the west can give encouragement, make speeches, offer our cash, and generally appear good guys, while at the same time happily ignoring, or even colluding with, the events and circumstances which actually cause the problems. The governments (if one can call them that) of the third world meanwhile sit rubbing their hands in anticipation as they wait for the aid money to roll in - they may have to allow some of it to be used for the purposes for which it was intended, but if they are lucky they can cream off most of it for other purposes.

The amount spent by third world governments on armaments is probably greater in total than the amount of aid they at present receive - mainly to be used in either suppressing their own people or in fomenting civil wars among their neighbours by supporting and arming so-called freedom fighters, and a large proportion of these armaments is bought from the Chinese who are a law unto themselves.

The rapacity of these governments may be instanced by the fact that now that western agencies have persuaded the drug manufacturers to reduce the price of anti-viral H.I.V drugs to the third world (where the citizens have to pay the full cost themselves) to a level where individuals could just afford them, those same governments promptly slapped customs or sales taxes of up to 30% on them.

Supporting campaigns such as this will simply serve to prolong the status quo indefinitely. The only way to make poverty history is to force governments throughout the developed world to change their own policies, and I`m afraid that, human nature being what it is, I can see absolutely no possibility of this

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2005, 20:25:38 »

We'd need to go even further than that and force every government everywhere to change it's ways, they're all contributing to the problem.

Kepouros · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2005, 21:55:50 »

But how do we force the Chinese to do anything?

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2005, 22:18:27 »

I am very impressed with your in depth replies Kepourus, and agree to a certain extent, but this crusade is not after your money but support and pressure on the G8 Big Guns to persuade them to do their bit and I’m prepared to do my bit albeit little in the hope that it may just save one life.

If anyone has a better solution to sustain life in these countries speak out now, here’s what one of the many celebrities has to say in support.

Hello,
By being part of the Make Poverty History campaign you've done a lot over the last six months to create the golden opportunity to change the world that is in our grasp now.
That's why I wanted to tell you about Live 8 myself.
Let me start by saying, this is not Live Aid 2 - this time its not people's money we need, it's themselves. The five concerts taking place around the world are the starting point for The Long Walk To Justice, an event that will see hundreds of thousands of people heading to Edinburgh to tell the G8 leaders that the whole world is expecting them to deliver.
By doubling aid, fully canceling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 have it within their power to change the future for millions of men, women and children. What we need to do is show them in our millions that we care and that we're watching.
Whether you're starting things off in Edinburgh on the Saturday at the vitally important Make Poverty History rally, or planning to head to the Scottish capital later in the week, the really vital thing is that you see your good work through and send a message loud and clear to those 8 men - now is the time, this is the year, you can make poverty history.
Thanks and good luck,
Bob Geldof

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2005, 22:43:57 »

Maybe we need a global revolution but meanwhile we can at least put pressure on our government. The British Government's interest in debt reduction dates from the G8 here in Birmingham, when there was a human chain right round the ICC where they were meeting. They chickened out and went off to some stately home for the day, and I think about 17000 people turned out. It went right past the door of my church so we opened up and served about 300 people with tea and coffee. I think the government could do a lot more but at least they've been making a few hopeful noises simce then.

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Author Topic: Make Poverty History (Read 4501 times)