[G8] African debt campaigners launch major anti-poverty drive ahead of G8 meeting

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NAIROBI, June 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Africa's anti-poverty campaigners on Thursday launched a major anti-poverty campaign ever to call for total eradication of poverty in Africa.

The campaign is designated to bring to the attention of the global leaders the grim realities of poverty and other problems, notably unfair trade, HIV/AIDS and the burden of debt that continue to weigh heavily on Africa's development.

Speaking in Nairobi during the celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child, the campaigners representing over 100 organizations and coalitions working in over 26 countries in Africa, launched Africa Snaps -- a series of TV ads featuring the continent's top celebrities and civil society leaders -- and Say No 2 Poverty SMS mobile campaign in 15 African countries.

"Africa is sending out a clear message to the leaders of the world's richest countries that 2005 is the year when we strike a meaningful blow against poverty in Africa," said Andiwo Obondoh ofElimu Yetu, a debt-relief campaigners' organization.

The campaigners, who converged at a local school to celebrate Kenyan children's access to affordable and quality education underthe Universal Primary Education Program, stepped up their pressureon the world's most industrialized nations to cancel Africa's debt,and ensure predictable resources for HIV/AIDS as way of ending poverty in Africa.

"This is the year that rich countries take decisive action to increase their aid budgets, reform the rules of global trade and finally end Africa's debt burden that is destroying the livelihoods of millions," Obondoh charged.

The advertising campaign saw traditional mannequins dance on six foot stilts, brandishing giant mobile phones received the first SMS messages sent in support of the campaign.

"The SMS campaign lets people from all walks of life across Africa speak directly to their leaders and the world's richest countries about poverty," said Eve Odete from Oxfam International.

She said in the Africa Snaps advert, celebrities snap their fingers to remind people that in every three seconds, a child diesfrom extreme poverty in Africa.

All messages from the mobile phone campaign will be displayed on a website and presented to African leaders at the African UnionMinisterial Summit in Tripoli, Libya and leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland in July.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Africa artists to show solidarity with our people and join this critical campaign againstpoverty in Africa," said Youssour N'dour, one of Africa's leading musicians appearing in the Africa Snaps advertisements.

"I support the call to action against poverty a hundred percent," said John Shabala, leader of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the GrammyAward winners from South Africa.

The campaigners vowed to mobilize developing countries to take action against poverty by urging world leaders to make immediate commitment to make elimination of poverty a top priority in their agenda.

The G8 club of industrial nations is scheduled to meet in Gleneagles city, Scotland where the recommendations of the AfricanCommission which proposes doubling of aid, lifting of trade barriers on imports from Africa and the eradication of farm subsidies will be discussed. Enditem