[UK] Summit Tackles Future of Poverty Fight

from Community Newswire

By Rosamond Hutt,

Anti-poverty lobbyists were today gearing up for a summit in Leeds which will look at how best to build on the groundswell of support for last year's Make Poverty History campaign.

The conference has been organised by the Leeds arm of the World Development Movement (WDM), one of the founding organisations behind Make Poverty History.

The event, entitled "Where Next After Make Poverty History", is taking place on February 21 and will feature talks by Kofi Mawuli-Klu, chair of the Pan-Afrikan Taskforce for Internationalist Dialogue, and WDM's head of policy Peter Hardstaff.

The veteran global justice campaigners will examine the successes, failures and future challenges for the campaign and what was achieved in 2005 when the UK, as host of the G8 and chair of the EU, had a central role on the global stage.

The pair will tackle questions such as "What was the true meaning of the G8 debt deal?" and "What really happened at the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong?".

They will also discuss the future of the fight against world poverty, including how to build on the thunderous momentum of Make Poverty History when millions of people expressed solidarity for the cause by wearing white wristbands.

Mary Keynes of Leeds 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. 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.

"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."

Ms Keynes was today urging activists in the Leeds area to attend the conference. She added: "Join us and help us to look forward and build on the momentum created by Make Poverty History."

WDM has been campaigning on debt, trade and aid for more than 30 years and was a founding member of the Trade Justice Movement and the Jubilee Debt Campaign and now Make Poverty History.

The conference is being held in Lecture Theatre B2, Leeds Metropolitan University (Calverley Street entrance). For further details call Leeds WDM on 0113 262 3330 or email mary@keynes.wanadoo.co.uk

For national WDM campaigns see www.wdm.org.uk