[UK] ActionAid Says B*ll*cks to Poverty At Summer Festivals 2006

from I Like Music

As the summer festivals reveal their line-ups, ActionAid is making sure that at least three of them resonate to the cry of B*ll*cks to Poverty.

The charity will be bringing its B*ll*cks to Poverty tour to Hi Fi Festival (27/28 May), Global Gathering (28/29 July), and Reading Festival (25/26/27 August).

They will be the biggest dates of a tour that looks set to grow and grow, because ActionAid is giving youngsters the chance to put on their own event and add it to the B*ll*cks to Poverty line up.

At Hi Fi, Global Gathering and Reading revellers will have the chance to join in ActionAid’s latest campaign and enjoy the sounds of top notch DJs, all in the comfort of the ActionAidSpace tent.

This year ActionAid wants the great unwashed to back its call for universal Aids treatment by 2010.

Why should we care about HIV&AIDS?

- 40 million people worldwide living with HIV&AIDS

- 95% are in developing countries

- Almost half are women and children
- 6.5 million people will die if they don’t receive urgent treatment, but only 1.3 million are getting it.

Brendan O’ Donnell, ActionAid youth campaigns manager, said: “World leaders and UK politicians are on record committing to universal access to HIV treatment by 2010. We want to hold them to this by demanding action to ensure the 2010 promise is realised, starting with our UK leaders.”

Last year the charity’s team of young volunteers called on festival goers at Glastonbury and Reading to tell Bush and Blair to stop robbing poor countries of billions through unfair trade rules.

Thousands of people signed up to the campaign – not to mention a host of artists including Razorlight, the Killers and Roots Manuva.

ActionAid Space is ActionAid’s creative campaigning network. ActionAid Space gives people the chance to campaign on issues that keep people poor. It relies on the talent, energy and commitment of its 10,000 supporters. From coming to club nights to writing for our website, to simply sending an email to our MP – there are many ways you can get involved and help ActionAid campaign against the causes of global poverty. In return we’ll send you regular updates about events, campaign news and gossip. www.actionaidspace.org

ActionAid International works in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas to fight global poverty and tackle the injustice and inequity that cause it.

ActionAid International works with poor and excluded people to eradicate poverty. For more information, please visit www.actionaid.org