THE Big Issue Namibia united with other organisations around the world on Friday by staging a march under the banner of the worldwide movement Global Call to Action Against Poverty.
Global Call to Action Against Poverty is an international alliance committed to eradicating extreme poverty by lobbying world leaders to tackle the causes of poverty. Around the world demonstrations, protests and press conferences were held on Friday, and participants wearing white headbands handed over letters to ambassadors.April 1 was the alliance’s second day of action, with the first one held on January 18 ahead of a meeting of G7 finance ministers in London.Over 20 countries participated in Friday’s activities, staging various events to raise awareness of the fact that 58 000 people die every day from hunger and easily preventable diseases.The next major event is being planned for July 1, ahead of the G8 summit in Scotland.The G8 countries still control most of the world’s resources and on this day the world can unite to put pressure on their leaders to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.The G8 summit will assemble the richest world leaders who have the power to cancel debt, decide on aid and change unfair trade rules and practices.The biggest action planned by the Global Call to Action against Poverty will be in early September, ahead of the UN summit.During the UN summit leaders from all over the world will come together and discuss how they are addressing poverty in their countries.Five years after agreeing on the Millennium Development Goals, the world is way off track, with some targets in Africa not likely to be met of the next 105 years, let alone 15 years after the goals were set.The Global Call to Action against Poverty has decided on the wearing of a white headband so that all people who want to support the movement can participate, no matter how poor they are.Different countries have different slogans written on their headbands.Namibia’s slogan was ‘No More Poverty’, and in India it was ‘Deliver the Promises’.Around the world demonstrations, protests and press conferences were held on Friday, and participants wearing white headbands handed over letters to ambassadors.April 1 was the alliance’s second day of action, with the first one held on January 18 ahead of a meeting of G7 finance ministers in London.Over 20 countries participated in Friday’s activities, staging various events to raise awareness of the fact that 58 000 people die every day from hunger and easily preventable diseases.The next major event is being planned for July 1, ahead of the G8 summit in Scotland.The G8 countries still control most of the world’s resources and on this day the world can unite to put pressure on their leaders to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.The G8 summit will assemble the richest world leaders who have the power to cancel debt, decide on aid and change unfair trade rules and practices.The biggest action planned by the Global Call to Action against Poverty will be in early September, ahead of the UN summit.During the UN summit leaders from all over the world will come together and discuss how they are addressing poverty in their countries.Five years after agreeing on the Millennium Development Goals, the world is way off track, with some targets in Africa not likely to be met of the next 105 years, let alone 15 years after the goals were set.The Global Call to Action against Poverty has decided on the wearing of a white headband so that all people who want to support the movement can participate, no matter how poor they are.Different countries have different slogans written on their headbands.Namibia’s slogan was ‘No More Poverty’, and in India it was ‘Deliver the Promises’.
