• NOT FROM EARTHQUAKE
• NOT FROM MONSOONS
• JUST SHEER POVERTY

If you could do something to stop this kind of thing happening once and for all, would you do it? Of course you would. Well, now you can.

THIS IS WHAT TO DO

Remember the Millenium, the parties, fireworks, celebrations? The poor nations do. They remember it well because that was when no less than 191 nations promised to help them. They felt so sure about their promises that they even gave it a name and put a date to it. The date when the promises would be fulfilled was for 2015 and the grand name for whole project was “Millenium Development Goals”. Imagine it. By 2015 extreme poverty would be halved, far reaching health measures put in place, there would be primary education for all – to name but three of the ‘goals’. But guess what? It is already 2005, there are only ten years to go and if there isn’t urgent action NOW, all of those promises will be pie in the sky.

But don’t get cynical about all these broken promises, there is HOPE. A campaign called “Make Poverty History” with over 200 organisations behind it, including our own CAFOD, is determined to see that those promises are kept. And YOU can help. We have a golden opportunity this year. It really should not be missed. In July the leaders of the richest nations in the world – the G8, are meeting in Edinburgh and our own Prime Minister is the Chairman. Make Poverty History campaigners will be there to make sure that the millennium promises are not pushed to the sidelines. Between 20,000 – 30,000 are dying every day of poverty. Our leaders promised to address the issues. They need to do it now, before it is too late. We will ask them to

• Cancel the debt of the poorer countries completely
• Give more and better targeted aid
• Promote trade justice not just free trade which inevitably favours those with all the power.

AND THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Pray.
Use the CAFOD Make Poverty History prayer regularly.
Use the CAFOD Make Poverty History Vigil material.

2. Sign and send the CAFOD Make Poverty History postcard to Tony Blair.
(All the above are available from CAFOD)

3. Send an email to Tony Blair through CAFOD on www.cafod.org.uk

4. Join us on the streets of Edinburgh. Joins us as Scotland prepares to host the leaders of the eight richest nations on earth. Join us as we set out to Make Poverty, History. Last time the Group of Eight (G8) summit came to the UK was in 1998. Then 70,000 campaigners from all walks of life gathered on the streets of Birmingham to highlight the tragedy of third world debt. The World leaders were rocked by the sheer scale of this peaceful mass protest, and a year later agreed to cancel large amounts of poor countries' debts.

Coaches are going from Preston, Lancaster, Freckleton and all parts of Cumbria. The coach from Freckleton will be leaving Holy Family Catholic Church on Saturday, 2nd July. It will be going to Edinburgh and back in the day. For further information, contact Mrs Jo Wray on 01772 633140. For the Preston, Lancaster and Cumbria coaches, contact Anne-Marie Coppock at the CAFOD regional office on 01772 733310.

If you've never demonstrated before – this is the year to do it. Please don’t just think about it, just this once, do it.