Highlights of the Edinburgh Rally
Forming a giant human white band around Edinburgh, challenging the G8 to take action. Sending messages directly to the G8 on two storey high MAKE POVERTYHISTORY letters. Hearing campaigners from across the globe sending a clear challenge to the G8

Provisional Programme:
Saturday
11am MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Rally Starts
12 noon Formation of White band starts
All afternoon in the Meadows: Faith zone. Youth zone. Children’s zone. Rally with Speakers and Musicians. Formation of Giant Letters with white bands for Gleneagles
6.30pm CAFOD/SCIAF Mass

What should I bring and wear?
Please wear white to help create an effective human white band. Wear comfortable shoes – it could take 3 hours to walk. Bring your message on a piece of white cloth to add to the letters for the G8

If you would like to be part of this historic event, seats may still be available on some of these coaches. From Blackburn, Clitheroe and Preston, telephone Maureen Mercer on 01200429930. From Freckleton, telephone Jo Wray on 01253633140. From Poulton le Fylde, contact Paul Bradley on 01253 890763. From Preston & Ribblle Valley, contact L & T May on 01772 492343. From Lancaster, contact Maggie McSherry on 01524 383081. From Workington, contact Margaret McDonald on 01900 604919. From Barrow in Furness, contact 07990786278. From Carlisle, contact Steve & Liz James on 07870585579. From Penrith, contact Audrey Cannon on 01768 866537. From Kendal, contact Judith Scott on 01539 939960

THAT LITTLE WHITE BAND
Jill Moore
During Easter week in Munich 70 young people came together from Finland, Germany, Hungary and England, including a group from Preston, for the International Youth Festival which takes place in one of these countries annually. The festival is an opportunity for young people to share a week of workshops, reflection, fun and prayer.
Some members of the Preston group led a workshop entitled ''The Voice of Justice'' which fitted in with the general theme of the festival ''Raise your voice''. We thought about what we use our voices for including communication, building relationships and standing up for our rights and the rights of others. We listened to the Beatitudes and began to consider social justice and whether it is achievable.
Estelle, in our group, had spent some time in Palestine and she shared her impressions about life and candid there. This prompted more discussion on social justice and our hopes and dreams for the world, and led us to produce our own vision of the Beatitudes which we called ''Universal Dreams'' For our presentation at the final worship of the week we focussed on poverty. We decorated white paper plates with some of our hopes, dreams and thoug. These were placed in a circle round the altar with a cross in the centre. Some plates were left blank to remember those who go hungry. The round plates symbolised the world and the importance of working together. Together they enabled us to form the MAKE POVERTY HISTORY white band.

WHAT GOOD DOES CAMPAIGNING DO?
CAFOD, campaigning for justice for the world’s poor, has for forty years:

• Changed the way we think about giving;
• Deepened our commitment to serving others;
• Demonstrated that duty and obligation are more powerful than selfishness or greed/ and in doing so brought the world closer together

QUOTES FROM GORDON BROWN
In 2005 we must break new ground, go much further than we have gone before. We are proposing a new set of principles to govern the next stage in debt relief.
1. The richest countries match bilateral debt relief of up to 100 per cent with multilateral debt relief of up to 100 per cent so that all debts are covered.
2. The cancellation of debts owed to the International Monetary Fund, should be financed by using IMF gold.
3. Instead of running down the resources available internationally for development, donor countries make a unique declaration that they will cover their share of the World Bank and the African Development Bank’s debts on behalf of eligible developing countries.
So, in 2005, the year of the UK’s G8 Presidency, the push for the G8 progress starts now. CAFOD has set a challenge with 2005 a make-or-break year for development , a moment of opportunity for development and debt relief, a challenge that Tony Blair, Hilary Benn and I know we must, for the sake of the world’s poorest, not squander but must seize, an opportunity to make a breakthrough on debt relief and development, on tackling disease and on delivering the Doha development round on trade. We must rise to the challenge and we accept that we will be judged by what we achieve.
The full text of the speech is on the CAFOD website www.cafod.org.uk

A LETTER FROM 7UP
Dear Mr. Blair,
World Poverty
We are a group of fourteen young people, aged 11 to 14, from St. Anthony’s church, Preston. We are writing to you with our concerns about world poverty. Our group is called 7Up, (not the fizzy drink, but people from school years 7, 8 and 9!).
Amongst other things, we discuss issues affecting our own area and the world and what we can do about them. We have already made collections of things for the homeless and people in need in Preston. Our latest project was to collect over a thousand pounds worth of baby clothes for Street Child Africa.
We are aware of the G8 meeting in Edinburgh and that you as its leader have the power to influence the worlds big nations We would like you to:-

• bring about trade justice by letting developing countries protect their farmers and ending export subsidies that damage poor rural communities,
• cancel the unpayable debts of poorer countries,
• increase aid and make sure the money really goes to help the poorest people.

BIKE RIDE FOR MPH
Michael Allman
MPH stands for “Make Poverty History” NOT miles per hour.

After six months working as a volunteer at CAFOD North West, I’ve learnt not to be phased when our regional organiser Pete Grimshaw looks up from his desk and asks something like “How do you fancy cycling to Edinburgh?” It’s a thrill and a privilege that being involved in something important and exciting is always only a step away. On June 27th 10 of us, united by one cause, set off on our bikes from Manchester on our 220 mile pilgrimage to Edinburgh.

As a group, much like the Church, we’re an unlikely collection of individuals. Among us are charity workers (paid and unpaid), Catholics and non-religious, a korfball player and a belly dancer, marathon runners and cyclists. But like the Church, I am certain that it is our diversity that will make us a strong group, and get us safely to Edinburgh, and like the Church, we are one group because we share one common goal.

I see the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign as a great opportunity to put our Christian faith into action. Our support, by wearing a white band, signing a postcard for the Prime Minister, being in Edinburgh, or just by letting others know really can make a difference. Indeed, as Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “If everyone who wants to see an end to poverty, hunger and suffering speaks out then the noise will be deafening. Politicians will have to listen.”

PRAYERFUL SUPPORT
St augustines parish and cafod group in carlisle are inviting all churches to join them on sunday 3rd july, at 6pm, for an hour of meditation, prayer and song in the style of taize, reflecting on the g8 summit and the make poverty history campaign. We look forward to welcoming some new faces from across the ecumenical spectrum.