Reduce poverty

CADA launches MAKE POVERTY HISTORY in Northern Ireland

The Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies (CADA), in association with Carmel Hanna MLA, publicly launched MAKE POVERTY HISTORY in Northern Ireland at Parliament Buildings, Stormont at 9.45-10.30am on 31st January.

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY was launched in the UK earlier in January with a host of celebrities- such as Bono, Dawn French and Dermot O’Leary- and over 200 charities, campaign groups, trade unions and faith groups calling for the mobilisation of resources and political will in 2005 to end world poverty. It is part of a worldwide initiative, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, highlighting 2005 as a year when governments must act on their previous commitments.

The symbol of the campaign is a white band and at the Northern Ireland launch, CADA presented Northern Ireland MPs and MLAs with a white wristband to demonstrate their support. To mirror the growing public support for ending global poverty, Parliament Buildings itself has been ‘virtually wrapped’ in a white band echoing similar ‘wraps’ by the campaign of Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the UN in New York.

2005 is a year when the British Government plays a central role in international decision-making, hosting both G8 Summit in July and chairing the EU Presidency in the latter half of the year- as well as launching the final report of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa in March. Members of the MAKE POVERTY HISTORY campaign are calling for landmark pledges on overseas aid, debt relief and trade to help meet the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015.