Hello,

3 weeks ago – we asked you to send an email to each of the G8 finance ministers, asking them to do all they could at their crucial talks to make poverty history. A total of a MILLION emails were sent over the next 5 days. This was an incredible response.

2 weeks ago – at the talks themselves, those politicians promised to cancel 100% of debt owed by 18 of the world’s very poorest countries, with 20 more that may qualify later.

That means that around 280 million people will soon wake up not owing debts to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the very first time.

Of course there is no escaping the fact that more, much more, is still to be done – an end to the damaging strings attached to debt relief – we still need $50 billion to be given in high quality aid – and a change to trade policies that stop poor countries from prospering.

But it’s clearer now than it has ever been that every single email you have sent so far has been vital and the ones still to come are even more important.

At last weekend’s meeting Gordon Brown said “the eyes of the public are upon us”. In the build up to next month’s G8 Summit in Scotland, we need to leave our leaders in no doubt that the entire world is watching and waiting to see if they make poverty history.

Thank you and get ready for the big push.

Claudia