This weeks Church Times devotes it’s middle pages to looking at the MPH campaign and what still needs to happen.

Personally, this time last year I was full of enthusiasm and felt we could do something major. Great thins have happened, but I do feel more than a little let down by my MP, my party and my government on this issue – so much more could easily have been done. Why, for example can’t debt be written off earlier, and what is the issue for rich countries with only 0.7% of their income going towards aid? It’s less than 1%, such a small amount with the budgets that these people deal with. It’s saddening that despite the profile of poverty and its effects that still these countries refused to be moved to compassion, even when it involves such a miniscule percentage!

So … poverty is not history yet – which means we keep campaigning. I remember feeling similar after the Free Nelson Mandela concerts … nothing happened, so what did we do – we kept campaigning, supported ANC, continued writing letters and just let our voice be herd again, and again, and again!

Poverty isn’t history yet – so we need to do this again!

There is no clear policy yet on what happens with the MPH campaign in 2006. It may just hand on to outhers, or it may reform in a new partnership as essentially the big push was for the year of 2005 with the unique opportunities 2005 gave. And what a campaign – 31 million people from 84 national coalitions campaigned to raise awareness and demand action – and still governments just did the minimum!!!

Poverty isn’t history yet so there are still things we can do in 2006:

– Go to the MPH website to explore options for ongoing involvement.
– sign the Micah Call
– contact your MP through the stop aids website
– do stuff with the Jubilee Campaign
– keep in touch with the trade justice movement