Live 8

Make Poverty History is a coalition of more than 400 charities, unions and faith groups ranging from Oxfam and Comic Relief to the Transport and General Workers’ Union.

Although many people see it as a rebranding of previous campaigns with similar aims like ‘Drop the Debt’ and ‘Jubilee 2000’, Make Poverty History calls itself a one year campaign based around the G8 summit of world leaders happening at Gleneagles near Edinburgh in July.

It says because the UK is hosting that meeting, and in charge of the European Union for the next six months, this is the year our politicians can put pressure on the world’s richest countries to end the worst of the planet’s poverty – especially in Africa.

In 2001, the 8 most powerful countries promised to halve world poverty by 2015 – even the chancellor Gordon Brown admits unless something changes, they won’t achieve that target for another 140 years. Bob Geldof: ‘This is not Live Aid 2.

These concerts are the start point for The Long Walk To Justice, the one way we can all make our voices heard in unison. This is without doubt a moment in history where ordinary people can grasp the chance to achieve something truly monumental and demand from the 8 world leaders at G8 an end to poverty.

The G8 leaders have it within their power to alter history. They will only have the will to do so if tens of thousands of people show them that enough is enough. By doubling aid, fully cancelling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the future for millions of men, women and children.’