White Band Day 2
Supporters of the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign will be calling for the UK government to fight for positive progress at the UN's 2005 World Summit. As with the G8 summit in Scotland in July, campaigners are asking the Prime Minister to urge the world leaders gathered in New York next week to act now to end extreme poverty, which kills 30,000 children every day.
The white band - global symbol of the campaign to make poverty history - will be worn on wrists, draped on buildings, tied to lampposts, trees and statues. Each campaigner will be joining millions around the world, demanding that the promises made through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should be kept.
Richard Bennett, Chair of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY said:
"On July 2 in Edinburgh, a quarter of a million people gathered to demand that the G8 leaders deliver real change on debt cancellation, trade justice and more and better aid. The G8 responded by promising some steps, but these now need to be built on and delivered."
"As with the G8 summit in Scotland in July, we are asking the Prime Minister to represent our wishes, this time in New York. We ask him to show global leadership and urge every world leader to make the decisions necessary to consign poverty to the history books."
White Band Day II is the day when millions of campaigners united around the world in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty will stand up and be counted and demand justice for the poorest people of the world.
These are some of the activities planned around the UK:
- Cricket fans at the Oval in London will form a giant white band around the ground during the Test Match Final.
- MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY will host two club nights at Bar Rumba in London and Cabaret Voltaire in Edinburgh as part of the Party Against Poverty, a global club night taking place in 8 cities simultaneously. Other venues are Lagos, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Ibiza, Paris, and New York.
- On Sunday 11 September, Wales' highest peak - Mount Snowdon - will be wrapped in a white band by campaigners delivering a very clear message that this generation is the first to have the power to make poverty history; and this generation's leader's must wake and rise to that challenge.
What to do
5 THINGS TO DO ON THE DAY
- Wear your white band
- Wake up and Make Poverty History
- Targeting poverty
- Carry on wrapping!
- Put poverty centre-stage
Wear your white band
Show your continued support by wearing your white band. For information on getting a white band, click here.
Wake up and Make Poverty History
Campaigners across the world will be doing "wake up" actions as part of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. Get local politicians and local people to wake up to the need to Make Poverty History, with events around the theme of waking up on the morning of 10 September to attract media attention.
Targeting poverty
Make up a target with the rings representing years, starting with 2015 as the bulls eye and then other years beyond that, further out and easier to hit. Bows and arrows with suckers on can be labelled to represent some of the 8 Millennium Development Goals at which we are aiming. This could make a great photo opportunity with MPs or local celebrities.
Carry on wrapping!
White bands wrapped around any local landmark are still a great way to promote the campaign. If you've already wrapped a building, how about wrapping all the trees in a park, or all the lampposts in a street, with the white bands appearing overnight for people to wake up to on 10 September.
Put poverty centre-stage
Organise concerts at local arts centres, schools, clubs, etc. with local musicians and bands. If there isn't time to organise your own event, you could approach the organisers of existing events and ask if they would like to promote the campaign.