Poverty aid (From Barry And District News)

Poverty aid

PEOPLE have the chance this Christian Aid Week (May 15-21) to add their voice to the "Big Vote" for Trade Justice, part of the 2005 make Poverty History campaign.

As people donate money in the familiar red Christian Aid Week envelopes, they will be offered a "Speak Out Against World Poverty" voting card.

All they have to do is to put an X on the voting card, add their name and address, and send it off to the Freepost address shown.

The cards, being distributed throughout the UK, will be used to show government and decision-makers how ordinary people care about the issue of world poverty.

Poverty means half the world"s population struggles to survive on less that £1.50 per day, while poverty is also estimated to lead each day to the unnecessary death of no less than 30,000 people.

The Make Poverty History campaign is calling not only for Trade Justice, but also for more and better aid and debt relief. 2005 is a key year, with the UK hosting he G8 Summit in July, and then holding the Presidency of the EU for the second half of the year.

Neil Sprinks

Dinas Powys Council of Churches Christian Aid Committee