Archive
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY
May 30th, Mon - we had a MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY stall at Kelsall Folk Festival at the Morris Dancer - sincere thanks to the organisers of this allowing our late entry, AND our tireless campaigners. We missed the music part but there were lots of people still there, waiting for the next bit of action, or just lazing in the sun, socialising, shopping in the market tents. Go to this if you can next year. We only got that one morning and lunch hour. Moved some leaflets, talked to lots of people, got a fair number of action cards signed. We'll be back.
May 29th, Sun - Politika at Alexander's. The G8 Night sponsored by an alliance of campaigners in collaboration with Alexander's Jazz Theatre. Doors open 7.30pm. Bar till 12.30. The Chester campaigners included Coalition against the War, Palestine Group, Greenpeace and members of Chester World Development Group. Thanks to Dai Owen for heavy input to this event. Music was supplied by singer songwriters Thor and Tony Keogh. Poetry from Dave Barker. Reminder about MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY and Edinburgh coach advert by CWDF. Guest speaker - David McKnight who talked, from his extensive experience in Nicaragua, about farming, environment and justice, globalisation, water privatisation in Latin America. He also touched on the fightbacks by Trade Unionists, who were regularly killed. Some useful points made by audience members in the roving microphone slot: what about the priests, nuns, lay Christians, and of course Romero; remember that globalisation/liberal agenda threatened us too - solidarity was the watchword; beware of the MPH thing being taken over by the establishment and emasculated - some experienced debt campaigners winced at this having quite enough scepticism of their own.
May 28th, Sat - CWDF members ran the All Day Coffee Bar at Wesley Methodist Church, St John Street, from 9.30am through to the afternoon. This was a campaign event for MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY, as well as a money raiser, with displays, literature and action cards. 01244 400906/679270.
May 17th, Tue - Novena of Prayer for MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY,Christ the King, Bromborough, A41. 9.45am. Part of a series in the Deanery of St Werburgh (Chester & South Wirral)
May 16th, Mon - 6PM at Chester College, two 24-foot banners draped on the Tower building, visible from the road outside,saying to passers-by as well as students: MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.
This the handiwork of the Chester branch of Jubilee Debt Campaign, in collaboration with the College. Chester JDC is a very active member of the local alliance.
Pictured below the banner on the tower of University College Chester, are: Peter Linsey, Executive Sec. JDC, Chester, Final Year student Simon Burgess, Rev Lorraine Dixon, College Chaplain, and Final year student Liz Aucott.
April 16th, Sat - MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Vigil in Chester Cathedral, 6pm -7.30pm, with Trade Justice as the prime focus, during the Global Week of Action for Trade Justice. Sponsored by Chester World Development Forum and One Family.
Feb 23rd, Wednesday - at Catholic High School, Old Wrexham Road,Handbridge. 7.30pm. as part of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY - A Talk by Cafod partner, Fr Peter Henriot S.J, a debt and trade justice campaigner, originating from the USA but currently based in Lusaka, Zambia. Fr Henriot has been critical of the recent conference in Rome on the use of GM foods to "feed the hungry world". He said MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY was a new thing - because it was not about amelioration, nor about reductions of scale here and there - it was about elimination. It could be done and must be done. Along with impeccable economic, social and ethical argument, he told stories. He stressed the courage, inventiveness and solidarity of many Africans, but said that the poverty was real enough. He told us about the clever boy who kept falling below his expected performance. When asked why he was so unfocused the other day, he answered:"It was not my turn to eat yesterday". This old-fashioned talk, with just a flip-chart (deployed by an experienced academic) helped put some more bums on Edinburgh coach seats.
