From the Mothers' Union (MU) web site
In 2005 the MU will be backing the MakePovertyHistory campaign, a mass coalition of activists committed to eradicating poverty through the three critical areas of trade, debt and aid. A diverse partnership of charities, faith groups, NGOs and trade unions have identified 2005 as a decisive year for action. In political terms 2005 will be unique.
The UK is set to host the G8 summit and take on the rotating Presidency of the European Union. The Commission for Africa is due to report back in April, and July will see the 20th anniversary of Live Aid. Towards the end of the year the UN will meet in New York to assess progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Without real policy change the world's governments will fall far short of the goal of halving world poverty by 2015.
The MakePovertyHistory campaign presents a major opportunity to push for change and encourages us to ask ourselves if we don't do this who will? As a grassroots organisation with over 3 million members in 75 countries, the MU has a powerful membership base that can make a significant contribution to the campaign. If we don't take action now, when will there ever be real change for the world's poor?
Through local participatory programmes, especially the Literacy & Development Programme and the Family Life Programme, MU is empowering women to work with their families and communities and initiate local action to improve family incomes and living conditions.
The MU has more than 300 local workers and trainers, all part of the communities in which they work, speaking local languages and understanding local cultures. Encouraging women to gain confidence and status in the community is a very important part of creating local civil society organisations ready and willing to help them.
More information is available from http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/
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