Anglican Communion News Service

The Archbishop of Canterbury will today (Thursday 24th July) lay down a challenge to world leaders on behalf of the worldwide Anglican Communion and other faith groups: you must keep your promises on aid and development as failure to do so will lead to further starvation, disease and death in the world's poorest countries.

Dr Rowan Williams will be joined in his plea to governments across the world by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who will also address the audience of 650 Anglican bishops, their spouses, and representatives from other faith groups and Churches. The rally, set in the courtyard of Lambeth Palace, follows a walk of witness through central London, where up to 1,500 faith leaders, diplomats, parliamentarians and NGO heads will take to the streets to highlight the urgent need for more action on tackling poverty through sustainable solutions.

In the Archbishop's letter – which is the event's manifesto – he will outline how this generation has a genuine opportunity to eradicate extreme poverty. The document stresses, however, that most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed by global leaders in 2000 to halve poverty by 2015 will not, as things stand, be fulfilled by this deadline – and in fact, risk never being achieved at all.

The letter will be handed to the Prime Minister during the rally by Dr Williams, flanked by Christian and other faith leaders including Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster; Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Chief Rabbi; Sir Iqbal Sacranie OBE; Dr Indarjit Singh OBE; and other senior representatives of Muslim and Sikh organisations. 

The Archbishop will welcome the efforts of the UK government, and the Prime Minister in particular, in leading the community of nations in the EU and at the UN in tackling global poverty and inequality, and in raising awareness through the 'Call to Action' to accelerate progress to deliver the goals.

The Archbishop will add a new challenge, urging world leaders to invest in and strengthen their partnership with the Church worldwide, so that its extensive delivery network for education and health care, alongside other faiths, is fully utilised in the eradication of extreme poverty.

The walk and rally are being organised in partnership with Micah Challenge, an international movement working to engage the Church worldwide in speaking out about global poverty and the MDGs.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has described the event as "a poignant public act of commitment by the Anglican Communion and other faith groups to continue to put pressure on those who have the power and resources to help end extreme poverty across the globe. It will be about pledging, as a Church, to play our part in continuing to develop lasting solutions. It will also be a walk where we will be in step with those who know at first hand the impact that the unfair distribution of the world's resources can have on daily living and life opportunities."

On the same day, in other parts of the world, the Anglican Communion is joining in the call on world leaders. In the United States, the Episcopal Public Policy Network and Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation are co-ordinating a 'Virtual March for the MDGs' to coincide with the London event. Supporters are being encouraged to send emails to Congressional inboxes in Washington, D.C. asking politicians to share the Church's commitment to the MDGs and seeing an end to extreme poverty. Meanwhile, in Canada, members of the Diocese of Ontario will visit members of Canadian parliament to lobby their politicians on the subject of the MDGs.

The initiatives will each contribute to the international backdrop for the UN meeting on 25th September, when the UN Secretary General is hosting a review of progress towards the MDGs.

Text of the letter

LAMBETH CONFERENCE WALK OF WITNESS, 2008

At the conclusion of this historic walk of witness in which the bishops of the Anglican Communion have been joined by other faith leaders from across the world, we are united in our determination to support the leaders of the world to keep their promise to halve extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals framework by 2015. In 2005 in Ireland, and again in 2007 in South Africa, the Anglican Communion collectively committed itself to be ready partners in meeting the goals, with their clear and time bound targets to halve extreme poverty. Regrettably, despite some important progress in some regions and nations, these goals will not be met for millions of people for whom we have pastoral care. 

In our human family the continuing consequence of failure is the death of millions of women and children from child-birth and preventable childhood diseases. Millions more have hopes for sustainable life diminished because of poverty-fuelled conflict, lack of education and gender inequality, all of which undermine a new generation’s liberation from HIV. We add to this now our growing understanding of the poverty and vulnerability created by climate change and the structural injustice in global trade and economics. 

The commitment and progress of the international community to the MDGs thus far is to be commended. The consistent global leadership of the UK government towards meeting these targets is particularly welcome. But Christian pastors and other faith leaders cannot stand by while promises are not kept, when nations are tempted by the easier path of preserving their own wealth at the cost of other people’s poverty.

God’s message of reconciliation calls us to action. Indeed our faith calls us to go beyond the conservative targets set by the Millennium Development Goals merely to halve extreme poverty. We know that the aspirations of the poor and marginalised are inseparable from our own personal or national fulfilment. The goal of our faith is that all may have life and have it in its fullness.

For many years the Anglican Communion, alongside other faith communities, has been active in fighting against poverty and injustice. Our struggle is seen not only through prayer and advocacy, but also by directly serving many of the most marginalised people in our world through the daily provision of education, health care, emergency relief and counselling. In this we are among those who build and bear hope for life when hope might otherwise be lost in cycles of violence, drought and disaster. We pay tribute to the inspiring lives lived by countless people as they seek to know and love God amidst the cruelties of poverty and the burdens that women bear disproportionately. 

Because our faith challenges us to eradicate poverty, and not merely to reduce it, we should be all the more alarmed that with the half way mark to 2015 passed, it is clear that most of these achievable targets will not be met. The cause is not a lack of resources, but a lack of global political will.

When they meet in New York at the United Nations on 25^th September, world leaders must find greater political commitment to addressing poverty and inequality. A timetable for achieving the MDGs by 2015 needs to be created. Our leaders need to invest in and strengthen their partnership with the Church worldwide, so that its extensive delivery network for education and health care, alongside other faiths, is fully utilised in the eradication of extreme poverty. 

Even if delivered, the Millennium Development Goals risk being undermined: climate change is already hitting the poorest hardest, and so we urge leaders to commit to ambitious cuts in carbon emissions, appropriate to the size of their economy and historic responsibility.

We call on leaders to meet their targets for spending on development and implementation of national action plans. We believe that failing to do so amounts to bearing false witness not only to our neighbours, but to ourselves and to our God. May his kingdom of justice come, and his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

By joining us at the end of this walk of witness you will have heard our plea. In receiving these calls from us we hope you also receive the encouragement of the millions of people whom we represent from over 75 countries. We pray that you will continue to drive ahead the concerns we share for the justice and peace in our world which alone is the basis for all human flourishing and commonwealth. 

PDF document of the Archbishop's Letter