UK takes the lead in global debt relief

[-ff-]

This is truly incredible:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4173567.stm

Please take 2 minutes to write your MP and ask them to join with the UK in this endeavour (If you don't know who your MP is, use google). A quick note will take you almost no time.

Rule Britania!

[wum]

charity starts at home

[LeeBrat]

thats realy awsome :)

[maztraz]

Only if the rests of the world could make it equal!

[Mr Ektion]

*sigh* why must we wait for a natural disaster before the world decides to fight poverty on a global scale?

[Senior]

Originally Posted by -ff-

This is truly incredible:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4173567.stm

Please take 2 minutes to write your MP and ask them to join with the UK in this endeavour (If you don't know who your MP is, use google). A quick note will take you almost no time.

Rule Britania!

If you live in Vancouver centre (http://www.elections.ca/scripts/edwa308/maps/59029.gif) Heady Fry is your MP.

Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. Constituency Office
(Vancouver Centre)
106-1030 Denman St.
Vancouver, BC
V6G 2M6
Phone: 604-666-0135
Fax: 604-666-0114
Email: info@hedyfry.com

or

Hon. Hedy Fry, M.P. Ottawa Office
Room 583, Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Phone: 613-992-3213

This is one of the better ideas I've heard for reducing poverty globally in a long time. Third World nations are currently in a catch 22 where they need to borrow money from such institutions as the IMF and WB for development. The problem is that the money comes with conditions and doesn't allow these countries to exercise protectionist measures that allow domestic industry to be able to develop to a point where it can compete globally. On top of that many of these nations end up accumulating so much debt that large portions of their GDP are going towards nothing more than servicing the interest charges without being able to pay off the principal.

(Waits for SEAN! to lay a smack down)

Originally Posted by .Forwerd

*sigh* why must we wait for a natural disaster before the world decides to fight poverty on a global scale?

This isn't the sort of thing that can just be rolled out at a moments notice. Clearly the UK was working on this initiative before the tsunami in SE Asia. Not that I disagree with your idea in principal.

[cubed]

Yup it's true, read Tony Blair's address in this past week's Economist. He's president of the G8 this year and wants to focus on Africa and the environment. I think it's rad.

Diva from cubed's account.

[cubed]

Originally Posted by .Forwerd

*sigh* why must we wait for a natural disaster before the world decides to fight poverty on a global scale?

Who said this has anything to do with the asian tsunamis?
Tony Blair's the President of the G8 the time around and his agenda has to do with focusing on Africa, where the same amount of ppl who die on December 26th, 2004 in Asia, die every six months!

Diva from Cubed's account

[miss.myra]

Good for Mr. Blair, it's too bad about that whole Iraq thing.

[krisamata]

ya thats an aweosome idea


see i like how we arent forgetting about other people in need..

[-ff-]

Originally Posted by miss.myra

Good for Mr. Blair, it's too bad about that whole Iraq thing.

Gold star for myra!

(I must spread some karma around before giving it to miss.myra again)

[-ff-]

Mandella set to back the plan and publicly ask other western countries to join:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4178505.stm

[clevich]

well, count America out. They're having a couple problems with world domination at the moment.

[-ff-]

^
that, and its in their interest to have countries indebted to them - that way they can force them to do things in exchange for economic concessions.

[-DLO_604-]

I find it absolutly it ridiculous how countries have started taking this as a competition to see who can donate more.

[-ff-]

^

this isn't about the tsunami, dude. Read the article.

[clevich]

Well.... if it would be a competition.... I think the States would compete.