Jade, Christina, Kelsey & j-nae showing how to wipe out the debt in Piccadilly Fountains

Commemorating World Debt Day, hundreds of Mancunians signed petitions and energetically set about wiping out the debts of the poorest countries in the Piccadilly fountains.  The petitions called on the Finance Ministers of the world’s rich countries to wipe out all the debts of the poorest countries as part of this years MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign.  In spite of the tragedy of 30,000 children dying every day from the diseases of poverty, the Wipe Out Debt stunt in the fountains was great fun symbolising the millions of children whose lives have already been made happier through health care and schools funded by debt cancellation.

 Campaigner Eileen Hayes said “It’s a great excuse to act like kids and enjoy ourselves whilst making the point that after all their promises a billion people are still living in poverty which we could afford to end!  Almost everyone has seen the TV click advert showing how someone dies every three seconds so this year they want to join in and help MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.”

World Debt Day commemorates the day in 1998 when over 70,000 campaigners surrounded the G8 meeting in Birmingham demanding that the unpayable debts be cancelled, which led to an unprecedented cancellation of $100Bn of debts a year later.  This year the G8 return to Britain in July, meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland.  The MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign is demanding that all the debts are wiped out, trade rules are made just and that there is more and better aid.  The G8 meeting in Gleneagles will be preceded by an even greater parade demonstrating the commitment of hundreds of thousands of people that governments honour their promises made at the United Nations to halve poverty by 2015 and insist that they make poverty history!

The MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign has attracted a galaxy of stars, including of course Bono and Bob Geldof. Judging by the thousands of Mancunians who have signed the petitions and postcards and joined in the World Debt Day, the mass protest and parade in Edinburgh on July 2^nd is going to be a huge success; a day with a carnival atmosphere, music, theatre and a mass parade around Edinburgh castle mound.