http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=2444

UNISON NEWS
Make Poverty History winds up
(3/2/06) Make Poverty History, the campaign aimed at ending third world poverty, was formally wound up this week.

The decision was made at an assembly meeting of the 540 charities, trade unions and activist bodies which formed the Make Poverty History coalition.

Set up in 2004 to capitalise on the political spotlight offered by the UK’s presidency of the EU and hosting of the G8 summit, the campaign was deemed to have come to its natural close.

But UNISON has vowed to build on the legacy of the campaign and on the strides made by the union itself in seeking debt relief and trade justice.

“The response we’ve had from UNISON members has demonstrated their deep commitment to the issues of Make Poverty History,” said the union’s head of international relations, Nick Sigler. “They have also shown their enthusiasm for taking part in the fight for those issues – and to continue to do so.”

Central to Make Poverty History were the demands for a cancellation of third world debt and an improvement in the economic and trading conditions that hold back the world’s poorest countries.

UNISON was the first trade union to join the campaign, playing a significant role in its key events:

* UNISON was the only union officially represented at the Wake Up to Trade Justice vigil in London;
* 10,000 UNISON members joined the march and rally in Edinburgh ahead of the G8 Summit;
* the union played a part in the mass lobby of parliament on trade justice;
* and it campaigned for increased funding of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria.



The union’s international committee recognised that the campaign enjoyed only limited success: although $20 billion of additional aid was pledged and 19 countries had their debt to the International Monetary Fund cancelled, these changes fell well short of the demands for 100% debt cancellation of all poor countries, and more and better aid.

However, Nick Sigler cites as further successes the commitment to provide universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010, and the increase in public awareness of third world poverty.

And for UNISON, the campaign helped to introduce many branches and individuals, including young members, to the union’s international work.

“The aim now is to work with branches and activists to ensure that we maintain the momentum of the work we’ve done and add to its achievements,” he said.

Oxfam, Heifer International and other groups are wolves in sheep's clothing
... involved in the animal slaughter industries. Ann Veneman, formerly trained by Lyng
of the American Meat Institute, is now the head of UNICEF and John Bolton,
former meat lobbyist, is now the American ambassador to the UN

UNISON claims joining the Make Poverty History Campaign has been a success. The claims include the provision of HIV medicines by 2020 is a fact that many recognise to be too late as many people are dying now. This sort of deal has been on the table for some time and everything has been done to prevent the provision of essential medicines. It is clear that money and branch membership of the UNISON are the reasons for joining the campaign Make Poverty History as there is little evidence of any good impact of the campaign other than it is business as usual for companies and Government's partaking in the wanton destruction of poor people's lives by removing their resources or causing displacement by destroying their environment.

On the campaign Make Poverty History - If you count selling white wristbands made by sweat shop workers in China (the irony is not lost on big charities or big companies), a pointless rock concert now referred to as LIE 8 (Bob Geldof making money for musicians and himself by using it as a promotional exercise fo re-releasing long forgotten back catalogues - this was how wannabee aristocrat and personal friend of Clinton Madonna's career was revived) and forging an alliance that includes not mentioning the war or privatisaton and colluding with heads of states, many of which are are either corrupt, oppressive and in the case of Tony Blair, a war criminal that has yet to be tried - then UNISON is definitely a success.
Good luck with your membership but remember you need human beings for your organisation to exist - if you continue to let such things happen then it is not surprising you and others are a failure.

This is a response to the email below

"Make Poverty History" no longer exists

04.02.2006 19:49
 http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=2444

UNISON NEWS
Make Poverty History winds up
(3/2/06) Make Poverty History, the campaign aimed at ending third world poverty, was formally wound up this week.

The decision was made at an assembly meeting of the 540 charities, trade unions and activist bodies which formed the Make Poverty History coalition.

Set up in 2004 to capitalise on the political spotlight offered by the UK’s presidency of the EU and hosting of the G8 summit, the campaign was deemed to have come to its natural close.

But UNISON has vowed to build on the legacy of the campaign and on the strides made by the union itself in seeking debt relief and trade justice.

“The response we’ve had from UNISON members has demonstrated their deep commitment to the issues of Make Poverty History,” said the union’s head of international relations, Nick Sigler. “They have also shown their enthusiasm for taking part in the fight for those issues – and to continue to do so.”

Central to Make Poverty History were the demands for a cancellation of third world debt and an improvement in the economic and trading conditions that hold back the world’s poorest countries.

UNISON was the first trade union to join the campaign, playing a significant role in its key events:

* UNISON was the only union officially represented at the Wake Up to Trade Justice vigil in London;
* 10,000 UNISON members joined the march and rally in Edinburgh ahead of the G8 Summit;
* the union played a part in the mass lobby of parliament on trade justice;
* and it campaigned for increased funding of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria.



The union’s international committee recognised that the campaign enjoyed only limited success: although $20 billion of additional aid was pledged and 19 countries had their debt to the International Monetary Fund cancelled, these changes fell well short of the demands for 100% debt cancellation of all poor countries, and more and better aid.

However, Nick Sigler cites as further successes the commitment to provide universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010, and the increase in public awareness of third world poverty.

And for UNISON, the campaign helped to introduce many branches and individuals, including young members, to the union’s international work.

“The aim now is to work with branches and activists to ensure that we maintain the momentum of the work we’ve done and add to its achievements,” he said.

fyi