Skip to navigation | Skip to content

Spread the word

There are many ways to spread the word about global poverty issues during the election:

Letter about Aid

Dear Editor

[x person] deserves great respect for their [thing that they did for anti-poverty charity].

The funds from this will no doubt contribute to reaching the Millennium Development Goals – the targets set in 2000 to end extreme poverty by 2015.

Another key part of reaching the Millennium Development Goals is through UK government aid.  Thus it is vital that the UK government retains the commitment to 0.7% of national income being spent on aid by 2013.

The world’s poor do not have a voice in UK politics, so it is down to us to make sure the UK government keeps its promises.

Yours,

[Insert your name here]

Letter about Finance

Dear Editor

[x politician] has spoken of the need to cut spending because of the economic crisis.

Yet if multinational companies pay the taxes they owe, the UK could recoup £12 billion a year. Poor countries could also gain £89 billion – more than all international aid combined.

Additionally, a ‘Robin Hood Tax’ on speculation could raise up to $400 billion annually.  It is time for UK politicians to take the lead internationally to win global changes that could help people out of poverty in rich and poor countries alike.

Yours

[Insert your name here]

Letter about Debt Cancellation

Dear Editor

[X person] is right to point out that we are all suffering from the effects of the economic crisis.

There are many similarities between the current financial crisis and the ongoing developing country debt crisis. Both were caused by irresponsible lending, both were deepened by barely regulated ‘free’ markets, and both are hurting the poorest the most.

Despite the impression sometimes given, the UK government has still not cancelled all developing countries’ unjust and unpayable debt. It has also increased funding to the IMF – the body responsible for imposing the damaging policies that made today’s crisis so intense.

We need an international debt tribunal, to deal with all poor countries’ unpayable and unjust debts, meaning lenders can’t get away with their current reckless behaviour.  The commitment to halve extreme poverty made in the Millennium Development Goals is not going to be met without such changes. If we are to find a way to tackle poverty in rich and poor countries alike, there must be no return to business as usual.

Yours,

[Insert your name here]

Letter about Climate Change

Dear Editor,

It is good to see that [whatever environmental story is being reported in paper].

Climate change is killing 300, 000 people a year, mostly in poor countries. According to some studies we have less than 85 months before reaching the ‘point of no return’.

To avoid this, we need a cut in C02 emissions across the UK of at least 40% by 2020 – not a pretend cut in which the UK ‘offsets’ its emissions.

Politicians must show that the scientifically necessary is politically possible.

Yours

[Insert your name here]