Anglican bishops and their spouses demonstrated on July 24 in support of poverty reduction worldwide, walking in purple cassocks and native dress past symbols of British power such as the Houses of Parliament and the prime minister’s residence at Downing Street.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and other Christian and interfaith leaders were at the head of the march, walking behind a banner reading “Keep the Promise/ Halve Poverty by 2015,” references to one of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals for global progress.
World leaders have issued a joint statement at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos vowing to make 2008 a turning point in the fight against poverty. The world is facing a “development emergency”, they said. “We pledge to work together to help the world get back on track to meet the MDGs.”
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel today announced an International Health Partnership designed to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Partnership will include major donor countries, including Britain and Germany, and key international agencies such as the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to accelerate MDGs 4, 5 and 6: reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
