Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Make Poverty History event in Swindon – pics and report

Simon | 11.09.2005 13:52 | Globalisation

On Saturday 10th September 2005 there was a Make Poverty History stall in Swindon. There were postcards, a big board to sign, two members of parliament, a mayor, an acoustic band, and lots and lots of white ribbon. Here are some photos of the day and a short report.

There was a Make Poverty History stall
There was a Make Poverty History stall

… where people could sign a large board …
… where people could sign a large board …

… calling on Tony Blair …
… calling on Tony Blair …

… to commit to the Millennium Development Goals
… to commit to the Millennium Development Goals

Anne Snelgrove MP signed the board
Anne Snelgrove MP signed the board

There were postcards to send to Tony Blair …
There were postcards to send to Tony Blair …

… and plenty of ribbon for people to make their own white bands
… and plenty of ribbon for people to make their own white bands

Someone got a bit carried away
Someone got a bit carried away

Pixies decorated a few of the local landmarks …
Pixies decorated a few of the local landmarks …

… but they took the ribbons off again before the end of the day
… but they took the ribbons off again before the end of the day

Michael Wills MP turned up for a photo opportunity with the mayor
Michael Wills MP turned up for a photo opportunity with the mayor

Kids give their message to Tony Blair
Kids give their message to Tony Blair

Poverty kills a child every 3 seconds
Poverty kills a child every 3 seconds


Just over two months ago, the world’s most powerful leaders were meeting at the G8 summit in Scotland, and Tony Blair was promising that their number one priority was bringing an end to poverty and climate change.

But then the suicide bombers attacked London, and in a frenzy of inflammatory headlines from the gutter press about “clerics of hate”, the scene was set for Charles Clarke to resume his own agenda of eroding human rights and introduce a new round of illiberal “anti-terror” laws.

Meanwhile, international trade rules are still stacked in favour of big companies in the rich parts of the world, against the poorest producers and workers. Protectionist import duties prevent growers from adding value to their crops themselves (for example, by shelling their own peanuts) and keep prices at rock-bottom to fulfil the West’s demand for ever-cheaper goods. “Aid” is tied up with agreements to “open” their markets to western companies and privatise their public services, putting control of their industries even more firmly in the control of those who have too much money and power.

In short, it’s business as usual, and poverty has dropped off the government agenda.

Time for a reality check.

Terrorists have killed 52 people in the UK this year. Poverty kills a child every 3 seconds, and I make that over 10 million dead each year. The terrorists have got a lot of catching up to do before they are even close to being as big a threat as poverty.




Saturday 10th September 2005 was White Band Day 2, and in Swindon town centre, supporters of the Make Poverty History campaign were putting poverty back on the agenda in the minds of local people, and were doing their best to get as many white bands onto people as possible. Lengths were being cut off reels of white ribbon printed with the words “Make Poverty History”, and wrapped around people, trees and street furniture, to ensure everyone knew what the event was about. Local band Hanza provided entertainment with an acoustic set.

Whilst members of the public were being wrapped in white ribbon, they were also encouraged to fill in postcards and to sign a big board supporting a statement calling on Tony Blair to commit to ensuring trade justice, dropping debt and delivering more and better aid at the UN World Summit. One of those who signed was Anne Snelgrove, Swindon South’s new-Labour MP, who can be seen in the big group photo, albeit partly hidden behind a member of the public.

The mayor came to visit the stall, and stayed around for quite a while, talking to people at the stall and joining the group photo. I think he mistook me for the “official photographer” (he wasn’t the only one to make this mistake during the day), and I found myself trying to explain the concept of Indymedia to him, which was a slightly surreal experience.

Michael Wills, new-Labour MP for Swindon North, turned up briefly for a photo opportunity with the mayor, but didn’t stick around for the group photo.

At around 2pm, all 200 or so postcards had been completed and the board was full of signatures, so with the threat of rain looming, the MPH campaigners decided to call it a day, and carefully removed the white ribbons which were decorating the town centre so well, before posing for a photo with the board full of signatures.


Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this article are my own, and are not necessarily those of the Make Poverty History campaign, or any of the organisations or individuals involved in it.

Simon

Comments

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech