African leaders ask Brown to put people first at the G20 Summit

The buzz around the G20 has well and truly begun. Well kind of. Unfortunately, it's not yet getting quite as much press coverage as the football results. But here in our office, people are talking about our hopes for the upcoming summit.

We're also getting ready to participate in the Put People First rally on March 28. Then there's G20Voice project, where bloggers like Oxfam's Duncan Green will be reporting back from the summit itself.

One of the items you might have missed earlier this week was Gordon Brown meeting with African leaders to discuss the impact that this crisis is having on the continent.

News of bank collapses, cash injections, market tumbles and stimulus packages, dominate our news. It's easy to forget that this crisis was made in the West but is now being exported out to developing countries. It all sounds a bit similar to climate change to me.

Hundreds of millions of people are at risk of falling into poverty. Unless developed nations contribute more money to help poor nations cope with the shockwaves of the downturn, the poorest people are at severe risk. Now is the time when we can make a massive difference to the future.

The boffins reckon that developing nations need $24 billion right now- or a few bankers pensions, as we like to think of it. This is only a fraction of what has been pumped into developed economies.

Despite being least responsible for causing it, Africa is in danger of being clobbered by it. Does that sound familiar? Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete warned, "This is a very unprecedented problem. Africa is a victim. We are not responsible for its genesis but all of us are suffering."

I double-checked to make sure that he wasn't talking about climate change, he wasn't. He and other African leaders were talking about the "chaos" that this economic crisis could well cause throughout Africa.

It isn't just about ensuring that aid commitments are kept. Yes, that's important as aid provides money for schools and it helps people afford medicine and life-saving treatments. When the big decisions are taken, that will change the face of the financial system, developing nations must have a place at the table.

Our government needs to ensure that developing countries can adapt their economies to new realities. People's lives depend on it. No, I'm still not talking about climate change.

But this G20 we're asking for justice. And now we're talking about economic justice and climate justice. Rich country governments have proved that they can take big action when they need to. Yes, the economy is vital but so is the environment - and it's clear that we need action on both.

So make sure that you attend the Put People First G20 rally on March 28 in London's Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park. Also make sure you follow all the action of the G20Voice bloggers. It might be big enough to get the football off the front pages. After all they're discussing the future of the world.

Ian Sullivan is a campaigner at Oxfam