Have you registered to vote? If you haven't registered to vote by 11 March, you won't be able to vote in the next general election (which will probably be in early May). Only 39% of 18-24 year-olds voted in the 2001 general election. Your vote is a great chance to support those political parties you feel are making steps towards helping poor people across the world. If you're still not convinced, we've come up with a few arguments that might persuade you that voting isn't a waste of time. More here >> posted at 1:49 PM | Permalink 2 comments

Crisis in Asia gig review and photos We've put a review and some rather lovely photos from the Crisis in Asia gig on the site: have a look here. Just so you know, the two gigs and the club night the week before helped to raise over £100,000 for Oxfam. Over half the concert goers also bought Make Poverty History wristbands, and nearly 1,000 signed the Make Poverty History petition. Nice one. More here >> posted at 11:48 AM | Permalink 1 comments

Photo competition: send us your t-shirt pics! Have you bought one of our famous (and fabulous) t-shirts? If so, you could win another great t-shirt from the range! Just send us photos of you (and your mates too if you want) wearing your t-shirt(s), and we'll print the best ones. The very best picture - as judged by, er..., us - will win any t-shirt from the range. So, what are you waiting for? Send those pics in now! The closing date is Wednesday 31 March - email your photos to generationwhy@oxfam.org.uk. More about our great t-shirts here >> posted at 3:20 PM | Permalink 1 comments

Footballers support Control Arms... Just stumbled across this on the Control Arms site - a number of top premiership footballers have lent their support to the Control Arms campaign. As Chelsea star Claude Makelele says: 'All over the world, the out-of-control arms trade continues to cause suffering to innocent men, women and children. This must be stopped, with the help of an international Arms Trade Treaty.' More on the Control Arms website >> posted at 11:20 AM | Permalink 1 comments

Download tunes (and donate to Oxfam) on Big Noise Music Just wanted to plug Big Noise Music, Oxfam's music download site. It's got something like 300,000 songs, which sounds like a helluva lot to me, and 10p in every £1 you spend goes to Oxfam. As well as that, the site features exclusive tracks by certain artists 'cos they support Oxfam. Woo hoo! What corporate marketing execs would call a 'no-brainer', no doubt. Anyways, there are current exclusive downloads from Roots Manuva (pictured) and Manic Street Preachers, plus a nifty David Bowie playlist. More about Big Noise Music here >> posted at 4:10 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Loads of new stuff online Just in case you hadn't noticed, we've got lots of new content on GenerationWhy. We've got an interview with Notting Hill-legend Rhys Ifans, who has given his support to the Make Poverty History campaign. We've also spoken to the divine Katie Melua, who has lent her support to the campaign too. We've got a rather splendid review of that wonderful day in Trafalgar Square, where 20,000 heard Nelson Mandela speak out against global poverty. And we were able to track down Jamie Theakston, who went to Liberia to find out more about Oxfam's Control Arms campaign. Finally, if you're in the mood to raise some cash for Oxfam, we've put together some great fundraising ideas, just in time for Red Nose Day. Phew! posted at 9:32 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Crisis in Asia gig - webcast Sorry, forgot to mention on yesterday's Blog - for those that didn't go to the Crisis in Asia gig, or those who want to refresh their memories of a top night, you can download a fab webcast of the whole thing (featuring The Coral, Robert Plant, Massive Attack and Portishead) on the Crisis in Asia website. It costs just £4.50 and all proceeds collected go to Oxfam. More here >> posted at 11:20 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Send Oxfam your crime books Got any old Agatha Christie or Inspector Morse books lying around? Well we want 'em - Oxfam has launched its own campaign to Make Crime Pay this month. In a special drive to satisfy the demand for those classic whodunnits, Oxfam is appealing for quality donations of crime, mystery and detective books. The thinking is simple: people love crime fiction so, with more donations in this genre, Oxfam bookshops could raise more money to find lasting solutions to global poverty. More details on the main Oxfam website >> posted at 10:26 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Fairtrade Fortnight: not long to go now! We're only a week away from the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight, the biggest Fairtrade event of the year. All over the country there will be tasting stands showcasing Fairtrade products, clothes shows, forums, and loads of other exciting events, so be sure to find out what's going on in your area. Two representatives - Ethiopian coffee farmer Tadesse Meskela and Dominican banana grower Regina Joseph - will be touring the country as part of the event, so you might get a chance to see someone whose life has been bettered by fair trade, and find out first-hand the difference it makes. More on the Fairtrade Foundation website >> posted at 11:47 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Crisis in Asia gig: brilliant! Just a quick Blog entry to say what a wicked night we had at the Crisis in Asia gig on Saturday. It was a massive sell out - people queued all the way up the street in the cold Bristol night to pick up their tickets and get inside. I think our man Benny Littlejohn said that the two nights over the weekend helped to raise £100,000 for Oxfam's work in the tsunami-struck countries. Personal highlights: - The Coral singing Buddy Holly classic 'Everyday' - All the volunteers selling white bands, t-shirts and promoting the Make Poverty History campaign - Robert Plant rocking the whole place - Damon Albarn's solo rendition of 'Tender', complete with crowd-backing ('Oh my baaaay-beeeeee, Oh my baaaa-aaay-beee') - Our very own Benny Littlejohn's speech to the masses - Massive Attack booming out Karma Coma to a happy crowd - The rapturous reception for the amazing Beth Gibbons and Portishead. We'll put some more pics and a proper review on this site over the next few days - in the meantime, a big thank you to everyone who made the gig such a huge success. More details about the night >> posted at 9:25 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Anyone going to Bristol for the crisis in Asia gig? Well, are you? It should be a great night - for those that don't know, Massive Attack and Portishead (along with Robert Plant and The Coral) have joined with Oxfam to raise money for the relief effort in Asia following the tsunami. Oooh, I can't wait for Portishead personally. If you can't make it, there's a live webcast which you can pay for and access here: www.crisisinasia.com - all proceeds go to Oxfam, of course. We'll have a review and pics from the gig on this site next week. More info here >> posted at 1:35 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Competition: win an ethical careers guide! They say that more and more students and graduates these days want more than the average job, and want to make a difference with their careers. Trouble is, where do you start? Well, you could do worse than JustWork, the Ethical Careers Guide - a new handbook on careers with a conscience, packed with features, interviews, case studies and 30 career profiles of real people doing real ethical jobs. We're giving away 5 copies to you lucky people - all you need to is answer a simple question - go here for more details >> posted at 3:07 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Fancy yourself as a campaigner? As part of a new project called 'Change', we're giving 50 young people the chance to receive specialist campaign training. If selected, you'll take part in a four-day residential course in rural Wales just after Easter, where we'll teach you how to be an effective campaigner. All we're asking in return is that you take the skills and knowledge we've given you and put them to use in your own community. Hurry though - the deadline for applications is 12pm on Monday 28th February 2005. More here >> posted at 11:35 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Coldplay's Chris Martin goes to Ghana Just some new content we've put on today which you might want to know about: Coldplay dude Chris Martin, one of the leading celebrity campaigners for fair trade, has been in Ghana with Oxfam to find out more about how trade injustice affects poor farmers. Interesting stuff. As Chris says: "We are making money out of these people and they can't afford to send their kids to school. We've got to keep banging on about fair trade. If people knew what these trade laws created they would be shocked." More here: Chris Martin goes to Ghana>> posted at 2:10 PM | Permalink 2 comments

Give your time - be a festival steward... Reading the rather fantastic GenerationWhy website is all well and good, but don't you want to get out there and actually do something? As you might expect, there are probably about a billion ways for you to give your time to Oxfam - we've put some of the best ones together here: give your time. We've also profiled three recent volunteers, including the lovely Shruti Uppal (pictured), who gave up her time to volunteer as a steward at Glasto. So, what are you waiting for? posted at 1:51 PM | Permalink 1 comments

What do you think of our new-look GenerationWhy? Just a quickie - those of you who have been here before may have noticed that we've got a rather gorgeous, new-look GenerationWhy. We've got this new Blog, for starters, but we've also put lots of new content on about issues and our campaigns. There are loads of new ways for you to get involved too - have a look at do something for more on this. And, of course, there are our t-shirts and all the forthcoming gigs and events that support Oxfam. We'd love to know what you think - send us an e-mail to generationwhy@oxfam.org.uk. Oh, and apologies about the badger picture - we have a rather disturbing badger fixation round these parts. posted at 5:02 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Trailwalker: get your applications in! Trailwalker is a brilliant fundraising challenge - the aim is to get your team of four across 100km in less than 30 hours, to help Oxfam overcome poverty and suffering. Applications for this year's event need to be in by 31 March. You'll be walking across the South Downs Way, near Brighton, and this year the event takes place on 16-17 July. Whether you take part as a team of workmates or as a group of friends, you'll learn a lot about each other from the experience - and share an amazing sense of achievement together. Find out more here: Trailwalker on oxfam.org.uk >> posted at 4:07 PM | Permalink 0 comments

White bands: this year's ultimate fashion statement The Make Poverty History white band - as modelled by Keane, Jamelia and Lemar at the Brits - is this year's ultimate fashion statement, according to a recent report in The Guardian. Apparently, the wristbands (that symbolise the international campaign against poverty) have become the 'latest accessory for the cool-but-caring celebrity'. The bands - available in all Oxfam shops and online for a pound - have even been put up for auction on eBay and are selling for 8 or 9 times that amount. But, as The Guardian says, 'The spectacle of wristbands designed to raise awareness of global poverty being traded for profit as fashionistas rush to buy has prompted the swath of charities behind the campaign to attempt to crack down on the practice.' More here: 'Wearing your heart on your wrist becomes a fashion statement'. posted at 11:45 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Tsunami latest: 'Oxfam radio' sends out health advice Just looking on the main Oxfam website, and saw this snippet on the tsunami update section. Oxfam have employed a local radio journalist to present daily 'Oxfam' radio shows in Indonesia. Habibah (pictured) plays music in addition to giving public health advice and invites members of displaced communities to give their views on air. Oxfam also plans to distribute 3,500 radios to help people stay in touch. More info here: Tsunami crisis: situation update. posted at 2:28 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Oxfam urges lovers to follow their noses... Oxfam is urging lovers to buy a nose, not a rose, on Valentine's Day to assist them in supporting Comic Relief and its 10th Red Nose Day. Oxfam's 750 shops across the UK are, along with Sainsbury's, the only place on the High Street where the famous Red Noses can be bought this year. Oxfam hopes people will make a departure from tradition and 'say it with noses' on Valentine's Day, too. More info here: www.rednoseday.com. posted at 5:28 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Young people 'more interested' in politics Just a news snippet we found... A new survey has revealed what we at GenerationWhy knew already - despite the apathetic stereotype, young people have a strong interest in modern politics. The NOP World poll found that over 80 per cent of 16 to 20 year olds feel strongly about political issues such as crime and education. Three quarters of the 500 people surveyed said they discuss current affairs with friends and family, and nearly half would join a rally or demonstration. For the full story, go here: epolitix.com: 'Young 'more interested' in politics'.. posted at 9:59 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Crisis in Asia club night: Roni Size confirmed! Drum'n'bass legend Roni Size has been confirmed for the Crisis in Asia club night at the Bristol Academy this Saturday (12 February). He joins James Lavelle (aka U.N.K.L.E) and Geoff Barrow (Portishead) for what should be a stunning night. For more info, have a quick look here: www.crisisinasia.com. posted at 1:41 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Club Together in London, this Thursday! Are you coming clubbing with us on Thursday night? Go on, you know it makes sense. Loads of the UK's best DJs and promoters have come together to raise funds for those areas hit by the tsunami. Some of the GenerationWhy team will be trying to dance to Grooverider at Turnmills, but there are big name acts playing across the capital. Basement Jaxx will be doing a DJ set at Dig Deep (Heaven), Justin Robertson is playing at Neighbourhood and Andy Weatherall is doing his thing at Herbal in Shoreditch. For more info, have a look here: www.clubtogether.net. posted at 9:24 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Crisis in Asia gig: extra night announced! Just a quickie - for those that didn't know, an extra night has been announced for the 'crisis in asia' gig. You know, that Massive Attack and Portishead thing. Looks good. Go here for more info: www.crisisinasia.com. posted at 2:08 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Tsunami crisis: latest news from Oxfam Oxfam is continuing to address the needs of people across the region affected by the tsunami. Many people now want to return to their communities and rebuild their homes and livelihoods. Oxfam is working with communities to address their needs and already some livelihood schemes, such as cash for work programmes, are under way. Click here for more info: Tsunami crisis: situation update. posted at 10:54 AM | Permalink 1 comments

Nelson Mandela rocks Trafalgar Square Yesterday, Nelson Mandela urged leaders to make poverty history in an address to 20,000 supporters in Trafalgar Square. He told them to "recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words." The former South African president, was addressing a crowd of thousands in London's Trafalgar Square at the campaign's first mass rally which also featured speeches from Bob Geldof and Oxfam's Adrian Lovett. He appealed for G7 leaders to make a concrete commitment to overcoming poverty at their meeting in London on 4 February and also emphasised the importance of 2005 as a great opportunity for change. For his speech in full, click here: Mandela's speech. posted at 11:37 AM | Permalink 4 comments

Our Cirque de Soleil winner speaks! You may remember our Cirque de Soleil competition we ran a week or so ago - well, we picked our winner - Sue Baker - and this is what she had to say about her night: "It was brilliant, unlike anything I have seen before. The Albert Hall was full and there were children sitting in front of us who found the clowns hilarious, so it was a show for all ages. The acrobats are so bendy, how they manage to do the things they do beats me and it is so spectacular with the costumes and the lighting and music. We both had a wonderful night and we even got on street parking so we didn't have to pay to park!" posted at 3:44 PM | Permalink 0 comments

G7 finance ministers must cancel poor countries' debts Campaigners are urging finance ministers from the world's richest nations to use this weekend's G7 meeting in London to cancel poor countries' debts. In a report released today ahead of the London meeting ("Do the Deal: the G7 must act now to cancel poor country debts"), leading international agencies ActionAid, CAFOD and Oxfam say the finance ministers must seize this opportunity to have a huge impact on world poverty. Find out more here: G7 finance ministers must cancel poor countries' debts. posted at 1:51 PM | Permalink 0 comments