We're moving (and we're off to Lovebox) Just a quick late Friday blog to tell you two things... Firstly, in case you didn't know, we're off to Lovebox this weekend, to make sure EVERYBODY there voices their support for the Make Poverty History campaign. We can't wait to show off our little green Oxfam campervan to the dancing masses. Secondly, we're moving offices (which is a blessing cos the air conditioning in the current place packed up a LONG TIME AGO) so updates to the site might be a bit sporadic next week. Just bear with us, and everything will be back to normal asap. Have a good weekend! posted at 3:21 PM | Permalink 4 comments

Help us with a brand new Make Poverty History project! We need volunteers to help with a brand new Make Poverty History project based around the Hindu festival Rakhi. We've produced a limited edition version of the Make Poverty History white band for the 2005 Rakhi (or Raksha Bandhan) Festival, on 19 August 2005. The specially designed band features the words 'Make Poverty History' with a Hindi inscription of 'sisters and brothers unite'. We need your help to promote this initiative and have produced some fliers we'd like to distribute. There are several ways you might help: - Send fliers to friends who you think would be interested - Volunteer around the country to flier Asian clubs, cinemas, temples, restaurants and shops - Volunteers to help us at a range of Asian events and Melas coming up over the next month If you can help, please contact Reema Kotecha on 07921 841 349, or e-mail generationwhy@oxfam.org.uk. More information here >> posted at 11:42 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Oxfam launches appeal for West Africa food crisis With more than three million people - including almost a million children - facing starvation in Niger, Oxfam has launched a £1 million appeal for the West Africa Food Crisis. "The situation is desperate," said Natasha Kafoworola Quist, Oxfam's Regional Director for West Africa, currently in Niger. "The people effected by this crisis need money now. Every day that the world's richest countries look the other way, more people face starvation." Oxfam are calling on the public to support the appeal because the international community have pledged only one third of the money needed to save lives in West Africa. In many cases, even the pledges that have been made have not translated into money arriving. The failure to fund these appeals is putting lives at risk. More on Oxfam.org.uk >> posted at 9:46 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Food crisis in West Africa You may have seen the harrowing pictures on the news last night about the situation in Niger. Around 2.5 million lives are at risk, including 800,000 children, unless more help is received soon. The food crisis has attacked people all over the Sahel but has hit Niger hardest. This famine was predicted after poor harvests last year, and many are asking why the situation was allowed to become so serious. To see what has happened over the past year check out this BBC article. The UN has still only received a third of the $30million it asked for and has accused the International Commuity of ignoring the crisis in Niger. For more information on the famine and what Oxfam is doing, this article in The Guardian and the Oxfam website are helpful. The question is, given the warnings, could the food crisis have been avoided? posted at 3:14 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Are you thinking about ethical careers? It's getting to that time of year when you might be thinking about your future career. You might also be thinking about jobs in charity or voluntary work - and that's where we can help. There are lots of myths about working in the charity sector - that it's impossible to get into or you get paid peanuts. To sort out fact from fiction, it's definitely worth taking a peek at our info on ethical careers and the jobs that Oxfam has to offer. So get to it and don't be too scared! Ethical careers can be really creative and rewarding... posted at 1:16 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Great pictures from Glade 2005 Our campaigners have just returned from a sun-drenched weekend at Glade Festival - they were collecting sign ups for the Big Noise petition (which calls on world leaders to Make Trade Fair). We've got some great pics from this awesome festival on our festivals blog - check it out. We'll be blogging from Lovebox this coming weekend too - so stay tuned for the latest pics and updates. More pictures from Glade Festival 2005 >> posted at 2:12 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Control Arms blog from the UN Last week, our good pals at the Control Arms campaign were at the 2005 UN Biennial Meeting of States, where UN agencies and NGOs met to consider small arms. Simon Gray kept us up to date on progress (or lack of it) in a nifty blog. The blog began optomistically with Simon excited about the great chances the conference offered. On Tuesday many governments said they supported an Arms Trade Treaty - great stuff. The NGOs got their turn to make a pitch on Wednesday - moving and powerful presentations were made about the impact of armed violence on individuals and communities. By Thursday 23 countries had pledged their support for an ATT (Arms Trade Treaty) - double the number at the start of the week. Friday saw the Irish government adding its support too. But it was not all good news. Several key countries came out against global policies to control arms. It's going to take a lot more campaigning to deal with the 650 million weapons in ciculation. You can help - sign the million faces petition or join one of the control arms groups in your area. Take a look at the joint statement by the Control Arms campaign: Oxfam International, Amnesty International and IANSA. Why do you think more progress was not made? Where should the Control Arms Campaign go from here? posted at 9:17 AM | Permalink 0 comments

We still need to Make Poverty History So the G8 summit made some progress on increasing aid to poorer countries. It also had something good to say about cancelling debts of developing nations. But there is still so much more that needs to be done - and so much more for the Make Poverty History campaign to achieve. For a start, we need to put pressure on world leaders to Make Trade Fair, which is why we were telling the good people at NASS about that last weekend. And that's why for the rest of 2005 we should keep the pressure on - we're making a special white band for this year's Rakhi Day (a Hindu festival that celebrates the special bond between sister and brother). These will be on sale really soon - make sure you get yours, and in the mean time keep wearing your other white band. And if you're at Glade Festival this weekend, keep an eye out for our stewards and campaigners. Make Poverty History! posted at 10:25 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Win the new Tom Vek CD! Just in case you didn't know, we've still got Tom Vek CDs up for grabs, courtesy of our friends at Universal Records. It's an easy-peasy competition - have a look here for more details. posted at 12:08 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Make a Big Noise Whatever you do, don't forget about Big Noise Music. 300,000 tracks, 12,000 artists and exclusive songs from the likes of Roots Manuva. Tunes to make your body move and 10 pence in every pound helps fight poverty. Fantastic. posted at 3:29 PM | Permalink 0 comments

Goodbye NASS, hello Glade... Just another quickie - thought we should say what a WICKED time we had at NASS, and thanks again to everyone who stopped by to sign the Big Noise petition and chill out in our big Oxfam tent. If you want to know what we got up to NASS, have a look at our marvellous festivals blog... But no sooner does one festival finish, then another one begins - we'll have some campaigners at Glade this weekend (but no big chill out tent, alas), collecting signatures for the same petition, plus stewards and our trade team selling cool stuff from our shops. More info here. Hopefully, we'll get some pics and stuff from there too - so stay tuned. posted at 12:35 PM | Permalink 0 comments

WTO members meet in China... Just a quickie - World Trade Organisation (WTO) members are meeting tomorrow in Dalian, China. This is a real chance to unlock stalled trade negotiations. It is particularly crucial because of slow progress in Geneva and the failure of G8 to make firm commitments on trade reform. Celine Charveriat, head of Oxfam International's Make Trade Fair campaign, says that "failure is not far away unless the stops are pulled out now." For more details see the Oxfam article and BBC news coverage. Keep your eye on the outcome of this meeting. posted at 11:44 AM | Permalink 0 comments

Did the G8 deliver? Have your say The world's richest countries have made some positive promises, but the outcome of the G8 summit in Gleneagles has fallen short of the hopes of millions of campaigners. Here are the details: AID: Increase in aid by an extra $50bn by 2010. This will save the lives of five million children by 2010 - but 50 million children's lives will still be lost because the G8 didn't go far enough. DEBT: The G8 leaders have confirmed their finance ministers' agreement on debt cancellation, and the Paris Club deal to tackle Nigeria's debt. Yet they didn't include desperately poor countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya and Vietnam. TRADE: G8 leaders failed to kick-start stalled global trade talks. No end date was set for scrapping their damaging agricultural export subsidies. Before the next WTO meeting in Hong Kong in December the rich countries NEED to change their position on trade. Put pressure on them NOW: sign up to the Big Noise petition to Make Trade Fair. Check out what Oxfam has to say about the G8 here. Were you pleased/surprised/disappointed with the G8? Have your say below. posted at 11:17 AM | Permalink 1 comments

We're off to NASS It's getting pretty quiet in the office as most of us weave our way to NASS (the National Adventure Sports Show). This is our first time at the extreme festival and it looks as if it's going to be a good one. Skate and BMX parks, mountain bike trials, downhill and mountain boarding, as well as music from the likes of the Sugarhill Gang and Killa Kela are on the cards. And when we're ready to drop, Oxfam has a coffee tent with sofas, games and DJs during the day, and a cinema at night. We've also got a host of campaigners talking about the Make Trade Fair campaign and getting sign ups for the Big Noise petition. We'll let you know if the sun is shining, and the rest, on the festivals blog. posted at 9:40 AM | Permalink 2 comments

Check out the latest support for MPH Credit: Toby Adamson / Oxfam Support for MPH just keeps on growing and growing. Click here to see what campaigners and celebrities such as Baaba Maal, Gael Garcia Bernal, Eddie Izzard and Pete Postlewhite have to say about G8. The overwhelming message - this week can be the start on the road to making poverty history, and everybody has a part to play. posted at 9:45 AM | Permalink 2 comments

Are we just throwing money at Africa? We've all heard the argument - apparently poor countries will not be able to use a sudden increase in aid and our money will be wasted in the hands of corrupt African leaders. Do we buy it? Well, research by both the UN and the World Bank (highlighted in a recent statement from Oxfam) show that this claim, made by rich governments, flies in the face of economic evidence. Poor countries can absorb more aid, and they need it right now. Cast your eyes over these figures... In 2002, the World Bank said poor countries needed an extra $30billion a year immediately, rising to $50billion in 2006. A UN report, written by 250 world experts, confirmed that poor countries could use $30billion a year now, and $100billion by 2010. So, what do you think? For more info have a look at the Oxfam press releases, as well as a special G8 section on BBC news and 'Brown plays down G8 hopes' in The Guardian online. Post your thoughts below. posted at 2:14 PM | Permalink 3 comments

G8 rally success, but it's not over yet... Massive rally success - In the biggest march that Scotland has ever seen an astounding 225,000 campaigners from all over the globe made their way to Edinburgh. A mass of people, of all ages and from all sorts of groups, happily filled the sun-drenched streets. Their goal: to say as loudly as possible that it is time to stop the scandal of extreme poverty. From Delhi to Edinburgh, Saturday saw people demonstrate their determination to make poverty history. If you couldn't march all is not lost... join the G8 virtual rally; tread the streets of Edinburugh and see what you think of the supporters slogans. Also check out the G8 rally in pictures to see some of the weird and wonderful things people got up to and have a read of Louise's blog for some first-hand experiences. Keep pushing - The sheer size of the turn out means there is every hope the G8 leaders will have to stand up and listen to what the people want. But there is still another leg on the journey to justice. The G8 summit in Gleneagles kicks off on the 6th July and ends on the 8th. There are loads of things that you can still do to make a difference in one final and crucial push. And, before those 8 men meet, there'll be another mass moment at Murrayfield Satdium on Wednesday 6 July. The leaders of the world's richest and most powerful countries have the power to make poverty history, and you can push them to do this. For more information about the G8 Summit cast your eyes over G8 what's it all about? and the Official G8 website. The message to the world leader's right now is "Do what you know is right". Do you think that they will, and if not why? What could the campaign have done differently? What still needs to be done? Have your say here. posted at 4:50 PM | Permalink 2 comments

Have your say on the G8 rally and Live8 We've sent our intrepid campaigner Louise to report back from the G8 rally in Edinburgh - read her diary here. If you're going to Edinburgh or the Live8 concerts in Hyde Park, or if you're watching it all on the telly, we'd love to know what you think of it all. Do you feel that change is about to happen? Post your thoughts below. posted at 5:08 PM | Permalink 14 comments

International White Band Day - TODAY! Just in case you didn't know - today is the first global white band day. The idea is that everyone - and we mean everyone - wears a white band today, to raise awareness of the Make Poverty History campaign, and to put pressure on world leaders to make the decisions to end world poverty. All kinds of people and buildings are already sporting white bands - up to 6 million of the little things have been sold already. Landmarks including the Eden Project in Cornwall (pictured), Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge and Rome's Trevi Fountain will also be wrapped in oversized white bands. It all marks the start of a week of intense global action, during which millions of people in 72 countries will use their voices to call for an end to global poverty - in the UK the big push will focus on the G8 summit in Edinburgh. Follow all the events leading up to this in our G8 diary. More about white band day >> posted at 11:07 AM | Permalink 1 comments

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