Realise your power

To get world leaders to act, we should put ourselves at the centre of the action, says Jacob Halpin.

''The truth is if those with the power to make the big decisions chose to, they could end poverty tomorrow.'' ''So how can we, as ordinary citizens, get our leaders to take notice?'' ''Realise your power: suddenly the humble individual seems rather more influential.''

The truth is if those with the power to make the big decisions chose to, they could end poverty tomorrow. OK maybe not quite tomorrow, things are a little more complex than that, but the point remains - if the governments of the world’s richest countries decided to lift global poverty on the political agenda up to the number one spot, then things could start to happen. Imagine it for a moment: no hesitant half-commitments; no bargaining for the lowest acceptable amount; no backtracking around the conference table - just one bold decision to make the difference. This is not impossible - the resources are there, all that is needed is the political will.

It is difficult to picture quite such a revolutionary course of events and, as much as I hate to say it, as long as poverty is sandwiched between a host of other issues it’s perhaps over-optimistic to hope it might continually top the governments’ agendas. This isn’t the point though; it doesn’t need to be number one all the time, just now and again would make a world of difference!

So how can we, as ordinary citizens, get our leaders to take notice? The problem is so great, the numbers so huge, the answers so complex - what can you or I do to really make a difference? The answer is a great deal.

Realise your power
We live in one of the richest and most influential countries in the world and it’s also a democracy. We have representatives who can communicate directly with the Chancellor, the Secretary of State for International Development or even the Prime Minister. This means that every single one of us is only a couple of conversations away from voicing our concerns to one of only a few people across the world that can actually make the decisions that count. Suddenly the humble individual seems rather more influential.

Use it
So now you’ve realised how much power you have the next step is to use it. If you don’t know who your MP is, look them up. Learn the facts: find an issue you particularly care about, whether it’s HIV/AIDS, the campaign to Make Trade Fair, or something else. The Oxfam website is a great resource for this. Read about the issue; find out exactly why it’s so important, and what it is that the government needs to do about it.

Let people know
Once you’ve done your research you can write to newspapers, hold a local event based around the issue of choice or even speak on local radio. Remember, people care about these things and they want to know what they can do to help - and you can be the one to inform them. Next, go and see your local MP or get a group together for the visit. Inform them, explain why they must take action, and ask them to take your concerns forward.

Don’t give up
Imagine if several hundred MPs received spontaneous visits from constituents determined to persuade them of the importance of Oxfam’s Control Arms Campaign, or of the need for the British Government to keep up the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Imagine if national newspapers were suddenly inundated on a daily basis with letters calling on the government to keep its promise to make health care for all a reality, or to ensure international trade talks don’t collapse without progress for the developing world. The results would be dramatic.

Rather than witness distant events via the media from a place of no control, we can put ourselves at the centre of the action. All that is needed is the belief, the facts, and a decision to act. Ending poverty depends on generating political will, and as citizens of a wealthy, democratic country, we are able to do this. The tools are already there, we just need to pick them up and make use of them.