This Friday, the finance ministers from the world's eight richest
countries will meet to plan the G8 summit. We will send them an urgent
letter on global poverty, signed by key global figures: Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary
Robinson--and, we hope, you.

Our message: keep your promise to provide 0.7% of national income in
effective aid to relieve extreme poverty. Millions of lives are at
stake. The more people sign the letter, the more powerful our demand
becomes. Click here to sign:

www.avaaz.org/en/g8_poverty_letter/tf.php

The statistics of global poverty are shocking. Each day, 20,000
children die preventable deaths in poor countries. That's why the
broken promises of rich countries are so infuriating.

The world's rich countries have pledged 0.7% of their national income
to development aid. But these promises have not been kept. In fact,
outrageously, the G8 countries gave less in 2006 than in 2005.

At the same time, the last few years have seen an unprecedented
groundswell against global poverty--which has led to new promises and,
in some countries, real change. These fights can be won. That's why we
are working with our friends at the Global Call to Action Against
Poverty to assemble citizens and celebrities behind a single call--for
world leaders to keep their word on global poverty.

Here's an excerpt from the letter:

***

Together you represent the world's economic powerhouses. We write to
ask that you also strive to represent the millions of people whose
lives are blighted by extreme poverty.

Aid is not a panacea. But Marshall Plan aid from the US kick-started
the rebuilding of a Europe shattered by war and delivered real benefits
to the US in terms of new markets for its goods. Aid to East Asia
helped catalyse the economic miracles that have lifted millions of
people out of poverty. Today many African governments are using aid to
underwrite growth and provide essential schools, health services and
water supplies for their people. The poorest countries in the world
need you to honour these aid pledges if they are to meet the Millennium
Development Goals and end poverty. Please seize that chance today.

***

The letter will be delivered Friday with big ads in the Financial
Times and German press, just in time for the G8 finance ministers'
meeting. Click here to join Desmond Tutu by signing on:

www.avaaz.org/en/g8_poverty_letter/tf.php

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Galit, Iain, Graziela, Paul, and the Avaaz team