Make Poverty History is... History

So it's official... MPH is at an end... now I know things have a natural end point.... and they are encouraging supporters to sign up to support one of the many other organisations... but, I can't help thinking that having a public umbrella body, makes the ident stronger... and many people who would not sign up to the TUC, Christian Aid or War on Want were swept up in MPH... 'United we stand' as they say!... Their own report says...

NO END TO POVERTY AS RICH COUNTRIES REFUSE TO DELIVER TRADE JUSTICE

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong (13-18 December) could have been a turning point in making poverty history. But the potential for justice for the world's poorest people was squandered.
The WTO meeting failed to deliver the trade justice deal needed in 2005 to make poverty history. The responsibility for the WTO failing the world's poor rests with rich countries whose governments, despite all our campaigning, did not show willingness to deliver trade justice. The agreement reached is far from just for the poor of the world.

...so unfortunately the stated aim has failed... poverty continues... is it really time to lift the pressure?  Personally I never believed that Celebs and/or concerts were even a part of the answer... The power we have is through public protest and the ballot box...  although listening to Mariah Carey may make you squirm perhaps it is time to make the politicians squirm in a different way!  There is something much more powerful in a single united shout than in a hub-bub of voices... so why end it if it has not reached the stated aim?  What has a calendar year got to do with anything?  What ever happened to sustained pressure?  Maybe I'm wrong but somehow this feels like resignation!

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