ON BEHALF OF

The Holy Father BENEDICT XVI

TO HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL KEITH PATRICK O’BRIEN,
ON THE OCCASION OF THE MAKE POVERTY HISTORY RALLY IN EDINBURGH

His Eminence
Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien
Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh,

The Holy Father was pleased to be informed of the Make Poverty History rally beginning on Saturday 2 July in Edinburgh in preparation for the G8 summit. He sends greetings to all who are gathered for this event, united by their concern for the welfare of millions of our brothers and sisters afflicted by extreme poverty. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, "God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of everyone and of all peoples; so that the good things of creation should be available equally to all" (Gaudium et Spes, 69). For this reason, people from the world's richest countries should be prepared to accept the burden of debt reduction for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, and should urge their leaders to fulfil the pledges made to reduce world poverty, especially in Africa, by the year 2015. His Holiness prays for the participants in the rally and for the world leaders soon to gather at Gleneagles, that they may all play their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world's goods. In the ardent hope that the scourge of global poverty may one day be consigned to history, he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing.

Cardinal ANGELO SODANO
Secretary of State
July 2005
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Queensland Catholic Schools' Concert in support of the Make Poverty History [More]

Victorian Catholic Schools in support of the Make Poverty History Campaign:

G20 Meeting 18-19 November 2006

The G20 meeting of finance ministers, reserve bank governors and the heads of the World Bank and IMF will take place in Melbourne on November 18-19, 2006. This will be the most significant gathering of finance ministers in Melbourne since the World Economic Forum in 2000.

The G20 was formed in 1999 in the wake of the South East Asian financial crisis, with the brief to help stabilise the international financial system to ensure continued economic growth. It consists of yearly meetings of the finance ministers and reserve bank governors of the world's largest economies, and also includes the President of the World Bank, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and a representative from the European Union and the European Central Bank. The chairs of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and Development Committee of the IMF and World Bank also attend. Member nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US. Together they comprise two-thirds of the world's population, 90% of global GDP and 80% of world trade. The G20 is chaired by a different member nation each year - in 2005 it was hosted by China, and this year it will be by Australia. In addition to the yearly meetings, other gatherings and seminars are held at other times throughout the year in the host nation – in 2006, there will be meetings of deputy-level officials in Sydney and Adelaide. The G20 does not have staff nor a secretariat of its own, and relies on the rotating host country to administer it.

In 2006 the theme of the G20 meeting will be “Building and Sustaining Prosperity”. The issues to be discussed will include domestic reforms to achieve “sustained growth”, global energy and resource commodity markets, reform of the World Bank and IMF, and the impact of demographic changes due to an ageing population.

The Official G20 website is found at: http://www.g20.org/Public/index.jsp

The Make Poverty History Campaign will be holding a concert in support of the 8 UN Millennium Development Goals, on Friday evening 17th November in Federation Square, Melbourne. Contact the MCCJDP for further information at justice@melbourne.catholic.org.au
Links:
www.makepovertyhistory.org
www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
www.acfid.asn.au
www.jecs.melb.catholic.edu.au
www.caritas.org.au

Resources:
Make Poverty History powerpoint (2.8Mb)
Make Poverty History powerpoint

Take Part in STAND UP DAY

Contact the office for more information.