Maundy Thursday Meeting
Maundy Thursday 2007 saw the leaders of Protestant and Catholic churches in Scotland hosting a progress review of Make Poverty History. The key speakers at Gleneagles were Gordon Brown, the British chancellor of the Exchequor, Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the UN and Hilary Benn, British Overseas development minister.
Follow up to 2005
In 2005 the G8 met in the Gleneagles Hotel. We met in a big tent in the grounds. The Rt Revd Alan McDonald, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, said that a tent is appropriate as it is a fragile, ephemeral structure on the margins with echoes of the refugee camp. He recalled that on 2nd July 2005 a quarter of a million people formed a human chain around central Edinburgh to Make Poverty History and for half of them this was their first ever demonstration. He pointed out that many of the promises made at Gleneagles had failed to materialise. The least progress had been made on trade justice.
Not Nuclear
Co-host was Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brian, leader of Scotland's Catholics. Echoing the words of the moderator, with whom he has a good personal rapport, he agreed there is much still to do. He referred to Holy Week asking how long shall we continue to crucify the poor. Feeding of the world's poor can do more for long term peace than the defence budget. He was cheered for pointing out what could be done in Africa with the £25 billion cost of replacing Trident or even the annual £4.4billion budget for Iraq. (Gordon Brown took a sip of water and seemed not to notice this remark.) The government has failed to reach the target it set 37 years ago of 0.7 % of GDP in material aid. “The Gleneagles promises must be kept - we need trade not Trident.”
Government promises
Gordon Brown began by thanking the churches, faith groups and NGO's, 200 of whom made up his audience, for speaking truth to power. He went on to highlight the progress that had been made with debt relief. He pledged that the UK would go further and give unilateral debt relief to the poorest seventy countries. He compared Make Poverty History to the campaign 200 years ago to abolish the slave trade. Both had firm ethical foundations and seemingly nothing can hold back such popular movements for justice. He assured us that the promises made at the G8 would not be forgotten. Brown spoke movingly of his trips to Africa and of the children he had met there. He undertook, together with Hilary Benn, to lead a campaign for free education for all of Africa's children. He promised £10 million for this and to persuade other nations to join this UK initiative. He promised to continue to fight for trade justice in future negotiations as trade is the driving force for prosperity. As he warmed to his theme he spoke with the passion of a preacher, perhaps learnt from his manse upbringing. He promised a £50 million contribution to help rescue Africa from environmental disaster through reforestation in the Congo where the rainforest is being lost at an alarming rate. Health is also being improved with help from the Bill Gates foundation. The aim is for every child to be immunised and thus eradicate firstly TB then pneumococcus, then malaria then AIDS. Gordon Brown believes there has been considerable progress since the G8 at Gleneagles but we still have more to do.
Former Secretary General speaks
Kofi Annan, with the wisdom of an elder statesman, said that we can no longer expect the very poor to live alongside the very rich and there to be no consequences. Economic development leads to peace and stability. Civil society has a role to play holding governments to account. The Gleneagles summit marked a watershed when civil society was engaged. We are in this together and there is a need to keep on reminding governments to honour the promises made. The millennium development goals are for everyone to implement. The poor prefer trade to handouts: all they want is a level playing field. Environmental changes will affect the poor more seriously. Many challenges demand global responses. Africa should not be a fashion statement but a reality.
British Overseas Aid Minister speaks
Hilary Benn echoed Kofi Annan's words that the world is one village but said we need to be outward looking. He spoke of the hypocrisy of agricultural protectionism in the EU and pledged to end it. As a direct result of debt relief there is now free education for all in Zambia. The UN needs to be made capable of giving voice to the principles set out in the UN declaration. Too many people have become cynical. We need hope to encourage the belief that progress is possible. Benn wants us to focus on the things that unite us in our common humanity and sees the Gleneagles G8 as unfinished business.
Scotland has its own agenda
Jack McConnell, first minister of the Scottish Executive, spoke of the deep links at all levels today between Scotland and Malawi. These date back to David Livingston, the Scot who ended slavery in Malawi. The Scottish parliament does not exist to make Scotland insular but to make the world a better place. Scotland will become a fair trade nation and encourage others to deliver trade justice.
Pledges
At the end everyone was invited to write a promise and pin it on a tree. The cardinal and moderator pinned up promises from Bono and Bob Geldof. Bono wrote “enough is enough. If we truly believe that the value of a child's life in Africa is equal to one of our own children, we cannot break our word to them” and Geldof promised “that the poor of Africa will not be forgotten despite the best efforts of their and our governments (present company excepted of course)”
Tree planting
We moved outside and Gordon Brown planted a tree in the grounds of the hotel as a symbol of hope, and the start of a campaign to plant one billion trees worldwide.
