I am not a huge fan of making a big deal of charity work/involvement/support, as it usually requires asking people for money, and it really is up to the individual what they do and don’t feel comfortable supporting.
However …… I have been a ‘supporter’ of the ONE Organization for several years as I believe in what they are trying to do, and they ‘only’ really want people to take 5 minutes out of their day and lend their voice.
As you can see from the information below they are asking for support in persuading Gordon Brown to include a representative from the African Union at the upcoming G20 summit that he is chairing.
In the midst of an international economic crisis, world leaders are getting ready to discuss major changes to the global financial system. We need to be sure the world’s poorest people have a voice in this process, and one of the best ways to do that is to give the African Union (AU) and/or the African Development Bank a seat at the table so African voices are heard at this critical time.
The first major international meeting on fixing the global economy will be the G20 summit in the United Kingdom in April. The summit’s chair, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, will determine if the African Union and/or the African Development Bank – the leading political and financial organizations on the continent – are represented alongside 19 nations, the European Union, World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Please click below to add your name to our petition and join ONE members around the world who are calling on Gordon Brown to include Africa:
http://www.one.org/international/includeafrica/o.pl?id=818-1220692-mwi2tLx&t=2
Petition text:
Dear Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
Please include a representative of the African Union at the upcoming G20 summit.
Only a handful of the most powerful world leaders took part in crafting the post-World War II financial system we use today. At a time when some of the poorest nations in Africa are particularly hard-hit by this crisis, it would be a disaster to exclude them again. In addition to many capable African leaders, there are two organizations that could ably represent the needs of Africans: the African Union and the African Development Bank.
The African Union is a regional political body whose member countries have a combined population of more than 967 million people, representing almost one out of every seven people in the world. The African Development Bank funds poverty-fighting projects across the continent and would bring a unique development perspective. If we hope to have a stable financial system that meets the needs of all of us then their input is crucial.
As it stands today, only one African country – South Africa – is invited to the G20 summit. Gordon Brown has the power to ensure that all of Africa is represented by inviting the African Union and/or the African Development Bank. Please ask him to do so and help make the next global financial system truly global:
http://www.one.org/international/includeafrica/o.pl?id=818-1220692-mwi2tLx&t=3
Thank you for making a difference,
David Lane, ONE.org
If you fancy lending your voice then all you need to do is to click on the links above.