( of western defences against the poor )
[ jun 2005 ]
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"It's great to be asked to help Bob raise public awareness about third world debt and poverty."
Roger Waters - personal fortune: £100m
pinkfloyd.co.uk ...and ...2003 Times Rich List
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"On Saturday July 2 2005 concerts took place in 10 venues. 150 bands and 1250 musicians played across the globe to ask people not to give us their money, but to give us their names. An estimated 3 BILLION PEOPLE watched LIVE 8 the greatest, greatest show on Earth. They came together with one message - make poverty history. "
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"The G7 finance ministers agreed Saturday to write off the debt of 18 of the poorest countries, but firm prescriptions of privatisation hovered over the debt relief offer. Finance ministers from the Group of Seven of the world's leading industrialised nations - United States, Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and Italy (the G8, minus Russia) - agreed to write off 100 percent of the debt of 18 of the poorest countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. That will amount to debt cancellation of about two billion dollars a year.
"Campaigners focusing on debt relief welcomed the move. But the finance ministers' agreement contains a provision on privatisation that has the potential to deliver to them more money than they wrote off.
"The ministers reaffirmed in a statement at the end of their two-day meeting Saturday that 'in order to make progress on social and economic development, it is essential that developing countries put in place the policies for economic growth.' Among these, they must 'boost private sector development, and attract investment,' and ensure 'the elimination of impediments to private investment, both domestic and foreign.' "
Inter Press - june 2005
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related cartoons here:.... 119..|..129..|..136..
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related article here - what's the point?