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The Archbishop of Canterbury - plans to challenge global governments to
tackle poverty

Posted On : May 29, 2008 3:20 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
Related Categories: Lambeth

ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/29/ACNS4408

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today announced
plans to mount an unprecedented mass walk of bishops and other faith
leaders through central London during the forthcoming Lambeth Conference
to demonstrate the Anglican Communion's determination to help end
extreme poverty across the globe.

The Archbishop will be joined by approximately 600 other archbishops and
bishops, and their spouses, alongside other UK faith leaders for the
high-profile symbol of commitment to the United Nations' Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) - eight promises made by world leaders to halve
world poverty by 2015. Taking place on Thursday 24th July, the event
will culminate in a rally in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, the London
home and office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The event is being organised in partnership with Micah Challenge UK,
part of the international Micah Challenge movement dedicated to uniting
Christians to work together for an end to world poverty.

The bishops will walk through the heart of the capital, including
Parliament Square, in a vivid demonstration of the diversity of the
Anglican Communion and a witness to the work already being conducted by
Churches and other faith groups to work towards the MDGs - and a public
pledge to work even harder to make sure they are delivered. The faith
leaders will also commit to putting more pressure on their respective
governments to ensure that funding promises are met, and the right
policies put in place, to make a real difference to local communities
across the world.

On arrival at Lambeth Palace, the bishops and other guests will gather
to hear brief addresses from special guests, led by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and likely to include the Anglican Communion's Observer at
the UN, Hellen Wangusa.

The announcement of this walk is being released to coincide with a
meeting of faith leaders and heads of faith-based development agencies,
who met at Lambeth Palace today (29th May). The group discussed how
faith groups can ensure that governments honour their spending
commitments towards the UN targets and make policy decisions in their
support. The UN targets include providing universal primary education,
tackling issues such as maternal health, and reducing child mortality.
The UN's most recent official update on progress towards the MDGs showed
that while achievement of some of the targets has been made, the goals
in areas such as education and maternal mortality are decades behind
schedule in many countries.

Announcing the walk, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Faith leaders
and our communities are active across the UK and the world as advocates
for the poor and vulnerable in our midst. Faith groups often have the
best service delivery networks in the very places which the
international agencies find hardest to reach."

"This walk will be a poignant public act of commitment by the Anglican
Communion and other faith groups to continue to put pressure on those
who have the power and resources to help end extreme poverty across the
globe. It will be about pledging, as a Church, to play our part in
continuing to develop lasting solutions. It will also be a walk where we
will be in step with those who know at first hand the impact that the
unfair distribution of the world's resources can have on daily living
and life opportunities."

In addition to the organisational partnership with Micah Challenge UK,
faith based mission and development agencies attending today's meeting
lent their support to the walk, together with the UK's Department for
International Development (DFID). UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and
DFID have already joined the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in
recognising 2008 as a critical year to renew efforts to achieve the
MDGs. The Prime Minister launched the 'Millennium Development Goals Call
to Action' in July 2006 which seeks better partnerships between faith
communities, private sector and governments to help deliver the MDGs.

Dr Indarjit Singh OBE, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations
(UK), is among faith leaders welcoming the event: "Sikhs support a wide
range of initiatives to raise awareness about the Millennium Development
Goals, and we are delighted that the Archbishop and the Anglican Church
are taking the lead in the important area of education which this walk
will highlight. I hope to join it."

The July event will form part of the international backdrop for the UN
meeting on 25th September, when the UN Secretary General is hosting a
special review on progress towards the goals and the financial
commitments from donor countries.

> Ends

For further information, please contact Ben Wilson at the Church of
England Communications Office, telephone (020) 7898 1326.

The Revd David Peck, the Archbishop's Secretary for International
Development, is available for interview.

> Notes to editors:

The Lambeth Conference is one of the global Anglican Communion's
'Instruments of Communion' and takes place every ten years at the
invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is the one occasion when
all bishops can meet for worship, study and conversation. For more
information, see: www.lambethconference.org.

For more information on the Millennium Development Goals, visit:
www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Micah Challenge UK is a coalition of Christian organisations and
churches in Britain, united in their concern to fight global poverty. It
is part of the international Micah Challenge movement of churches and
Christian agencies uniting to hold their governments to account for the
promises they made towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. For more
information, visit: www.micahchallenge.org/

A full operational note will follow shortly before the event.

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