U2 frontman Bono and rock band Pearl Jam performed a surprise duet on Friday at an open air concert on the sidelines of the Melbourne G20 summit, calling for an end to world poverty.
Church and aid groups joined in the protests as ministers and bankers began arriving.Singing "Rockin' In The Free World", Bono called on 14,000 fans at the free "Make Poverty History Concert" to demand world politicians step up the fight against global poverty.
"Politicians have to do what you tell them to do. We are gonna make poverty history," Bono, a leading voice in the Make Poverty History coalition, told a cheering crowd in an amphitheatre a short walk from the G20 venue.
Aid groups protesting in Melbourne claimed the US-led war on terrorism was soaking up global aid.
"We cannot win the war on terror unless we win the war on poverty," said Rev Tim Costello, brother of Australia's treasurer and co-chairman of the Make Poverty History coalition.
"Global warming, poverty and terror are all linked and it takes a global effort," Costello told the rock concert.
Australia's AID/WATCH group said that despite a rise in global aid, an "excessive quantity" of aid was tied up in conflict zones linked to the war on terror. It said a 2006 review of global aid found that of US$30 billion in new aid since the war on terror began, US$10 billion had gone to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The annual review of international aid flows is damning in its assessment of the short-sightedness of rich nations, pursuing their own security concerns through their aid expenditure," AID/WATCH said in a statement.
"Aid is now centered on good governance, law and order and military assistance, and geared to Australian strategic interests rather than to regional development priorities."
Climate change issues are becoming a top priority for Australians as the change will destabilise the Asia-Pacific region, exacerbate food, water and energy shortages and threaten Australia's security.
Research suggests weather extremes and wilder fluctuations in rainfall and temperatures could transform the region, resulting in a large-scale displacement of people in heavily populated areas and triggering a surge of "climate change refugees".
