Christians Challenge Brown to Tackle Poverty

Anti-poverty coalition Micah Challenge has urged Britain's new Prime Minister to take a powerful stand to stamp out global poverty.

|PIC1|The Millennium Development Goals were set in 2000 by world leaders to reduce poverty. Last month, during Prime Minister's Question Time, Tony Blair gave his "complete support" to the aims of Micah Challenge to ensure that world leaders keep their promises and meet the MDGs.

As Mr Brown takes over as PM Wednesday 27 June, Micah Challenge - a coalition of churches and Christian organisations - is challenging him to do the same.

Mr Brown's track record of commitment to keeping those goals has been praised by Micah. He was instrumental in getting G8 countries to agree to a relief package at Gleneagles in 2005. He has also made free universal education one of the two main pillars of Labour's foreign policy. The other is climate change.

Last month in Parliament he said Britain's Government would continue to press the international community to raise development aid.

Andy Clasper, Micah Challenge Executive Director, said: "Gordon Brown has a great track record for getting the British Government and the international community to honour the promises they have made to the world's poorest people.

"Now Micah Challenge is challenging him to keep up the good work and make a positive difference to the world's poor during his time as Prime Minister.

"I know that this is an issue that's close to Gordon's heart and I would quote back to him his own words on tackling world poverty, that gave us so much encouragement in 2004.

'When the need is pressing when it is our generation that has made historic commitments, the simple questions that we must ask are: If not now, when? If not us, who? If not together, how? Not left to some other time and some other people but now and us, working together.'

"I and the members of Micah Challenge coalition and countless others like us are ready, Gordon."

Micah Challenge, founded in 2004, is a worldwide movement of Christians, churches, church organisations and key individuals across 32 countries. Thirteen more national campaigns are set to launch throughout 2007, united with the goal of making sure that the MDGs are implemented.

Core members working within the Micah Challenge UK include: Evangelical Alliance UK, Christian Today, Alpha International / Holy Trinity Brompton, BMS World Mission and Christian Medical Fellowship.