Make Your Voice Heard at the 2007 G8 Summit

World Vision urges you to send your comments to President Bush before the G8 Summit in Germany, June 6th to 8th. Let him know that our great nation must keep their promises made at the 2005 Summit in Scottland.

The leaders of the eight most powerful nations in the world pledged to At the 2005 meeting, the G8 leaders committed to:

Cancel the debts owed by 35 of the world's poorest countries to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and African Developement Fund.

Increase aid to poor countries by $50 billion dollars by 2010, with half the aid targeting Africa.

Increase humanitarian aid and support to peacekeeping and arms control.

Help create a world trade deal that favors poor nations.

Ensure univeral access to AIDS prevention, treatment, and care by 2010.

The G8 leaders have made progress reaching these goals but much more remains to be done to make the 2005 goals a reality. This years summit marks the halfway point to completition of these goals. World Vision needs our help to remind President Bush that the issues of AIDS and world poverty are important to us. We, as Americans, want to be seen as a provider of hope and help, not a super power that dominates by dropping bombs and deploying soliders.

Go to www.worldvision.org to send a letter to our president and express your views on these urgent issues. The link to the form is on the center of the homepage.

For a little background, World Vision is a Christain charity that has been helping children around the world since Doctor Bob Pierce founded the organization in 1953. They are one of the largest and highly respected charitable groups in our country.

You can trust the information contained on their website and feel comfortable that money donated to them actually gets to the people it's intended for.

The G8 summit nations are Canada, the United States, Italy, Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The summit's first meeting was in 1975 and they have met every years since to discuss issues of mutual and global concern.

AIDS and world poverty are such issues. The G8 has limitations and is an informal meeting of the minds but these are our world leaders all gathered in one place. They have the power to change the policies of their respective countries. They should be made aware of the issues that most concern their citizenry and held accountable for promises made and accepted in good faith by the poorest of the poor.

That's what the letters to President Bush is about, to remind him of his commitments and his nation's commitment to help end poverty and solve the AIDS crisis.

In my letter, I told the President that most every day I drive by grafitti on a block wall that reads, "Food Not Bombs". I told him I know his job is difficult and complicated. I told him I think of him every time I see those words and pray that he is making responsible decisions for the welfare of our country and the world.

Send your opinion, whatever that may be. A lifted voice is still a voice and better than the alternative, silent suffering....be part of the change.