David Gilmour Signature on G8 Letter - ActionAid

[Keith Jordan]

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/_content/do ... 338_HR.pdf

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/101955/famo ... ssion.html


Nearly 60 leading actors, artists, poets, broadcasters, novelists, directors, playwrights and commentators have joined anti poverty charity ActionAid to send an open letter to world leaders on the eve of the G8 summit.

Names include political philosopher Noam Chomsky and actors Emma Thompson and Kevin Spacey.

The letter demands that G8 leaders create a new, fairer financial system and deliver on their promise to find billions to help recession-hit poor countries.

ActionAid’s UK Director, Richard Miller said: “The global economic crisis was created by rich countries but is now driving people in poor countries further into poverty and hunger.

“It’s time to reset the world’s moral compass. G8 leaders must find £14 billion by 2012 to help save the 25,000 people who die of hunger every day.

As part of ActionAid’s commitment to fighting the poverty caused by the global economic collapse, the letter also launches the agency’s financial crisis appeal which aims to raise £54 million over three years.

The 59 high profile signatories in full: ALAN RICKMAN actor, ARTHUR SMITH comedian and writer, BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH poet, BILL NIGHY actor, CAROL ANNE DUFFY CBE FRSL poet laureate, DAMON ALBARN musician, DAVID AARONOVITCH journalist, DAVID GILMOUR CBE musician, DUSTIN HOFFMAN actor, EMMA THOMPSON actor and screenwriter, GAEL GARCIA BERNAL actor, GEORGE MONBIOT author and journalist, GORDON RODDICK social activist and entrepreneur, HARI KUNZRU novelist, HUGH DENNIS, actor and comedian, IRVINE WELSH novelist, JAMES McAVOY actor, JAMES PUREFOY actor, JAN RAVENS actor and impressionist, JANE SEYMOUR OBE actor, JO BRAND comedian, JOHN PILGER author and journalist, JONATHAN PRYCE CBE actor, JULIE WALTERS CBE actor, KEN LOACH film director, KEVIN SPACEY actor and artistic director Old Vic, KIRSTY YOUNG broadcaster, KWAME KWEI-ARMAH playwright and actor, LYNNE FRANKS author and pr, MARIO TESTINO photographer, MARK RONSON music producer, MATTHEW TAYLOR chief executive RSA, MIKE LEIGH OBE director of film and theatre, MIRIAM MARGOLYES actor, MORGAN SPURLOCK film director, NAN SLOANE director centre for women and democracy, NEAL LAWSON political commentator and chair of compass, NIGEL HAVERS actor, PROFESSOR NOAM CHOMSKY political philosopher, PAUL LAVERTY screenwriter, PETER GABRIEL musician, PROFESSOR A. C. GRAYLING philosopher, RICHARD CURTIS CBE screenwriter and film director, RORY BREMNER FKC impressionist and playwright, SAM TAYLOR-WOOD conceptual artist, SHABANA AZMI actor and activist, SIR RANULPH FIENNES OBE explorer, SIR ROGER MOORE KBE actor, SIR TREVOR McDONALD OBE broadcaster, SOPHIE OKONEDO actor, STEPHEN FRY actor and novelist, SUSIE ORBACH psychotherapist and author, TERRY JONES actor, film director and author, TONY BENN author and politician, TONY ROBINSON actor and broadcaster, TRACEY EMIN artist, VICTORIA WOOD CBE comedian, actor and writer, VIGGO MORTENSEN actor, YASMIN ALIBHAI-BROWN journalist and author.

[hazchem]

What we should have is National Strike Day. Make it on the same day that we have the Parlaimentary Election where no one votes and no one goes to work. I wonder how many we would have until the government decided that a fairer financial system should be created.

We call this civilization? A world where people get paid millions of pounds to play sports games, sing, play instruments, talk in front of a camera or sit at a desk and sign pieces of paper. Where these people have enough money to own multiple houses, multiple cars, have private jet planes, be waited on hand and foot and wear some of the most expensive clothes in the world and eat and live like Kings, where on the other side of the same planet people die of starvation and poisoning because they have no food or shelter....what's so civilized about that? I personally feel that we as individuals do not do enough to ensure that this problem is dealt with sooner rather than later.

I can't help but feel that there are certain high flyers out there that like to be seen to be involved in helping out with the problem, but in the grand scheme of what they are actually capable of doing in fact they aren't really doing that much.

Action Aids commitment is to to earn 54 million over three years? If each big screen actor or globally successful music artist each gave between 3-4% of their annual earnings then that amount and more would be reached instantly. That's like me handing over a cheque for 600 pounds. My wife and I already give around 150-180 pounds a year to various charities and then drop the odd coin in an envelope when we can. I suppose I myself am falling short of what I'm proposing they could give, but saying that, we never have had enough money sitting in several bank accounts all around the world making enough money on weekly interest based on millions of pounds that would off set any amounts of money that we would give to charity.

On the final note though, we are asking the leaders of Britain and America who have spent multiple billions of pounds invading Iraq over the last few years to come up with an idea of creating a new financial system. I can't see that there is much hope any time soon.