PM calls on Micah Challenge leader to alleviate Poverty
Gordon Brown has called on church leaders, including the head of Micah Challenge International, to help the Government achieve its poverty targets.
Mr Brown made the calls when he met the Black Christian Leaders Forum (BCLF) in 10 Downing Street last week. Joel Edwards, international chairman of Micah Challenge and general director of the Evangelical Alliance was among the leaders at the round table discussion.
The Prime Minister arranged for the BCLF to meet the Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, to take this forward.
Micah Challenge is a global movement which gives Christians the opportunity to act against poverty. Its members are churches, Christians and Christian organisations united in their aim of campaigning for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be met. The MDGs are a set of eight targets, agreed on by world leaders in the year 2000, to alleviate poverty by 2015.
Mr Edwards said: “This meeting with Gordon Brown was an exciting experience which leaves me very positive for the future.
“Mr Brown has shown commitment to the MDGs in the past, but it was wonderful to have a face-to-face invitation asking us to work with him on this. And the fact that he has already arranged further meetings with the Government on this issue shows how serious he is.
“The Prime Minister’s support, a week after a similar endorsement from the UN Secretary-General, should be an inspiration for Christians around the world to get involved with Micah Challenge. Campaigning does work – world leaders are taking notice.
“He has already arranged for us to meet with Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, to see how we can take this further.”
Mr Brown said: “What we have in common is not only what we do here in the UK but also our responsibility, because of our shared moral sense, to the rest of the world."
Ends
Media enquiries:
Jo Duckles
Micah Challenge Press Officer
0207 207 2102/07789 768040
Notes to Editors:
- Micah Challenge was founded in 2004 and is a worldwide movement of Christians, churches, church organisations and key individuals across 32 countries, with 13 more national campaigns to launch throughout 2007, to make sure that the MDGs are implemented.
- Micah Challenge is named after the Old Testament prophet Micah. The challenge is based on Chapter 6, verse 8: ‘'What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God....'
- Core members working within Micah Challenge UK include: African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA), Alpha International / Holy Trinity Brompton, BMS World Mission, Christian Aid, Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Today, Evangelical Alliance, Faithworks, Global Connections, New Frontiers International, Oasis, Shaftesbury Society, SPEAK, Tearfund, World Vision UK.
