Christian leaders joined together in Rostock, northern Germany, on Saturday 2 June 2007 to remind G8 leaders of their commitment to the poor and the promises they made to halve extreme poverty by 2015.
Geoff Tunnicliffe, International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance, Rev Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, and Michael Smitheram, International Coordinator of Micah Challenge International, are all in Rostock for a Christian youth training camp currently being hosted by Micah Challenge Germany.Micah Challenge is a worldwide movement of churches, Christian organisations and individuals pressuring governments to do more to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals they agreed to in 2000 to halve extreme poverty by 2015.
This year marks the half-way point and as the G8 leaders prepare to meet in Rostock next week, the three organisational heads are joining Christians around the world in blowing the whistle on their governments to hold them to account on their promises to the poor.
"We're here as Christians to represent the millions of people in our global network who couldn't be here but are every day impacted by extreme poverty," said Mr Tunnicliffe, whose organisation represents around 430 million Christians worldwide, many of whom reside in countries with the most to gain from the MDGs.
He added: "We are here to remind government leaders that they need to keep the promises they made in providing aid and assistance to the poor."
Rev Tunnicliffe, Rev Edwards and Mr Smitheram were all present at a special interdenominational service in Rostock's largest church, the Marienkirche, ahead of next week's G8 summit in nearby Heiligendamm.
