The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has announced plans to mount an unprecedented mass walk of bishops and other faith leaders through central London to demonstrate the Anglican Communion's determination to help end extreme poverty across the globe.
The Archbishop will be joined by approximately 600 other archbishops and bishops, and their spouses, alongside other UK faith leaders for the high-profile symbol of commitment to the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are eight promises made by world leaders to halve world poverty by 2015.
The walk takes place on Thursday 24 July to coincide with the Lambeth Conference, the 10-yearly gathering of Anglican bishops from around the Anglican Communion, and will culminate in a rally in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury's official residence.
The event is being organised in partnership with Micah Challenge UK, part of the international Micah Challenge movement dedicated to uniting Christians to work together for an end to world poverty.
The bishops will walk through the heart of the capital, including Parliament Square, in a vivid demonstration of the diversity of the Anglican Communion and a witness to the work already being conducted by churches and other faith groups to work towards the MDGs - and a public pledge to work even harder to make sure they are delivered.
The faith leaders will also commit to putting more pressure on their respective governments to ensure that funding promises are met, and the right policies put in place, to make a real difference to local communities across the world.
On arrival at Lambeth Palace, the bishops and other guests will gather to hear brief addresses from special guests, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and expected to include the Anglican Communion's Observer at the UN, Hellen Wangusa.
The announcement of this walk is being released to coincide with a meeting of faith leaders and heads of faith-based development agencies, who met at Lambeth Palace on Thursday May.
