'I do firmly believe that letter-writing can make a difference,'

World Debt Day falls on 16 May. Just another day perhaps for awareness raising, for pressure groups to publicise their message? No, say the organisers. This will be a chance to start building pressure on politicians ahead of a critical meeting in July. Susan Roberts reports

World Debt Day isn’t the easiest story to sell. You’re up against the jargon of international finance and the difficulty of making economic theory appealing to a general audience. Not to mention the fatigue of a public weary of charity ‘Days for this’ and ‘Weeks for that’ throughout the year.

But, despite first impressions, World Debt Day on 16 May could be the start of something exciting, say its organisers at the Jubilee Debt Campaign.  It’s part of a build up to a critical meeting of world leaders. Add to that mixture the enthusiasm of people involved in a historical protest seven years to the day, and it could be enough to make it the day you decide to do something about world poverty.

According to the Jubilee Debt Campaign, the world’s 52 poorest countries have to make payments of more than £30 million every day on loans originally made to them in the 1960s and 70s. Under pressure from campaigners, world leaders have promised to cancel $100 billion of this debt. But so far, only $48 billion has been written off.

On World Debt Day the hope is that people in this country will speak out and say this is just not good enough. Because of this debt, huge swathes of subcontinents lack resources to invest in schools and health care systems. Seven million children die annually from curable diseases and unclean water, according to the UN. Countries cannot pull their way out of poverty because of it.

Efforts to change this have so far been too slow, say campaigners.   The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) is terminally flawed. The HIPC was set up by global financial organisations – the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund - in 1999 to tackle the debt problem. But the process takes too long and comes with crippling strings attached, critics say.

More action is needed – and the G8 summit on 8-9 July at Gleneagles, Scotland, provides a world stage for it. Because the G8 - the Group of Eight Nations – is a key player in every sense, a global power-broker. Its members are among the world’s richest and most influential countries. What it discusses and the commitments it makes can have huge implications. So these are in fact times when decisions can be made to change the lives of millions.

Debt cancellation can transform economies. In Benin, 54 per cent of the money saved through debt relief has been spent on health. Mozambique, freed of debt, was able to offer all children free immunisation. In Uganda, debt relief led to 2.2 million people gaining access to water.

Events around the country this World Debt Day will point this out. In Birmingham,

Audrey Miller, who is organising one, knows the power of peaceful protest. She was involved seven years ago to the day when something happened that helped to change people’s perception of developing world debt for good. She was there when 70,000 campaigners – of all ages and from all walks of life – formed a human chain around Birmingham City Centre as the G8 met then. The demonstration was a turning point; suddenly developing world debt wasn’t just for policy nerds and economists. The G8 pledged to take action.

'It was a brilliant sunny day and it couldn’t have been more perfect,' remembers Audrey Miller. 'It was heartening to see the whole city a sea of red... I was very, very moved.'

The Jubilee Debt Campaign believes that it’s time to remember what happened in Birmingham this World Debt Day. It’s calling people to write to Prime Minister Tony Blair saying that poor countries’ unpayable debts should be cancelled and calling on him to make sure that this issue is addressed at the G8 meeting.

'I do firmly believe that letter-writing can make a difference,' says spokeswoman Caroline Pearce. 'The UK government has been quite committed to debt but it could do more and other governments have been more difficult. We don’t want the UK government to think, oh, that’s all too difficult and give it up. We want them to think that the nation will be outraged if they don’t see it through.'

If enough people write, a momentum will gather ahead of the G8 summit, she believes. David Golding, a senior lecturer in microbiology at Newcastle University, believes this too. He was at Birmingham in 1998 and realised how important that show of action was. He’s determined that the July summit will be as pivotal.

'We’re thinking about structural injustices which grind down the whole generations across continents. Tens of millions of poor people.'

He’s working with Make Poverty History, a campaign of charities, trade unions, faith groups and celebrities all keen to put pressure on the UK government in 2005: besides hosting the G8 summit, the UK holds the presidency of the European Union (EU) for the second half of the year.

He has thrown himself into efforts to organise a giant rally in Edinburgh on 2 July ahead of the G8 summit. He’s organised coaches to carry 1,000 people from all over the north east to Edinburgh for a march around the castle.

'It’s like going to vote,' he says, 'but rather than just putting a cross on a piece of paper in private, this is putting yourself forward publicly, saying this is what I stand for.'

Will a march make a difference?

'We made a difference in Birmingham in 1998 – we forced world poverty on to the agenda. It’s slow and not complete but we’ve achieved a substantial amount. There are two million children in Tanzania alone who are in school now because primary school fees have been abolished. Those children wouldn’t be there without what we started here.'

It will certainly make a difference to the lives of the people who go to march, he says. For many of those in Birmingham in 1998, it was a red letter day.

'Britain is the cradle of the Jubilee spirit. It was started here. That’s a privilege but it’s also a particular responsibility. I have a sense of amazement that we should have this role.'

Coaches will be travelling to Edinburgh on 2 July 2005 from across the north east. Call Classic Coaches on 01207 2822225 for details of times and departures.   For more information on World Debt Day, visit www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk.

• World Debt Day