I sure hope so is the short answer, we really need them to show their support and turn up in parliament on 12th September 2014 for the second reading of the International Development Bill.
What is that you may well ask? and don't tune out if you don't know what it is, if politics is not your thing because I'll be honest I wouldn't say politics is my thing either. I'm not one of those clever types who know exactly what is going on or how it all works but I know right from wrong.
And quite simply it is right for our rich country to commit to giving 0.7% of our national income as UK aid. The fight against extreme poverty has come so far in the last few years, there are massive success stories -
- like under 5's child-deaths reduced by 50% in the last 50 years
- like cases of polio being reduced by 99% and smallpox being eradicated
- like primary school enrolments up by 50 million from 1999 to 2007 *
and it would be sinful to allow all that good work to start to ease. There is still so much more to be done but if the rich countries pull together and provide the aid needed there are forecasts which show we could put a end to extreme poverty by 2030, that's not that far away, right? But it sure is exciting!
So today I'm asking you to do a few things to play your part in helping our Government make this 0.7% commitment law. They made the first commitment 40 years ago and then last year all 3 of our major UK political parties pledged their support and said they would enshrine that promise in law. The private members bills will be discussed and voted on on 12th September 2014 and if there are 100 supportive MP's there, the proposer Michael Moore MP can force a vote.
So could you please take a moment to help?
- Sign the ONE petition to encourage your MP to be there on 12th September
- Click this link to tweet your support and encourage your MP to #BeThere
- Check out all the other ways you can easily share this important message - by Google +, email etc
- You can also easily email your MP via Save The Children too
Any one of these things would be brilliant, two would make you fantastic and if you do them all then God bless you and thanks for your help.
Come on, lets pull together and pester those MP's!
* Source - http://www.one.org/international/living-proof/#
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