Getting started

From mid-September to mid-October, debt activists and campaigners are going to be even busier than usual (although ‘usual’ is always busier than expected) and so we've created this space for people to share news, thoughts and comments on some of the activity going on around the world. For starters, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (an international network of about 70 national campaigns for economic justice and equality, lots of them under the banners ‘Make Poverty History’ or ‘Keep Your Promises’) has called a global ‘month of action’ against poverty from 14 September to 17 October – also known as ‘Stand Up Against Poverty’. It’s kicking off with a range of different activities in countries around the world, and culminating in a global world record attempt for the number of people standing up together in protest. From 17 to 20 September, the World Bank and IMF are having their annual meetings in Singapore – and though they don’t let us in to the real meetings (and possibly not even the press conferences - watch this space), there are meetings-around-the-meetings (and protests-around-the-meetings) where campaigners make their views heard. Meanwhile, Asian social movements – along with like-minded networks and campaigns from around the world – are showing their resistance to the official shenanigans with an International People’s Forum vs the World Bank and IMF nearby in Indonesia, from 15 to 17 September.

So. Soren (and sometimes Njoki) will be blogging from Kenya, Singapore and Indonesia. I'll be blogging from Singapore, Indonesia and London. David will be blogging from Newcastle in the UK, and wherever else his campaigning takes him. Jostein (and his colleagues at AFRODAD, if he can persuade them) will be blogging from various parts of Africa. And we are trying to bring a few more friends on board during the month. We hope you’ll come back and read what we have to say, and give us your comments.