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Celebs Thank Britain for Pledge of Aid
LONDON - More than a dozen celebrities, including Bono, Jude Law and Bob Geldof, have signed an open letter thanking Prime Minister Tony Blair's government for its promise to boost aid to poor countries.
"It's unfashionable to congratulate politicians in public but we're going to do it anyway, to say thanks for increasing the funds available to tackle world poverty now and for committing to reach the U.N. aid-giving target by 2013 at the latest," said the letter, published in Monday's Independent newspaper.
"Thousands of people campaigned, and you responded, and lives in the poorest parts of the world will be transformed as a result," it said.
Treasury Chief Gordon Brown announced last month that Britain would increase development aid to $11.7 billion, or 0.47 percent of national income, by 2007. He said that by 2013 the country plans to meet a United Nations target of giving 0.7 percent of gross domestic product to aid poorer countries.
The letter said the commitment could bring clean water to 14 million people, educate 2 million children or avert the premature deaths of up to 250,000 infants.
Britain has said tackling world poverty will be one of its key goals when it holds the rotating presidencies of the European Union and the G8 group of wealthy countries next year.
Others signing the letter included Chris Martin of the band Coldplay, actresses Minnie Driver and Helen Mirren, actors Roger Moore, Colin Firth and Joseph Fiennes, "Love Actually" writer-director Richard Curtis and Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop cosmetics chain.
--Associated Press
LONDON - More than a dozen celebrities, including Bono, Jude Law and Bob Geldof, have signed an open letter thanking Prime Minister Tony Blair's government for its promise to boost aid to poor countries.
"It's unfashionable to congratulate politicians in public but we're going to do it anyway, to say thanks for increasing the funds available to tackle world poverty now and for committing to reach the U.N. aid-giving target by 2013 at the latest," said the letter, published in Monday's Independent newspaper.
"Thousands of people campaigned, and you responded, and lives in the poorest parts of the world will be transformed as a result," it said.
Treasury Chief Gordon Brown announced last month that Britain would increase development aid to $11.7 billion, or 0.47 percent of national income, by 2007. He said that by 2013 the country plans to meet a United Nations target of giving 0.7 percent of gross domestic product to aid poorer countries.
The letter said the commitment could bring clean water to 14 million people, educate 2 million children or avert the premature deaths of up to 250,000 infants.
Britain has said tackling world poverty will be one of its key goals when it holds the rotating presidencies of the European Union and the G8 group of wealthy countries next year.
Others signing the letter included Chris Martin of the band Coldplay, actresses Minnie Driver and Helen Mirren, actors Roger Moore, Colin Firth and Joseph Fiennes, "Love Actually" writer-director Richard Curtis and Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop cosmetics chain.
--Associated Press
