2005 – a unique campaigning year

2005 was a year that saw global protest against poverty, injustice and inequality. It was the year in which powerful nations met to decide global policies on Debt, Trade and Aid. In Ireland, 46 groups – including international NGOs, trade unions and community groups – came together to form MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Irish Campaign. 
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY, which was part of a worldwide campaign known as the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, united under three key demands: Drop the Debt - Trade Justice - More and Better Aid.The demands were brought to the G8 Summit in Edinburgh in July, to the UN Summit in New York in September and to the World Trade Organisation Ministerial in Hong Kong in December. Support for MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY came from all quarters – from student and campaign groups to religious groups, trade unions to the general public, school children to musicians. Using the symbol of the white band, campaigners came together on three occasions to demand an end to poverty and injustice:

> June 2005 – 20,000 people attended the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally in Dublin, gathering outside Dáil Eireann to call for action on Overseas Aid.

> MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Irish Campaign also attended the G8 demonstration in Edinburgh, where 250,000 took to the streets. 

 > September 2005 – An overnight sit-out was held outside the Dáil to increase pressure on the government to commit to the UN target on Overseas Aid.

> December 2005 – Thousands of Christmas cards were sent to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD<>