Madam, - Just like the Make Poverty History protest in Dublin on Thursday, the demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday (the largest in Scotland's history) was a carnival of unity of purpose and diversity of perspectives.
We marched to demand debt cancellation (18 countries is not enough), more and better aid and trade justice, not free trade. The Irish Anti-War Movement demanded that G8 leaders drop the debt instead of bombs on Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. We are demanding action now from Mr Ahern and the G8 leaders. Old-age pensioners, nuns, families, children in buggies, NGOs, anti-war, anti-capitalists and socialists together created a sea of white around Edinburgh.
As we marched through the streets of Edinburgh workers applauded from inside shops and Edinburgh Castle was bedecked with a massive Make Poverty History Banner. We felt, yes we really can end poverty.
This is a truly global movement. They came from all over the UK, Italy, France, Portugal, Africa (with Zimababweans on the march carrying banners that read "make Mugabe history"), and of course from Ireland.
Bono, Geldof and the Make Poverty History campaign have done a fantastic job to build these historic mobilisations and concerts that put the spotlight directly on to the G8 leaders. Because it is the G8 and their global neo-liberal economic system of war and profit for the few that are the cause of global poverty.
The global justice movement has been growing since Genoa 2001. It is demanding action now. As Mandela said, "the world is hungry for action not words".
Here in Scotland the demonstration planned for Gleneagles on Wednesday was banned. But elected MPs of the Scottish Socialist Party disrupted parliament last week to protest for the democratic right to march on Gleneagles.
They were told to choose between the barricades or the benches. But their pressure has meant the protest will now go ahead.
Despite the fears of violence, a quarter of a million people marched peacefully yesterday. At Genoa in 2001 all the talk was of the violence of the protesters. This time the focus, thankfully, is on the violence of the G8 as they preside over the death of 30,000 children a day from hunger and the massacre of over 100,000 in Iraq.
Live8, Bono, Geldof and Make Poverty History have pleaded and asked for the G8 leaders to take action. Due to the pressure of the campaign they offered some debt relief.
But Bush and Blair have lied over Iraq. Why should we trust them on this? The people that can make poverty history were on the streets of Dublin and Edinburgh.
These protests are just one more important and historic step towards bringing about a world without war, where people and the environment come before the profits of western multinationals. We appeal to all those who marched on the Make Poverty History events. Stay involved.
Support the struggles for justice at home.
On September 9th we will be surrounding the Dáil for action on aid, on the 24th we will be in Shannon protesting against complicity with the illegal war in Iraq.
Gordon Brown said ending poverty will take a lifetime. We cannot wait that long. - Yours, etc,
RORY HEARNE, Irish Anti-War Movement,Drumcondra Park, Dublin 3.
Madam, - Humming infectiously with Paul and Bob to Hey Jude, wondering as to the significance of this chosen song for the emotional end to a global day.
Some 35 years ago people flocked to church services praying to Saint Jude, patron of hopeless cases. Did Sir Bob, from a Catholic boys' school in Dublin, actually have billions of people praying to this same Jude?
Atheists amongst us would likely say Nah Na Na Nah. - Yours, etc,
BRENDA McNULTY, Celbridge, Co Kildare
Madam, - The emperor has no clothes. Are we for real? Those that occupy disproportionate space at the trough performing to help the hungry. Give us a break.
The last time we all fell for it. All that happened was that the beautiful used the occasion to relaunch faltering careers.
That those that live swaddled in dripping excess can come forward and present themselves as concerned for the starving of our planet is sickening in its hypocrisy. They know perfectly well that the beneficiaries of the extravaganza will be themselves, as was the case last time out. And the real crime is that the impression will be left that something in being done.
Another money-spinning show to ease the conscience of those that perpetuate the inequality by their insatiable need to grab more and more.
They shamelessly exhibit their excessive wealth as those that they now exploit are scraping in the dust to eke an existence.This is simply disgusting. Geldof and co are the pits. - Yours, etc,
JIM O'SULLIVAN, Rathedmond, Sligo.
Madam, - The $185 billion, spent so far on the Iraq war, would go a long way to wipe out poverty and save, instead of destroying, at least 100,000 lives.
Unfortunately, the Taoiseach and Government support the war, by providing uncontrolled use of Shannon Airport for the transit of US troops and death-dealing weaponry while breaking a solemn promise to the UN and the international community on overseas aid.
Should we not MAKE BERTIE HISTORY? - Yours, etc,
COLM RODDY, Bayside Walk, Dublin 13.
Madam, - I am one of the five billion people around the world who watched what was the biggest protest in the history of our planet.
The poverty of the world is seen by politicians as a bartering tool to be used in trade negotiations, rather than a global humanitarian problem. Saturday proved it is a very public and heartfelt issue for a huge voting element of our global electorate, and that they MUST face up to it or eventually lose their positions to the public outrage if they do not resolve it.
Saturday was a free concert to the cynical few, but, represented by the millions who thronged to the locations all over the world in support of the core issue, the events are a hard and fast message not only to those in the G8, but to those nationally and locally that can effect change - this is not another 20 years reminder that will go away as soon as the G8 conference is over. We have a voice, and this is just the end of the beginning.
Politicians - make it happen. - Yours, etc,
JOHN HARRINGTON, Castleknock, Dublin.