Failing to keep our promise on overseas aid is costing lives. March today to show the Government you care, says Lorna Gold.
Last weekend Bono urged 250,000 fans attending the U2 gigs in Croke Park to support the Make Poverty History rally in Dublin city centre today.
It is estimated that over 20,000 people took up his text initiative to become involved in the campaign.
His appeal follows similar calls by Bob Geldof, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Michael Stipe, who have all been in Dublin this month.
Leaders from all the main Irish churches weighed in on Tuesday, urging people to come out and lend their support.
The Dublin rally, organised by the Irish coalition of Make Poverty History, falls on the eve of White Band Day - a global day of action when everyone is being asked to wear a white wristband in solidarity with the world's poor.
It comes two days before the mass protests planned for Edinburgh and the Live8 concerts taking place in cities across the world.
Bono may have urged us to take to the streets, but is there really logic to Irish people demonstrating for global justice on the eve of the G8?
After all, Ireland is not a G8 country so it doesn't have a seat at the table in Gleneagles. What difference can our voices make?
In our view, as the Make Poverty History coalition, there are at least three good reasons why we should take to the streets this week.
First, it is urgent that we, as a people, send a clear message to our Government that this issue matters.
The Government was set to announce its revised target date for spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas aid in the next few weeks, having admitted that the original date of 2007 is not achievable.
Dermot Ahern, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, speaking on Morning Ireland yesterday, said the new target would not be announced until September. It is hard to see how we can trust the Government on this new date given its track record of broken promises.
The Government has mooted the prospect of the new date being 2012. Missing the target of 2007 costs lives as this broken promise could represent a net loss of over €1,300 million in lost revenue to countries that rely on our support.
According to a UN Development Programme costing exercise, with that same amount of money the Millennium Goals on health, education and water could have been met in Uganda and Tanzania by 2015.
There is a big fear, moreover, that a future administration will also let this date slip unless there is continued pressure from the public.
With so many departments competing for budget allocations, there is always a risk that aid is put on the back-burner. That is why we are calling for a precise timetable of year-on-year commitments.
But when it comes down to it, what matters most are issues that win votes - not the moral high ground. We need to demonstrate that this issue is one that matters to us as a people.
The Make Poverty History coalition has urged the Taoiseach to come to the rally tonight but only if he comes with a concrete plan on Ireland's commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of our GNP on aid by 2010.
A second reason to come out on the streets today is to let our voices be heard ahead of the forthcoming G8 meeting in Gleneagles. We need to send a clear message to the G8 that people worldwide expect results, not just those in the G8 countries.
We may not elect the G8, but millions of people have to live to a great extent by what it decides. The injustice of this system should in itself be enough to make us take to the streets. G8 leaders need to know that the world is watching.
Counter to the media spin in recent weeks heralding the G8 deal on debt relief as a massive breakthrough, it would be naive to think that "the deal is done".
While the debt relief deal of $50 billion may sound like a lot, the devil is in the detail. There are growing concerns that this amount may be subtracted from future aid, and hence represent a net zero gain for some of the poorest countries.
In effect, the debt stock cancelled from the World Bank and African Development Bank will be subtracted dollar for dollar from future aid flows. That is, unless a parallel deal on aid increases is also reached.
The battle on aid and debt is not over yet. They may have decided to put some good things on the agenda but there is a lot more to do to achieve a positive outcome.
Finally, on the eve of White Band Day - a day when people from all over the world will be protesting on poverty - the Dublin rally is an important chance to show our solidarity with the world's poorest people.
Mass demonstrations, events and concerts are planned from Johannesburg to Delhi, from Washington to Manila over the coming weekend to coincide with the G8 and Live8.
It is a huge opportunity to demonstrate that this is an issue that is not only at the top of the agenda of world leaders but also our agenda as the people. So make your voice heard. The rally kicks off at 6.30pm from Parnell Square today.
Lorna Gold is policy analyst at Trócaire and a member of the Make Poverty History Irish campaign.