Break the Chain - Make Poverty History

On Saturday 4th June we met with our picnics in the Abbey Gardens, Winchester, (adjacent to King Alfred's Statue). The day had started cloudy and uncertain but the sun came out whilst we greeted old friends and made new acquaintances. Just before 1.pm police officers arrived to escort us through the city centre, to the Cathedral. We were led by the Psalm Drummers and sang "We are marching, we are marching, we are marching in the power of God... etc." By 2.pm we had created a human chain of 1,300 plus people around Winchester Cathedral, men and women, young and old (including the three bishops of the Winchester Diocese).

We then assembled at the west end of the Cathedral where Mary Bradford, a CMS Trustee, briefly explained the objects of the campaign. The Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Southampton conducted a short act of worship. A contemporary worship group played and the Chandlers Ford Methodist Church Puppet Theatre entertained the children. Other speakers included the Christian Aid National Campaigns Team.

The event had been most efficiently organised by the Mothers' Union, Winchester Diocese, and was recorded and shown briefly on Meridian TV News.

Those of us who are unable or disinclined to make our way to Edinburgh for the big rally on July 2nd appreciated the opportunity to show our support for global change.

We pray for the dropping of the debt for poor developing countries, for more and better aid and for Fair Trade for poor farmers and producers. It appears that our prayers have been answered with regard to debt cancellation for 18 heavily indebted poor countries. Thank God (and Gordon Brown) and keep praying and campaigning.

Margaret Symonds

p.s Chichester Diocese has become a Fair Trade diocese serving Fair Trade tea and coffee whenever serving refreshments and endeavouring to use fairly-traded biscuits, fruit juice, wines etc whenever possible. Chester diocese was the first to do this in March 2003.