Carl O'Brien asks some of those involved if Make Poverty History has changed anything
Millions wore white wristbands with the simple demand: Make Poverty History. Thousands marched on the streets of Dublin and other cities around the world, backing the campaign for more aid, trade reform and debt relief. More than a billion watched the Live8 concert on July 2nd last year as celebrities, including Madonna, U2 and a reformed Pink Floyd, sang in support of the initiative.
One year on, the white wristbands, with their Make Poverty History 2005 slogans, look dated. The pledges made at the G8 meetings were almost immediately eclipsed by the terrorist attacks in London. And some of those who took part in the rally are beginning to ask, what did the Make Poverty History campaign really achieve?
Given the weight of expectation and extraordinary hype that built up around the campaign, the immediate outcome almost inevitably felt underwhelming. Aid increased substantially, large chunks of debt were cancelled, but there was no agreement on trade reform.
Meanwhile, some aid agencies have since expressed anger that a few governments are double-counting debt relief as part of their aid budgets, while others accuse the G8 of dropping the entire subject from their agenda.
However, there is no doubting the success of the campaign in raising awareness about these issues and introducing them into mainstream political debate for the first time.
For many involved in the campaign, the march was a life-changing experience, encouraging them to work more closely with aid organisations.
In reality, the Make Poverty History campaign was never going to make poverty history overnight. The long road to justice, the organisers said, would take time. Bono probably put it best following the Gleneagles summit when he said, with tongue half in cheek: "If an Irish rock star can quote Winston Churchill, I wouldn't say this is the end of extreme poverty, but it is the beginning of the end."
Obi Nchedo (37)
Volunteer and student from Nigeria
"Many of us had the dream that, by 2006, everything would be put right. Debt would be cancelled completely, extreme poverty could be ended in a few years. Yes, there was disappointment because we expected the heads of state to do more. But the issue of poverty is complex and takes times to address. I have studied development issues and tackling these issues is like looking after a plant: you have to water it, feed it, nurture it, allow it to grow.
"Similarly, tackling poverty involves empowering communities, motivating people, creating awareness, tackling the big issues like trade injustice. Overall, I feel it has been successful. But we need to keep the momentum."
Patsy Putnam (62)
Designer, west Cork
"During the Sixties we were part of the generation that felt we could really make a difference. And there was a similar feeling during this campaign: the difference we made might not have been dramatic, but you have to stand up and do your best. That's what we're obliged to do as citizens. It was such a powerful moment, people coming together as one with a real sense of unity and demanding change.
"I do think people like Gordon Brown and Tony Blair want to change things, but it takes time. These are enormous problems. But this is a long process; it's about chipping away at them, every day, and doing the best you can do."
Richard Peter Kelleher (22) Commerce student, Cork city
"At UCC we launched an awareness campaign about the trade talks and gathered a petition over the issue of Bertie Ahern not attending the talks last year. Young people tend to see politics as a negative thing, and student politics can be a very cliquey place. This campaign was different. Students these days are well-educated and they understand the issues which make the world an unfair and unequal place. Our aim was that if students learned more about trade injustice and debt relief, they'd be the ones in power in 10 or 20 or 30 years' time and hopefully there'd be a change in attitude.
"The march and the campaign was good idea, it created a debate among young people; now we know what needs to be done."
Mary Kinane (29)
Local authority community worker, Co Tipperary
"The white wristbands were really popular, especially with younger people. Even though I've been involved in campaigning on trade justice for a while, it used to be difficult to explain. With the white wristband, people seemed to get it and felt it was something they could sign up to.
"Initially, the outcome of the campaign sounded great, but you had to look at the small print to see that it was much more complex than it was being made out to be, especially in areas like debt relief. The big shame is that people saw it as a one-year campaign. The regret is that we couldn't keep the momentum going into 2006. Maybe people need to see a conclusion, and if they don't they tend to lose interest. Was it successful in making poverty history? No, of course not, but it did raise awareness."
Jennifer Dowling (21)
Business student, Cork city
"There was a great buzz about it, the rally was very well organised and with the concert, people couldn't help but get into the spirit of the occasion. I'm really idealistic and always want the best - but I think that even if you only get half of what you look for, it's worth it. We're not on track to achieve everything we looked for, but we're not that far off it either. Maybe the difficulties in securing the aims are part of growing up. It's hard to sustain the kind of energy that was involved in the campaign. There will always be a certain burst of energy . . . But I think the Make Poverty History campaign will go on to achieve more, but we need to keep monitoring the progress and not allow government to forget about it."