G8 Summit backtracks on promises to the world's poor

Below is an e-mail I received from the One campaign today. I urge everyone to sign their petition!

The Financial Times ran an article yesterday with a lead that could hardly be more alarming: “Leaders of the Group of Eight rich nations are set to backtrack on their landmark pledge at the Gleneagles summit in 2005 to increase development aid to Africa to $25bn a year.”

It is astonishing that there is even debate within the G8 as to whether or not they should keep their promises. But the fact that there is a debate adds urgency to our call to the G8 to deliver on their commitments.

So far over 40,000 ONE members have signed our petition to the G8, but with this latest news it is clear we need to step up our efforts.

Please forward this message to a couple friends and ask them to sign the petition to the G8:
http://www.one.org/2008g8/?id=391-3310651-9Zo5GRx&t=1

This potential reversal comes at a time when we are seeing results from investments in development. For example, thanks to distribution of bed nets and increased access to anti-malarial drugs, in Rwanda both deaths and cases of malaria have dropped by two-thirds since mid-2006.

As malaria still kills around one million people a year, it is clear that we must replicate successes like this. But it won’t happen if the G8 backtrack on their commitments.

Please tell the G8 leaders that aid works and is desperately needed:
http://www.one.org/2008g8/?id=391-3310651-9Zo5GRx&t=2

Thank you for your voice,

Josh Peck, ONE.org