Live 8. Yes. Well, it's better than No.

Make Poverty History. Probably the best publicity campaign I have ever seen. The BBC is seemingly obsessed with Africa. Turn on the TV, radio or glance at a website and it'll be talking about Africa, poverty and development. There is a swelling sense of optimism that this just might actually be another step forward in the long, slow process.

"It's not to get hands in pockets, it's to get fists in the air" - Bono.

So the cynics can whine to themselves. They can say that it won't work, that everyone else (but them) are naive. They can say it's a waste of time and ego boosting.

This cartoon from CartoonChurch.com expresses my feeling with excellence.

I'll just quote lyrics from Switchfoot...

From the third world to the corporate core
We are the symphony of modern humanity

If we're adding to the noise
Turn off this song
If we're adding to the noise
Turn off your stereo, radio, video

If don't want to do anything, if you want to be consoled into a comfortable apathy, turn off everything, go and read the opinions in the Telegraph. Today won't solve everything. It won't suddenly make the world the way it was, and is, meant to be, but it can do something

And the first thing that needs to change is us.

I've only recently been reminded that Nestlé are still causing the death of over 4000 babies a day (yes, I know I'm sounding like Sir Bob, but get over it) through promotion of powdered baby milk which many mothers are coerced into using, which they then have to use with infected water. I think I can go without anything from Nestlé for the forseeable future. After all, they only make luxury products, and I'll never need chocolate or cereal that badly.