Madiba On Poverty

Just in case there are doubters about the scale of poverty highlighted below - not just in South Africa of course but globally - then listen to the words of the wise old man. He states a simple and profound truth:

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.

He goes on:

[I]n this new century, millions of people in the world's poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved, and in chains. They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free.

Nelson Mandela, for that is who it is, was speaking at the launch of Make Poverty History, which intends to bring together a huge coalition of social forces to persuade rich countries to offer Africa trade justice, debt cancellation and better aid in 2005. It's not an especially radical set of demands but their attainment would immeasurably improve the lives of millions of people. It could just be the start of a major political transformation of the system - global capitalism in its neoliberal form - that imprisons and enslaves people. And as Madiba said ... it's about justice.