Live 8

In the lead-up to the 2005 G8 Summit in Gleneagles, over one and a half million ONE members took action to demand the world's most powerful leaders do more to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease.

The G8 agreement at Gleneagles in 2005 was a major step forward for Africa. The G8 committed to: a US$25 billion increase in development assistance; cancellation of 100% of debts for qualified countries; and to ensuring those in need had access to life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment as well as progress on getting children into school.

Bono summed up the impact best:

Live 8 was, and remains, a brilliant moment, but what is more important is the brilliant movement of which it was a part. This gives the poorest of the poor real political muscle for the first time.

It is this movement of church people and trade unionists, soccer moms and student activists that will carry the spirit of Live 8 on. It is this movement, not rock stars, that will make it untenable in the future to break promises to the most vulnerable people on this planet.