FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Biographies of the campaigners on the “Long Walk to Justice”

More than 40 campaigners from over 30 countries representing the Global Call to Action against Poverty boarded a specially chartered Virgin flight from London Heathrow to Edinburgh to add their voice to the billions of people across the world who are standing up to G8 leaders to call for immediate action against poverty. Read who they are here.

Campaigners on the “Long Walk to Justice” have come from Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Paraguay, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Zambia. AFRICA Josephine Kamel Youssef: Egypt
Consultant to the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population on family planning, USAID, UNDP reproductive health projects. Volunteers at the Women’s Presbyterian Church of Egypt, Vice Chair of the African Steering Committee of the Women Economic Policy Network (AWEPON).
- feels that must address the symptom of poverty by looking at root causes – illiteracy, poor health Suzanna Matale: Zambia
Gender activist working with women and children through the Council of Churches in Zambia, an umbrella organization for 22 mainline churches. Vice Chair of Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council for 73 ngos working on women’s issues and member of United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women. Member of the Global Call to Action against Poverty in Zambia. In addition to working on poverty and gender equality issues, can speak on HIV/AIDS and orphans, economic development, reproductive health. Mujunda Judith Wina: Zambia
Journalist and peer educator and counselor in reproductive health and family planning. Currently working on Zambia’s Millennium Development Campaign. Also pursuing the issue of better governance and governments’ accountability. Working to promote the issue of poverty alleviation to the ordinary Zambian. Alcino Moiana: Mozambique
Assistant of economic and social justice program at the Christian Council of Mozambique. Full member of the Mozambique group on debt. Coordinating marches and petitions for the Global Call to Action against Poverty in Mozambique. Eshetu Bekele: Ethopia
Executive Director for the Poverty Action Network of Civil Society in Ethopia (PANE) – national coalition of ngos which are part of GCAP. Teaches at the University of Addis Ababa and provides student advice on a part-time basis. Paul Houessou: Benin
President of the National Coalition of Education for All and long-time campaigner on Education activist. Rev Dr Fred Deegbe: Ghana
General Secretary Christian Council of Ghana; Chairman Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition; Member Ghana AIDS commission. The Christian Council of Ghana is involved in Advocacy for poverty reduction, quality education, HIV/AIDS, Good Governance, Peace and Reconciliation, Environment and Development. Patience Coleman: Liberia
Youth worker from the Episcopal Youth Council that is affiliated to the Liberian Council of Churches youth desk. She is also involved in programmes to educate and sensitise youth as part of the National Student Christian Council. Bishop William Waqo Boru: Kenya
Anglican Church of Kenya. Provincial secretary – part of the national campaign on debt cancellation, fair trade and anti poverty campaigning. Sheikh Said Athman Mtwana: Kenya
Secretary General, National Union of Kenya Muslims. Part of national campaign on issues of fair trade, debt cancellation and anti-poverty campaign Involved in national campaign dealing with corruption and proper governance. Prabhudas D Pattni: Pan-Africa
Secretary General Hindu Council of Africa. Part of national campaign to make poverty history. Dealing particularly with mental disability mainstreaming. Korir Singoei: Kenya
Representative Kenyan GCAP coalition. Focus on public expenditure monitoring and trade. Henry Malumo: Zambia
Coordinating the Global Call to Action against Poverty (G-CAP) and Civil Society Millennium Development Goals’ Campaign in Zambia. Has worked as a Chaplain in the University Teaching Hopsital, as a Rehab Assistant for drug addicts and alcoholics in South Africa’s Kwa Zulu, Natal. Founded the Rural Developmental Journalist Network in December of 2001 whose aim was to, ‘take the debate to the people in rural Zambia.’. Worked as a News Editor in the Western Part of Zambia. Joined the Zambia Trade Network which is now the Civil Society Trade Network of Zambia at the end of 2003 as a Media Coordinator, came in contact with the poor conditions of farm workers, continue to struggle with the exploitation of Small Scale Cotton farmers by Commercial farmers – mainly investors from South Africa. One of the first actors to facilitate for the National Civil Society Consultation on the role of the Civil Society in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Julius Kapwepwe Mishambi: Uganda
Previously worked for the Uganda Women’s network and the forum for women in democracy, now at the Uganda debt network. Trained in gender, budgeting, advocacy and rights based approach to development. “Looking at the debt servicing situation for African countries and the corruption tendencies in African countries make me really angry. I want to demand better aid including borrowing for an open and transparent cause – not secretive borrowing with resources going to the pockets of individuals and cliques”. Achim Chiaji: KenyaAt Action Aid international in Nairobi and coordinating the Global Call to Action against Poverty nationally in Kenya. He did all his schooling in the village and the first time he ever traveled to Nairobi was to attend university, aged nineteen. Supported by local group to complete a post-graduate diploma in public finance monitoring. Specialising in budget tracking to monitor the way the government spends its budget. Achim said: “I am looking forward to coming to Edinburgh because the G8 has made Africa the priority for this year. Many of us are saying – have they ever seen Africa, do they know Africa, have they ever spoken to Africa, so our presence is symbolic. We don’t want Africans to be merely seen on TV screens but we will be there to make our demands in person”. Wahu Kaara: Kenya
Working with the All Africa conference of Churches (aacc) as the ecumenical Millennium Development Goals campaign program coordinator. She is widowed and is mother of four, grandmother of one. Wahu is a teacher by profession and has taught history and kiswahili language in various high schools in Kenya. Wahu retired from teaching in the 1990s to concentrate more on human rights, governance and gender issues. She has a remarkable track record in active participation building solidarity locally, continentally and globally for economic social justice. Her current work involves working within the church institutions and structures to energize church members to take their rightful role in bringing their voice and presence to the campaign as key stakeholders. Madame Maimouna Harouna: Niger
Works on education issues, campaigning to get girls into school in Niger. As the first person in her family to get schooling, Maimouna trained over several years and there was little work - she got an apprenticeship in a hospital and she has experience with working with children with psychological problems. She was employed by the state for ministry of child protection. She is a member of ASEFER Appui aux Activites sociaux economiques de Femmes Rurales au Niger which works on food security, schools, women's health hygiene. She has been a committed campaigner for girls’ education through the ROSEN network since 2001. Sylvain Browa: based in the United States
Sylvain is from the Ivory Coast and speaks French and English. He is a resident of the United States. Sylvain joined InterAction, coordination body for American non-government organizations as the Program Manager for the Africa Liaison Program Initiative (ALPI) in April 2004. Sylvain has 15 years of experience in the management of international development programs and relationships in Africa and Southeast Asia, including professional experience with southern NGOs, U.S. PVOs and USAID. Professional experience covers the areas of international secondary education, democracy and good governance, microfinance and small and micro-enterprise development, community-based natural resource management, agricultural development, organizational capacity assessment and strengthening, grants management, civil society strengthening, and HIV/AIDS and primary health care program development. Deo Nyzani: Uganda
Working for the Uganda National NGO forum as a program officer. With a passion for development work, soon after leaving university Deo started working with HIV/Aids organizations including the Uganda Network of HIV/AIDS service organizations. Deo then worked for European network on debt and development before his current job. “NGO forum represents organizations in civil society across Uganda and we have a responsibility to take the voices of people in our country to Scotland. We want the leaders to act and stop making commitments if they cannot follow through.” ASIA Hamid Jalil: Afghanistan
Project Development Manager for Sanyee Developement Foundation (SPF) which specializes in peace building in Afghanistan. Roy Velarde: Philippines
Chief Operating Officer of the Philippine Network of Rural Development Institutes – a NGO that works for the self-determination of rural communities. A former trade unionist, he is a member of the coordinating committee of the Philippine arm of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. Raz Mohammad Dalili: Afghanistan
Executive Director of Sanayee Development Foundation (SDF) which specializes in peace building in Afghanistan. Anil Singh: India
Convenor of India GCAPoalition. Founder treasurer of the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability which tracks India’s national budget. Currently Secretary General of the South Asian Network for Social and Agricultural Development (SANSAD). Dr Deshapriya Wijetunge: Sri Lanka
National campaign coordinator of GCAP Sri Lanka. Director General of SUNFO (Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organisation). Engineer, peace ambassador and social worker. Tasneem Athar: Bangladesh
A Bangladeshi woman who has spent most of her life teaching children. Being widowed at an early age, Tasneem is a women who represents the average women and works for the disadvantaged women and children. Tasneem is the deputy director of Campaign for Popular Education in Bangladesh (CAMPE) and also the convenor of the management group of the people’s forum in Bangladesh – a big group of 158 organisations, individuals, NGO’s and civil society bodies. LATIN AMERICA Dr. Oscar Lanza: Bolivia
Physician and public health specialist. Coordinator of health/ action/ international projects. Human rights and social rights activist. Olle Hansson award for promoting access to essential medicines (2000). Jorge Carpio: Argentina
Assistant Director of ngo “FOCO” which campaigns for justice and human rights. Sociology lecturer. Humberto Jaramillo Guzman: Mexico
Economist and consultant in public policy. GCAP coordinator in Mexico. He speaks Spanish only. Cecilia Viteri: Ecuador
From Red de Ecucacion de mujeres – REPEM. Working on issues surrounding rural women and towards the elimination of extreme poverty. Ileana Morales: Honduras
Social Forum of External Debt and Development of Honduras - Foro Social de la Devola Externa y Desarrollo de Honduras (FASDEH). Works on macroeconomic policy, anti-corruption, the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). Carolina Bocanegra: Honduras
Social Forum of External Debt and Development of Honduras - Foro Social de la Devola Externa y Desarrollo de Honduras (FASDEH). Working on macroeconomic policy – external debt/ fiscal policies, anti-corruption. Mirta Ruiz Diaz: Paraguay
Educating public about campaign in Paraguay, complementing work on human rights. Relinda Sosa Perez: Peru
Representative of the Women Workers Association. Armando Perez Salazar: El Salvador
Representative of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty in El Salvador. Marianela Carbajal: Dominican Republic
Representative of the feminist movement and campaigner on womens’ issues. Juan Luis Espada Vedia: Bolivia
Economist and representative of the Centre for studies on workers rights (CEDLA). Previous experience working on issues of debt and development. Alberto Yepes: Colombia
Colombian Co-ordinator of the Coalition “Colombia Without Poverty”, which is the Colombian section of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. In Colombia the campaign focuses on the right to education of deprived families that have suffered due to the conflict. It also includes other causes of economic, social and cultural rights before the courts.

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