FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scotland stands up & sings out against poverty

Scots singers join world choir in Poverty Requiem

Members of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's chorus and junior chorus will perform Peter Maissan Poverty Requiem on Wednesday 17 October at St Mary's Cathedral, Great Western Road, Glasgow.

Scottish singers will be adding their voices to a global mobilisation to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The performance is one of nineteen taking place around the world today. Performances have been organised in places as far apart as Pennsylvania in the USA to the Philippines to Palestine.  There are also performances organised in Europe, Africa and South America.

The Poverty Requiem uses music to tell the story of injustice and poverty, and the need for change.  The work is made up of five movements: the suffering, the anger, the mourning, the humour and the hope. The event has been organised by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty Scotland, (GCAP Scotland), a coalition formed by groups who led the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005.

Shenard Mazengera, Oxfam's Advocacy manager in Malawi, who is  currently visiting Scotland, will introduce tonight's performance.  Speaking of the Poverty Requiem Shenard said, "In a world where over one billion people live on less than a dollar a day, 40 million are living with HIV and 2.6 billion have no basic sanitation we can no longer stay quiet about poverty.  We need to stand up, speak out or in this case sing out against poverty and make our voices heard."

Mr N. E. Gopinath, one of SCIAF's partners working with people with disabilities in India is also currently in Scotland. He added: "World poverty kills more people than war. It is not until the whole world acts together to end the global inequalities of wealth and opportunity that the suffering of the millions of people in the southern hemisphere will end.  The Poverty Requiem and activities around the world highlighting the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty are a reminder that we all have a part to play."

Christine Walker of the RSNO added, "As performers it is great to be taking part in a concert that is also taking place in so many countries around the globe on the same day. That the Poverty Requiem is happening globally emphasise the fact that poverty is a worldwide problem.  In standing up and singing out against poverty we hope that the people who have the power to make change will do all they can to address the unfairness of global poverty. "

Ends.

Contact:

• Malcolm Fleming, Oxfam, on 0141 285 8854 or 0771 891 8346
• Val Morgan, SCIAF, on 0141 354 5510

Editors Notes

1. GCAP Scotland members are: Christian Aid, Concern, Jubilee Scotland, Oxfam Scotland, SCIAF, Save the Children, World Development Movement, NIDOS, Scottish Youth Parliament, STUC and the Transport & General Workers' Union.
2. The performance will take place at St Mary's Church, Great Western Road on 17th October 2007 at 8pm and will be conducted by Frikki Walker. Media are welcome to attend.

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