Make Poverty History releases new Canadian commercial
By Adnews Staff
Activist organization Make Poverty History released a new television commercial on Friday in an effort to build awareness of the issue of global poverty in advance of Paul Martin's attendance at a United Nations summit meeting this week. The ad, called "Click," depicts a series of Canadian musicians filmed in black and white against a white background. Every three seconds the person on-screen snaps his or her fingers, representing the frequency with which someone on the planet dies of poverty-related causes. Musicians who appear in the ad include Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Gordon Lightfoot, K-os, Tom Cochrane, Sam Roberts, Bruce Cockburn, Jann Arden, Great Big Sea, Barenaked Ladies and Randy Bachman, among others. According to the organization, radio ads will also be released soon. The voiceovers of both ads are done by Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. Make Poverty History works to put pressure on the Canadian government to provide more aid to developing countries, modify their trade practices and cancel the debts of the world's poorest countries. The organization is part of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, a coalition of national campaigns in 70 countries.