Pope's Call for Truth and Charity Marks G8 Opening

(07 July 09 - RV) Just one day after the Pope’s Call for truth and charity, the impact of the current global financial crisis, climate change and world hunger will be high on the agenda of the G8 summit which opens this evening in L’Aquila Italy.


The leaders of the Group of 8 _ Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States_ are meeting for three days of discussion amid warning’s from economists that the global downturn is far from over.


Unemployment in the EU hit a 10 year high in June topping 15 million while 467, 000 jobs were lost in the US.


Despite dismal data, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will urge fellow leaders to
push ahead with plans to boost the global economy, emphasizing the need to
continue coordinated international action, particularly in fighting hunger.


Head of Communications at Caritas Internationalis, Patrick Nicholson, tells us why it is vital, now more than ever, that aid to poor nations does not dry up.