Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP has received over 750 postcard messages from Progressio supporters telling him their hopes for the future.

At a reception in Westminster on 13 June 2012, Mr Clegg welcomed the messages, sent in by church congregations across the UK. Following the hand in, he stressed the importance of the Rio+20 summit for "future generations" to a gathering of UK government officials, charities and business leaders.

The Deputy Prime Minister is due to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week to take part in negotiations at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which it is believed will be pivotal in determining what kind of future the global population can hope for.

Among the messages delivered in person to the Deputy Prime Minister, Angelina Macquebin, from Cambridge expressed her vision "for everyone in the world, regardless of where they live, to have a fair share of the world's resources and a life free from hunger, poverty and fear."

Jacky Mattam, from Oxford, called "for the UK to be leaders in a green and fair economy for all, by making concrete commitments to eradicate poverty and help developing countries adapt to climate change."

And Iris Thirwall, aged 8, from Crosby, wrote that the future she wants is one where "all the people in the world who haven't got food get a meal like us every day and clean water to drink".

The 'future we want' postcard campaign is part of Progressio's 'Waterproof' campaign calling for fair and sustainable access to water for livelihoods for all people.

Tim Aldred, Progressio's Head of Policy and Communications, who delivered the postcards in person, asked Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP "to act with vision and leadership and to look beyond short-term concerns and plan for the world we want our children and grandchildren to inherit".

Recurring themes in the postcards sent in by churchgoers across the UK included:

  • a green and fair global economy, that treats the poorest fairly
  • food security for all
  • water resources and other natural resources to be protected
  • tough action on climate change
  • an end to poverty through truly sustainable development.

Photo: Tim Aldred and Nick Clegg look at some of the 'Future we want' postcards (photo © Marcus Perkins/Progressio)

Comments

I would request him to help our projects of helping the needy people and children be funded and pay visit to them to see how we are working hard to end poverty in Africa.Like now we are constructing the school in some of the marginalized areas to show the need of education to this communities and improve there living standard .This project is in Kenya Africa and we are welcoming people from the globe to link with us and do something helpful to this communities.

I am a volunteer working on my own in the Selva of Ayacucho in the area called VRAE. We have very bad water, there are people who live in extreme poverty and not of their own fault. We have ideas and projects but we need a strong helping hand who will not judge us because of where we live. The children are innocent and they should not suffer for their parent's crimes. Santa Rosa, where I live is peaceful and tranquil. I have created a High School. I am trying hard to build a Comodor popular (a Victory Kitchen) for the many elderly poor roaming the streets. I am also projecting a Chocolate FActory. I need an ear to hear my plea and a hand to help me! We need a pre kinder school, trade schools and a catering school. Please can anyone help? Thank you God bless Fr Anthony Zammit