WE the undersigned, members of Evesham and District Trade Justice Group, want to remind Journal readers that the campaign to Make Poverty History is still going on.

At their July meeting in Edinburgh the rich countries made little progress. They still support international trade rules which force poor countries to open their economies. This means that powerful transnational companies based in the rich countries are able to profit rather than poor countries' people.

The World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong next month is a chance to start changing those rules so that poor countries are allowed to protect their local businesses and the environment, and keep local control of services such as education, health and water. This way they can build their economies and help their people out of poverty.

This is why on a wet Wednesday last week several of us joined thousands of others meeting their MPs at Westminster to urge them to put the new trade rules case to government ministers. We were glad of the chance to speak to Peter Luff and Sir Michael Spicer.

Journal readers who want to help this campaign can write to their MP, or direct to Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

SS HOLLIDAY, PATRICIA WOODCOCK, HILARY ROFFEY, REG JAKEMAN, LYNNE JAKEMAN, ELIZABETH HARRISON, TOBY HARRISON, RICHARD ELLIS, SIMON TOWNER, Evesham.