Ming wants to trade away poverty – and now you can too

Commendations to our good man Sir Menzies Campbell, who yesterday posted the following message of support for the “Trade Out of Poverty” campaign:

WE CAN AND MUST TAKE THE MORAL AND POLITICAL LEAD IN TACKLING WORLD POVERTY

Our former leader states:

We must realise that trade is the key to alleviating poverty in the world.

However, he warns that due to the current political climate, trade “is set to decline sharply and it will hit the poorest hardest unless we act now to open up new opportunities.”

In this vein I would like to urge to you sign a petition calling for the international reduction of barriers to trade – in order to further peace, prosperity and international development.

The petition states:

“We the undersigned join together in a plea to the governments of all nations to resist the calls of the short-sighted and the greedy to raise higher the barriers to trade. In addition, we call on them to tear down current protectionist barriers to free trade. To each government, we say: let your citizens enjoy not only the fruits of your own fields, factories, and genius, but also those of the entire globe. The rewards will be greater prosperity, richer lives, and enjoyment of the blessings of peace.”

Please click here to sign the petition, the full text of which is available on my blog, Orange By Name.