Rough Guide to a Better World Campaign

This initiative is based on the notion that, if informed, the British public will take concrete, everyday actions to spend their money and time in responsible, ethical ways that support the MDGs. Organisers believe that prosperous countries such as the UK and economically poor countries are inextricably linked through economic, social, and cultural networks. The assumption is that people are "good", and are concerned enough about the suffering of those living in geographically distant places to make daily sacrifices on their behalf.

The strategy, then, involves providing information through printed and internet media in an effort to give individuals the ideas and tools needed to become actively involved in supporting the MDGs. Participation, then, is a strategic goal; to help personalise and motivate, Rough Guide to a Better World features people from developing countries telling their own stories. It also offers background information about these challenges and the MDGs, and provides readers with effective ways of taking action; contact information for relevant organisations is provided. While stressing how much work is yet to be done, the book strives to encourage further action by highlighting progress that has already been made. The book hopes to show how the media can focus on negative news stories, neglecting more subtle tales of the increasing prosperity and success among people in economically poorer parts of the world. It uses case studies to illustrate examples of triumph over adversity.

Volunteerism is one of the focus points of the guide; to support and stimulate that means of taking action, all the people involved in developing and promoting the campaign have donated their services for free. Celebrity involvement here is a strategy for attracting the public's attention: Live Aid (and LIVE 8) founder Sir Bob Geldof wrote the foreword (and also donated funds); other contributors include Jon Snow, Chris Martin from the band Coldplay, Fran Healy from Travis, Parminder Nagra, Beverley Knight, and former Boyzone star Ronan Keating. Politicians, members of the media, and activists are also lending their support: The Rough Guide to a Better World was launched at Portcullis House, Westminster, in November 2004 by Gareth Thomas, Minister of Parliament (MP). Other MPs, as well as members of non-government organisations (NGOs), journalists, and development activist Lord Alli, were in attendance.

Offering a free publication is part of a strategy for introducing the ideas it contains to as broad an audience as possible. Two million free copies of this book have been printed and were made available at UK Post Offices across the country. To increase its reach further, organisers set up the Rough Guide to a Better World website to provide easy, free online access to the book itself. This website is interactive, featuring a "Better World Community" to stimulate the exchange of ideas about advocacy and activism, volunteering, ethical consumerism, ethical tourism, and giving to charity.

Poverty, Hunger, Health, Illiteracy.

Bob Geldolf notes in his foreword to the book, "We must not accept people dying nightly on our TV screens forever....They whisper to us through unfair trade of the supermarket shelves and exploited raw materials....Pay heed. This book tells you how." According to the DFID, "Public opinion research tell us that lots of people are concerned about poverty, but that they aren't sure what positive action they can take. Many in the UK also feel powerless in the face of the negative images and stories about the developing world carried by television and newspapers." This project aims to give UK citizens the background information and strategies needed to help them take action.

"Rough Guides" are a series of travel guidebooks that were launched in 1982 by a recent college graduate and 3 of his friends. As of this writing, there are almost 200 such travel guides available in print; visit the Rough Guides website for more information.