Toronto, ON —World Vision, one of the organizers in the Make Poverty History coalition that has made Live 8 possible in Barrie on July 2, is beginning to rally its supporters and others across Canada to make their voices heard.

World Vision is mobilizing tens of thousands of Canadian supporters who through child sponsorship, donations, and volunteering have been helping to make poverty history for years. Working with the Make Poverty History coalition, World Vision is encouraging Canadians to take part in the Live 8 concert and order a white wristband (the symbol of the Make Poverty History campaign). With the wristband, Canadians will receive a free postcard to send to the Prime Minister, urging him to use his voice in the G8 Summit to make the changes that will end poverty.

"We are excited that Canada will be part of Live 8. Our role is to make this more than just a concert but a turning point in how this country responds to the poor," says Dave Toycen, president of World Vision Canada. "The noise around Live 8 needs to be loud and clear—it's time for Canadians to add their voices to the millions who want the G8 leaders to end poverty."

By attending the Live 8 concert and signing a postcard, each Canadian can send a message to the Prime Minister that they want to make a better place for children in Canada and in the world. World Vision has already collected 12,000 postcards urging the Prime Minister to devote 0.7 per cent of GDP to aid by 2015 and to work for trade rules that support poor countries. But World Vision needs thousands more to make the message heard by the politicians.

Canadians can also go online at www.worldvision.ca and sign the giant Make Poverty History postcard that will be delivered, along with many already mailed in, to the Prime Minister on Parliament Hill before he leaves for the G8 Summit in Scotland.

World Vision and thousands of Canadians will join the artists at Live 8 in Barrie to demand that the G8 leaders provide more and better aid, justice in trade, debt cancellation for poor nations, and an end to child poverty in Canada.

World Vision is an international Christian humanitarian relief and development organization, working in more than 90 countries helping approximately 85 million people each year.