Action Actually.

by Bill Nighy, Actor.

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I arrived in Tokyo a few days ago, having flown in from Los Angeles where I had been operating in jack boots and a nazi uniform. So it was a bit of a relief to get into a lounge suit. I’ve been to Tokyo once before, when filming Pirates of the Carribean, acting as “Davy Jones” or “The Squid” as I’m known in Japan. On this occasion I was warmly welcomed by Oxfam representatives and felt very pleased to be here to draw attention to the important meeting ahead.

As we drove up closer to the G8 summit, I had the unusual privilege of going through not only my first but also second and third roadblocks. However, we were gently allowed through. Wearing a deeply inappropriate suit standing in the middle of a field, I did an interview with Andrew Marr from the BBC. I felt clumsy, but that’s the way I like to feel in these situations and I think it went well.

Working with Oxfam, I haven’t become an expert on international affairs, but I have done a couple films about developing countries. One was “The Constant Gardner” which was about the great modern scandal on how Africa is used as a laboratory for testing new medicines. I also acted in “The Girl in the Cafe” directed by Richard Curtis, playing a civil servant at a G8 forum in Iceland, so that’s probably why I was an obvious choice for Oxfam to ask me to be their ambassador. The film was quite similar to the real thing, they did a good job at getting the overall tone, creating a mixture of exitement and dread at the same time.

My message to the G8 leaders is and will remain: “Keep your promises”. If they don’t, the world will be facing a critical situation in which millions of lives will be lost, even though the solution is achievable, easily achievable. The people of Oxfam know that better than anyone.

Never use animals, children or balloons

by Patrick Klerks, Online Campaigner, Oxfam Novib

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Today is the last day before the G8 summit begins and I am once again faced with the eternal wisdom: “When you’re doing a public performance, do not use animals, children or balloons”. At first it seemed like a good idea to have a thousand balloons on the square in front of the Sapporo Convention Center, representing one million wishes sent from people around the world asking for an end to poverty, as part of the Japanese tanabata festival. As we soon found out: concrete and balloons don’t mix. But as campaigners always have a plan B, C and D, all turned out great in the end, as you’ll see in the video below.

A few hours later, it was time for our health performance: our big heads were dangling a check in front of healthworkers, representing the financial promises the G8 leaders made back in 2005 at Gleneagles. This is a really important issue, because G8 leaders are trying to break their aid promises. We decided to do this performance to make sure G8 leaders know we won’t let it happen.

Now I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that this is a good reason to get our message out even louder: action NOW! And if things need to get loud, one brings in Bill Nighy. He’ll be our spokesperson at the Big Letters performance (Big heads, Big letters, get it?) tomorrow, explaining why the G8 must make it clear to the rest of the world where and how they will lay out their plans to get back on track to meet those 2005 promises.

No sweat!

by Stuart McWilliam, Campaign Manager, Oxfam Japan

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Today, I’m in Sapporo, Japan, where I can see helicopters circling the area. Policemen and reporters are everywhere: the G8 leaders must be coming to town!

G8 countries are trying to cope with increasing oil prices, food inflation and a slowdown of their economies, but the poor are worse off. As the G8 leaders meet from 7-9 July, Oxfam will be calling on them to make poverty issues central to their discussions. But to reach that goal, we need to do some campaigning!

“Stuart’s introduction to Japan”

I’m at Odori Kouen, the main park in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaidō, for our first performance. It’s a scorching 30 degrees, our ‘big heads’ are dripping with sweat and have big sweat patches on their kimonos, but there are loads of photographers, journalists and TV reporters, so I’m feeling great!

The message we want to get across today is that the G8 leaders shouldn’t come to the Hokkaidō summit and treat their visit as a holiday. So that’s why on our first day of campaigning action, our big heads are performing as karaoke artists: G8 leaders, stop fooling around: action now! We want you to work hard and take decisive action against poverty.

“Day 1 of campaigning: Oxfam’s first performance and the peace rally”

So what else is happening this week? I’m having a quick shower first. But then it’s on to the alternative G8 summit on Sunday July 6th, more performances throughout the week, including one with Bill Nighy, and of course our verdict on the G8 outcomes.

If you’d like to stay up to date on Oxfam’s activities during the G8 summit in Sapporo, visit this blog regularly and subscribe to our Youtube and Flickr pages.