03.02.03

Just seven days to show we care
(for England and Zimbabwe)

England captain Nasser Hussain said yesterday that the England team may boycott the Zimbabwe match of their own accord - but now they are looking for the nation's moral support. "We want to know what people think about us, there is no point going to play a game of cricket for England in Zimbabwe if people don't want us to," he stated. Zimbabwefund.org gives everyone a simple and practical way to get behind Nasser and the team - and to show the people of Zimbabwe we care about their fate.

The campaign hinges on a premium-rate phone line - 0906 1200 005 - each call donating £1.00 towards the £1million fine the English Cricket Board could face from the ICC if England acted on its conscience and pulled out of the Harare match.

SUPPORT

In the past week, Zimbabwefund.org has drawn massive support from celebrities including Sir Bob Geldof, Booker Prizewinner Yann Martel, former England footballer John Barnes, and former England cricketer Robert Croft. Richard Bevan, head of the PCA and spokesman for the England Cricket Team has also thrown his weight behind the campaign.

At a press conference in the House of Commons on Thursday 30 January, an all-party group of MPs, led by Shadow Foreign Secretary Michael Ancram, expressed their full support - and even held up the Zimbabwefund.org phone number for the cameras, appealing to the media to get this out.

PUBLICITY

Despite covering the campaign, many branches of the media remain reluctant to publicise the telephone number and web address. Without substantial publicity for these, the UK public cannot benefit from this opportunity to express its feelings on the Zimbabwe issue in a way that could - as Nasser Hussain's latest statement has shown - actually make a difference.

"Raising the money would put the Cricket authorities on the spot by taking the financial element out of an ethical decision," says Dr James Smith, Zimbabwefund.org initiator. "It would also send an important message to the Zimbabwean people. More than cricket is at stake here. If England plays cricket in Harare while Zimbabwe starves, it shows them we don't care and hands Mugabe another propaganda victory." Any money raised by the Zimbabwe fund that is not needed to pay the fine will go directly to help the Zimbabweans at risk of starvation.

We are now looking for radio stations and papers that may be willing to adopt this campaign and push the number and website. It is a dramatic campaign with a short lifespan. To have the greatest impact, a million pounds must be raised through the phone line within a week. (A sample of the support we have already received is pasted on the following page: additional celebrity backing is expected during the coming week.)

For more information, contact: David Brown, Aegis Trust Press Officer, tel: 01623 836627, mob: 07812 640873, email: david.brown@aegistrust.org
Website: zimbabwefund.org