A campaign has been launched by some of Canada's biggest music, television, sports and political celebrities to fight global poverty.

The group, which includes singer Tom Cochrane, comedian Mary Walsh, Olympian Anna van der Kamp, and UN envoy Stephen Lewis, is calling on the government of Paul Martin to spend more on foreign aid. The group also wants action taken to end child poverty in its own country of Canada, and to eliminate debts owed by foreign countries.

The campaign, which has been named “Make Poverty History,” is a part of a larger global movement being conducted in more than 50 countries.

According to Lewis, “The number of people living in poverty is astounding :an estimated 1.2 billion, with almost half in Africa.”

Cochrane urged Ottawa to spend more money to create employment in third world countries, and to take measures to end the spread of AIDS.

Walsh said, “A big part of reducing poverty involves helping children.” According to her that can be done through federal tax credits.