We want peace, economic justice and basic rights for all. And yes, sometimes it seems like it’s all been said before and we’re still going nowhere fast.

But take heart. Pressure does work. It got women the vote, abolished slavery and won gay rights. Many of these advances look inevitable with hindsight. In fact, they were all hard won. Campaigning movements start small,Pressur take time to gather momentum, and overcome massive obstacles before achieving their aims.

We've been campaigning successfully for years on issues like apartheid, landmines, trade and debt –  $100 billion of un-repayable debt was written off at the G8 in 1998 as a result of relentless popular protest. That’s why we apply pressure by campaigning to change the rules that keep people poor.

Pressureworks is produced by Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a development agency that works with communities of all faiths and none.  We aren’t missionaries. We campaign hard to tackle the root causes of poverty, because we see it at its worst.

We see war and famine destroying families. We see AIDS orphans bringing up brothers and sisters alone. We see people’s jobs and livelihoods being destroyed by unfair trade. But we don’t just stand by and watch. We take action because we think all people have the right to a decent life, whoever they are, wherever they live and whatever they believe.