From Leeds to Okinawa on two wheels

Jubilee 2000 supporters are delivering a debt message all the way from Leeds in the UK across the USA and Japan to the G8 Summit in Okinawa.

The five brave and energetic supporters of debt cancellation for impoverished countries set out from Leeds in the UK on Wednesday 10 May. After stopping for a photocall with their local members of parliament outside the parliament building in London, they fly to Washington DC to start the US leg of their tour.

The group will cross the US on their bicycles, doing about 80 miles day, and raising awareness about the need for Jubilee 2000 debt cancellation for Africa and other regions along the way. Their route will take them through nine US states, starting out due west from Washington, turning southward in Kansas, then through the south-west to arrive in Los Angeles on 2 July.

From LA the cyclists will put their bikes on a plane and fly to Japan to continue their journey, helping the debt campaign to build up a real head of steam there before the key G8 meetings in July. The cyclists will take part in actions at the Finance Ministers meeting in Fukuoka on 8 July, the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in Miyazaki on 12 July and then head to Okinawa for the big one: the G8 Summit on 21-23 July. Along the way they are gathering signatures in a special debt book which will be presented to the G8 leaders.

The team include three Anglican vicars and an eight-month old baby, who will ride in a special bicycle trailer! They explain their motivation for the trip:

“Some of us had cycled to previous summits in the UK and Germany. It was one way of getting there, and seemed to attract a lot of interest. So the seed of an idea planted itself: Why not cycle to Japan for the all-important year 2000 summit? Well, the objections were obvious: Because it's over 3000 miles of pedalling. Because of the cost. Because some of us are not that fit. Because we would be dependent on the hospitality of strangers all the way. But then, some of these also seemed like reasons to do it.

Our cycle ride is, of course, only a very small part of what will be happening as the G8 summit approaches, but the whole campaign has been built upon the actions and outrage of ordinary people like us, finding that we need not be voiceless or powerless, and that together we can make a difference.”

And this is how they describe themselves:

Roger Harington - 51 year old Church of England Vicar and Professional Actor who's also a cycling freak and long-time supporter of Christian Aid. Cycled to Birmingham and Cologne for the last two G7 Summits, and thought Why not cycle to Japan as well?

Ben Humphries - 43, and he's cycled all his life. An Anglican clergyman, he works for Christian Aid co-ordinating their campaigns in the North West. That work had taken him to Africa, Asia and Central America, and now he wants to take the Drop the Debt message to Japan.

Nick Howe - married to Claire, and William's dad, he's a city-centre Vicar who was talked into this by Roger, and is now busy turning forty years of flab into muscle in the gym across from his church.

Claire Wigg - married to Nick, and William's mum, she'd been looking for a memorable way to spend her maternity leave from social work. Caught the cycling bug doing the C2C from Whitehaven to Sunderland; Washington to Los Angeles seemed the natural next step.

William Howe - at eight months, the baby of the party. He'll be sitting it out in his own special trailer (towed by Dad) and riding the range in the support vehicle. Almost certainly the star of the show.

And of course, the team would be lost without

Katya Harington - 21 year old secretary who spends as much time as possible either snowboarding or riding horses. Would prefer to ride across the USA on board and horse, but settled for driving the back-up vehicle instead.