Will the G8 march make a difference?

Bob Geldof, who's just announced details of the Live 8 concerts, wants people to take part in a protest to show they want world poverty to end.

He's hoping as many as a million people will attend a rally in Edinburgh in July.

But teacher's groups have asked kids not to bunk off school for the protest.

So do you think the G8 march will make a difference?

Do you think rallies are a good way of making world leaders take notice or do you think they're pointless?

E-mail and tell us what you think.

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Your Comments

I think that children should be able to protest. I myself might be going to Edinburgh to protest as I have a very strong opinion. This would be a great experience and I would learn a lot from it.

Sara, 13, Newcastle

Let's hope. Please God, let it not even be necessary!

Eden, 11, Newcastle

People should be allowed to go to things like this to help poverty. It is learning a lesson in itself. Teachers should go as well!

Sarah, 11, Kendal

I think world poverty should come to an end for the sake of lots of people.

Kamen, 12, Sheffield

The whole teachers telling kids not to bunk off is the same as the whole wristbands report. Don't our teachers want us to help?

Morgan, 11, Christchurch

My school is considering letting us go or doing a trip there, I think they should! Poverty is much more important, but so many kids just want to bunk off... but if they go they still look like they want to help, which sends a good message out.

Elise, 13, Sleaford

Why aren't we allowed to protest? Schools are so selfish in the way that they won't let us protest to end something that has been a problem for years. Bob Geldof has worked hard to end poverty, and if the UK aren't prepared to help him along the way then why is he bothering. What difference does one day off school make to our education, in my opinion we are doing something educational.

Jack, 12, Melton Mowbray

I think that it would be quite difficult as many people would just skive off and say that they are going to protest. I don't think it will make that much difference anyway to be honest. I don't mind missing school but I think kids would go for the wrong reasons.

Megan, 13, Lancaster

I think 30, 000 children dying in extreme poverty every day is more important than missing a day of school. We have to tell world leaders that us kids want justice, and now!

Beth, 13, Bradford

I think that if kids feel strongly towards the cause, then they should protest, but why didn't Bob Geldof organise it at the weekend, so that children could go and not get into trouble?

Ros, 14, Cheltenham

Who doesn't want poverty to end? Marching through a street with a banner is not going to help poor people in any way. How about doing fund raising events? I don't think many people will bother going to all the way to Edinburgh anyway.

Hannah, 13, Leicester

Well I think that in case kids do bunk off school to join the protest schools should do a school trip taking children to Hyde Park to see Live 8.

Toby, 11, Barnet

Protesting about poverty is more important than learning equations! Denying someone the right to protest is wrong, even if it means missing one small day at school. However, many people will simply use it as an excuse to have a day off, which is an insult to the poor.

Stuart, 15, Edinburgh

I think that it is right for the children that really believe in it to go and join in the march, but the trouble is you will get people pretending to be interested just to bunk off school for a day. It is hard.

Karen, 14, Uckfield

I just think it will give kids the excuse to bunk off school even if they don't go!

Phil, 15, Tunbridge

I think that the G8 march won't make much of a difference because the world leaders already know what they are going to Edinburgh for, they don't need a rally to remind them!

Annabel, 13, Hemel Hempstead

It didn't work with the Iraq war... people just got suspended... the school system doesn't care.

Tara, 14, Birmingham

I think that everyone that thinks this campaign is stupid is selfish and should think about getting a life, or if not, at least help others LIVE one.

Shenelle, 13, London

Kids should be allowed to protest if they want. Some lessons can be learnt outside of class, and there are more important things in life than school. (As for me, it won't be an issue if I decide to go - I've finished school. :D) There are other issues though, like how will they get there and where will they stay.

Hannahmarie, 15, Reading

I think that Live 8 is a brilliant idea I think it's silly that kids have been asked not to bunk off school for something to help the world. It's not really going to matter to have a couple of days off, it is for poverty!

Kym, 15, Basingstoke

I really want to do the march, but I think if I bunked off my school would become suspicious and doubt that I was ill. I hope I will though because I think one day of school is not as important as poverty, hunger and sickness. It's quite worrying now that Bob Geldof has encouraged about 1million to do it!!

Caitlin, 11, Edinburgh

I think it is a brilliant idea and will really raise people's awareness of poverty. I wish those hot-headed politicians would get off their high horse and realise that we would learn a lot more by helping the world around us than something in maths that we won't use anyway.

Maddi, 11, Bozeat

I think that children should be allowed to take time off school to join the march because it shows that they want to help with the poverty situation and if they care about it now, they will care a lot more about it when they are older and able to help more.

Anna, 11, Chatham

I think the march will make a lot of difference and I don't think missing one day of school will affect us.

Rachel, 14, York

We are lucky to be at school. The people in the poor countries don't even have schools to go to!

Monica, 14, Uddington

I think that people should not bunk off school because they need their education.

Lauren, 11, Inverurie

I think that Live 8 is a fantastic idea. I think that children should be allowed two days off school, after all it's only 2 days and Live 8 is for a brilliant cause.

Chantelle, 11, Swansea

I think children should be able to bunk off school because taking part in a protest is going to make a bigger difference than going to school for one day.

Jack, 11, Bolton

The march is a good idea, but bunking off school isn't.

Holly, 11, London

I would rather go to the march and try to make a difference than sit in class discussing it and not doing anything to help at all.

Aimee, 11, Carluke

I think children should march because what's worse; missing one day of school or living in poverty and missing out on life?

Hannah, 12, Bridgnorth

I think that only children that are doing well in school should be allowed to go and only if they know about it and their parents agree with what they are doing 100%.
P.S. I am not going because it is probably not going to make a difference because a lot of people do protests, and it doesn't make 1% difference!

Jennie, 11, Essex

I think Bob Geldof is an idiot in thinking it will work and what irresponsable parents would let their children bunk off for this STUPID protest.

Jack, 10, Sutton Coldfield

I don't think that missing one day of school is that big a deal, it will show how serious everyone is about wiping the debt of poor countries.

Amna, 14, Redditch

Schools in the Edinburgh area should have a day off so kids who want to protest can.

Liam, 12, Leatherhead

I think that children should be allowed to march because I think the g8 march will make a lot of difference.

Rhona, 11, Glasgow

I may be wrong, and I would still bunk off to go to the demonstration. It will be an unforgettable experience with so many people and if somebody does listen, all the better. Going to any protest would be more worthwhile than going to school and wasting time doing nothing.

Rachael, 15, Hartlepool

Kids should be allowed to miss school as this could change the fate of Third World countries. Chris, 12, Belfast

Children should have the right to voice their views not just grown-ups. Because it's our future and we don't want poverty still to be here when are older.

Dee, 15, Isle of Man

I hope G8 will make a difference to all people affected by poverty, because they deserve the same chances as everyone else. Hopefully, if enough people help this good cause, then world leaders will take notice and help the poor countries.

Stephanie, 14, Chesterfield

This march could change the world forever. And if people are going to stop kids missing school to take part in the march, they are wrong. Kids parents pay taxes, and pay for schools!

Becks, 11, Croydon

I don't think that bunking off school for rallies and protests is right. When you have a good education, you'd be able to use this to make your own differences.

Jessica, 12, Essex

I think this is a brilliant idea. Hopefully, the world leaders will have the decency and listen to this protest and put a full stop to poverty. But kids should not bunk off school though. If they want to help they should log on to the Make Poverty History website!

Meg, 14, Birkhill

The world's leaders are only going to make poverty history if they know that the public want it. So anything that shows the world leaders what we want is a good idea. But the bunking off school idea ain't so good!

Kate, 14, Aylesbury

Rallies and protests always make a difference but bunking off school isn't right.

Razan, 14, London

When people protested in their thousands across the world (making more than a million) against the Iraqi War, no world leader listened so 1 million in London isn't going to make a difference. But I don't think it's a bad idea.

Shahad, 15, Cardiff

Of course it is going to make a difference! Why not have a charity with some fun involved!

Rebecca, 12, Tyldesley

It might make a difference but it depends if the world leaders want to listen. I hope they do because this could be a chance to stop the poverty at once and I personally think that the march might get something across.

Lauren, 14, Suffolk

I don't know whether it will make a difference, the world leaders never listen to people protesting.

Rebecca, 14, Essex

If the 1 million people he proposes show up then maybe, but otherwise it will hardly make a difference. 1 million out of however many billion people there are in the world is a still a small minority.

Emily, 15, Cardiff

I think the march will show that people want to end world poverty, but whether world leaders listen is another matter.

Gavin, 13, Manchester