In May 1998, more than 70,000 people surrounded the G8 Summit in Birmingham in a human chain.

Seven years on, more than a million people are expected in Edinburgh to add their voice to the Make Poverty History Campaign.

So what has changed in the last seven years? What effect did the Human Chain have and what is expected after the Edinburgh protest?

surefish.co.uk asked a few people who were in Birmingham in 1998 for their opinions.

Max Khanna, Christian Aid

Why did you go to the Human Chain event in Birmingham?

I wasn’t much involved with Christian Aid or any other campaigning things – really can’t remember how I heard about it. But I thought that if enough people went then it would show the world leaders that people cared about this.

What are your memories of the day?

Lovely friendly atmosphere. Seeing the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder being driven past in a huge coach (we were on some little side-street and I guess it was being used to avoid the main routes) and waving and blowing my whistle at him. Seeing people putting banners on bridges etc and thinking wow there are so many ordinary people who care about the things I care about.

Do you think the human chain had any effect in 1998?

Yes I think it did – it showed then that ordinary people (not loonies, not anarchists, not people just using it as an excuse for violence) cared about the poor people in the world.

The human chain took place seven years ago, and now we are about to campaign in Edinburgh. What do you hope to happen over the next seven years?

I think things like aid and debt will slowly improve for poor countries but only slowly. I think governments will get better at hiding the conditionalities they impose on poor countries. I don’t think we’ll make poverty history this year, I’m sorry to say. But I’m still going. If we don’t shout about this and keep on shouting about it then no-one else will. We have to demonstrate that “We won’t stop until poverty stops”. Eventually we will win. But it will be a long long process.

Jenny Humphreys, Diocese of Bath & Wells

Why did you go to the Human Chain event in Birmingham? 

Because it seemed such a different, interesting, crazy but incredibly obvious thing to do!  Economics was suddenly a life and death issue to people, and the Jubilee 2000 campaign struck a nerve “an idea whose time had come”

What are your memories of the day?

Sunshine, balloons, red t-shirts, queuing to get into venues to hear the speakers, the surreal sight of taped-down manhole covers, hearing that Tony Blair had come back to see what was going on because “there are thousands of people there – including vicars!" And two women priests who turned in the wrong direction on coming out of an ice-cream shop at the end of the day on the way back to our coach – we had to send out search parties, and seven years ago not everyone had a mobile phone to keep in touch!

Do you think the human chain had any effect on the G8?

Absolutely.

The human chain took place seven years ago, and now we are about to campaign in Edinburgh. What do you hope to happen over the next seven years? 

A growing awareness of the injustice and inequalities of the world’s economic system – and the realisation that all our lives will be badly affected if we don’t tackle the situation properly.

Christine Thompson, Christian Aid

Why did you go to the Human Chain event in Birmingham? 

Because I wanted 2000 to be a new start. Because whatever the rights and wrongs of the original loans they were crippling developing countries and causing unnecessary suffering and death. Because it had been shown that it would make a negligible difference to the West and a great deal of difference to developing countries.

That I had taken two young teenagers and all the activities for them were out at Edgbaston and we were in the centre. We sat on the grass outside Carrs Lane church for a long time. We found a nice shady spot for our part of the chain and my husband and a friend lifted an elderly Nigerian friend up on to a wall. The noise of whistles and the camaraderie and peacefulness. And the fact that the G8 leaders ran away to somewhere quieter in the countryside.

Do you think the human chain had any effect on the G8?

Yes, it got $100 million debt cancelled but they never really improved what they offered after Birmingham.

The human chain took place seven years ago, and now we are about to campaign in Edinburgh. What do you hope to happen over the next seven years? 

More aid well spent, debt cancellation with the money used sensibly, more sensible trade conditions. Concentration on providing basic services like adequate nutritious food and clean water. Less corruption, a slant on the HIV/AIDS debate that pays attention to the moral dimension, and better family planning available for women.

Adrian Platt, Christian Aid

Why did you go to the Human Chain event in Birmingham? 

Our church in Sheffield was very much involved with the Jubilee 2000 campaign. About a dozen of us went, it was our first time at a big campaign event!

It was boiling hot. Being part of the human chain round by the canal.  A fleet of executive cars with Japanese flags on driving past us.

Do you think the human chain had any effect on the G8?

Absolutely - Tony Blair was forced to meet a delegation of campaigners. The G8 announced a considerable amount of debt relief for poor countries, though not as much as campaigners were calling for.

The human chain took place seven years ago, and now we are about to campaign in Edinburgh. What do you hope to happen over the next seven years?

Significant progress on eradicating poverty, particularly that rich country governments, the IMF and World Bank will stop forcing free trade on poor countries.

• More about the G8 Summit in Edinburgh