Third World: Images of poverty, hunger, underdevelopment. Maybe just for one weekend, just for three intense and vibrant nights on the first weekend of March the Third World brought enjoyment, rhythm and culture. In the words of musician Moussé Ndiaye, "it is a matter of being able to give and take".

The Third World Group wishes to thank all those who helped in the organisation of Ritmi - the Concert, a throbbing partnership of Maltese with west African music.

Our thanks go to our sponsors, the people at Maltacom who carried our voices to Senegal; Koperattiva Kulturali Universitarja, who provided us with the venue; the staff and volunteers at L-Arka, the fair trade shop in Valletta, who toiled relentlessly with the frenetic booking; sedqa; and the parliamentary secretariat in the ministry of education who believed in the educational value of the performance.

Thanks to Renzo Spiteri, the musical director, musicians Jesmond Camilleri and André Micallef, backstage, front officers, announcers, helpers, all the other sponsors as well as an appreciative and generous audience.

The Third World Group`s endeavour is to continue working against relative poverty among us and absolute poverty abroad and not necessarily through giving donations but more through hands-on experiences, promoting fair trade, finding out what the south or Third World has to give, and contact with development organisations abroad.

Unfortunately, the harrowing situation in most African sub-Saharan and Latin American countries today is worse than it was 30 years ago when the Third World Group was founded. Only a fraction of the debt of the countries of the south has been cancelled after the greatest signature campaign in world history, Jubilee 2000. High costs for debts servicing, the lowering of returns for raw materials and the impossible structural adjustment programmes have made the world`s poorest countries unfairly and irrevocably indebted.

Aids in many African countries has assumed national calamity proportions and kills every single day as many people as have died in the World Trade Centre tragedy. The divide between rich and poor, even in many of the richer countries, has continued to deepen.

Both the Ritmi project and the Third World Group are set to continue with their work. Anybody interested in working in a concrete way against poverty may contact L-Arka on 21244865. You will find out there is something you can do!