In the aftermath of the largest live concert ever held, a number of politicians have given their backing to the public outcry to eradicate poverty. Politicians have said that people power could in the end make a huge difference to the decisions made by world leaders at the upcoming G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland on 6th July.

With more than a million people attending the 10 venues around the globe on Saturday across four continents, the pressure on the Group of Eight Wealthy nations has intensified greatly. If seemingly minor steps are now taken by the world leaders then it could turn into a lasting issue for the leaders to react against such overwhelming public opinion.

The Live 8 event as well as the UK-based Make Poverty History campaign has called upon the leaders of the richest countries in the world to cancel the debts of poor African countries, as well as increasing aid and making fairer world trade rules.

British Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who along with Prime Minister Tony Blair have been leading the assault against poverty, told at the weekend how the huge public opinion had already shaped recent agreements on debt relief and aid. However, he was also cautious and said that empowering the African people would be a "lifetime’s work".

In an interview with BBC, Brown said, "I think you've seen that ministers around the world have been affected by the strength of public opinion, churches, faith groups, and it does have an impact."

Adding further weight behind the Make Poverty History campaign, Pope Benedict told crowds gathered at St Peter’s Square on Sunday that after the Live 8 concert had taken place in Rome and around the world, that he hoped the G8 Summit could bring a genuine and lasting relief to the African continent.

Prior to the Live 8 concerts on Saturday, many critics had questioned whether the enormous music event could actually influence the policies being brought about by the G8 leaders in Gleneagles. In addition, many had even asked whether the focus of the Make Poverty History campaign and Bob Geldof’s mission to provide greater aid to Africa would actually solve the continent’s escalating problems.

However, with more than 26 million people worldwide sending text messages to offer support for Live 8 on Saturday, several billion tuning in on television, and more than 200,000 marching through the streets of Edinburgh it would seem that the world has given its firm backing for the leaders to do whatever is necessary to fight the plague of poverty from Africa for good.

A Live 8 statement read, "For God's sake, take this seriously. Don't behave normally. Don't look for compromises. Be great."

Media backing for the G8 leaders to make huge lasting changes has been immense also, particularly in Britain, which has led the world in focusing the world on the upcoming Sumit. The Independent on Sunday read "A Beautiful Day", with the Sunday Times also adding "Is that Loud Enough for You?"

However, the most influential and richest country out of the G8 has also seemed to many critics to be the quickest to distance itself from dealing with the issue. In Philadelphia, hundreds of thousands gathered for the Live 8 concert to see high-profile stars such as Will Smith, Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys question the American government’s interests to follow the rest of the world.

Singer Alicia Keys said, "America has a sense of disconnect when it comes to Africa or places that are very far away because many of us, most of us, won't get the opportunity to see those places."

In addition, only limited television coverage was given to the event, and this could seriously dampen the impact on the people on the west side of the Atlantic.

However, undeterred, Britain’s Peter Mandelson, who is the European Union’s Trade Commissioner stated that the pressure had to be maintained till the last.

“They can't ignore it. We need to see ... that energy channelled into continuing pressure and interest and attention not just to the issues of humanitarian aid and debt relief, but trade,” said Mandelson.

The G8 has been said by various commentators, to be unlikely to make any major progress on lowering trade barriers, as this issue will be brought up more firmly in the World Trade talks set for Hong Kong in December.

Concerts for Live 8 took place from Rome, to Moscow, and from Paris to Rome as the world shone a clear spotlight onto the desperate situation in Africa.

In South Africa, former President Nelson Mandela addressed up to 10,000 people in Johannesburg. But the highlighted event took place in London’s Hyde Park with an all-star line-up giving their backing for the G8 leaders to change the direction of history in the dying continent of Africa.

Paul McCartney, Bono, Madonna, Elton John, Pink Floyd, The Who and George Michael gave performances to over 200,000 people. Bob Geldof also brought out a young girl, who had been one of the dying images from the Live Aid event 20 years ago – she came out now a healthy young woman.

At Live Aid in 1985, Geldof helped to raise more than £57 million for Africa and the Ethiopian famine, but now 20 years on he is saying that it is time for the developed world to make a stand and fulfil its previous promises to the suffering people of the world.

Geldof has asked G8 leaders to double aid resources to the poor nations, completely write off their debts, and to offer fair trade rules.

"Mahatma Gandhi freed a continent, Martin Luther King freed a people, Nelson Mandela freed a country. It does work," Geldof said.