Jamelia is just one of the stars lending her support to the campaign

The Make Poverty History drive calls on world leaders to cancel debts and urges better aid packages to the poor.

It is supported by more than 100 charities, including Oxfam and World Vision, unions and faith groups.

Other celebrities who have signed up include Sir Paul McCartney, Jamelia, Busted, and Fran Healy of Travis.

"No-one can be oblivious or ignorant to the plight of the poor, nor to the responsibility our governments have as architects of their poverty," said Healy.

"We must take this opportunity in 2005 to make poverty history once and for all."

Challenge to Blair

The campaign is being launched to coincide with the UK chairing the G8 summit in Scotland, and taking over presidency of the European Union.

The reality is that only politics created this dilemma and only politics can resolve it. Bob Geldof

It aims to challenge Prime Minister Tony Blair to address the problems of trade, aid and debt to developing countries.

U2 frontman Bono added: "We can make extreme poverty history, I really believe that.

"The kind of stupid poverty where kids are dying for the lack of an immunisation that costs 20 cents, or for lack of food in a world of plenty. Don't we want to be the generation that says no to that?"

One of the driving forces behind the campaign is Love Actually director Richard Curtis, who previously announced he was taking a year off making movies to devote to the Make Poverty History cause.

Busted have got involved in the project

Band Aid founder Bob Geldof is also using his experience of charity drives to spearhead the campaign.

Geldof said: "This is about firing the starting pistol to the year of 2005 when Britain is the chair of the G8 and the president of the EU.

"The reality is that only politics created this dilemma and only politics can resolve it."

The public and celebrities are being encouraged to wear a white band bearing the Make Poverty History logo as a sign of support.