22/10 Press Release - MORE THAN 116 MILLION PEOPLE – NEARLY 2% OF THE...

MORE THAN 116 MILLION PEOPLE – NEARLY 2% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION — STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY

WORLD RECORD FOR MASS MOBILIZATION SHATTERED

CITIZENS DEMAND THAT WORLD LEADERS KEEP PROMISES TO ACHIEVE THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND END INEQUALITY

New York, 22 October 2008 – Anti-poverty campaigners today announced that more than 116 million people – nearly two percent of the world population – mobilized at events in 131 countries on October 17-19 as part of “Stand Up and Take Action.” The mobilization, which was ratified by Guinness as breaking the world record for the biggest mass mobilization on a single issue, sends a clear message to world leaders that citizens will not stay seated while promises to end poverty remain unfulfilled. At least 5 million additional people – many in Africa and Latin America— Stood Up at events not submitted before the Guinness deadline.

“In what was undoubtedly the largest global mobilization against poverty in living memory, citizens around the globe put their leaders at the national and global level on notice that their commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 have to be met – no more delays or excuses are acceptable,” said Salil Shetty of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. “Already, world leaders are responding. Mass mobilizations have the power to change the course of history, and we will not stop mobilizing and advocating for action until the Millennium Development Goals are achieved for the poorest people in the world.”

“This is a new kind of action the world is seeing: it’s the local influencing the global. Women in villages in Africa are connecting and joining millions of citizens in other countries and young people are taking ownership of the Millennium Development Goals like never before. Thousands of actions, pictures and messages show a powerful groundswell of determination from ‘We the People’, and that a new global financial architecture must be about equality and gender justice,” said Sylvia Borren of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) who attended Stand up events in the US this week. “This is a wonderful statement of global determination and commitment to end the injustice of extreme poverty,” said Desmond Tutu, Archbishop of Cape Town and Chairman of The Elders. “116 million people demand the right to food, water, health care, education and a life of dignified work for all. 116 million people have stood together to say end extreme poverty. This message must be heard by leaders everywhere – it cannot be ignored.”

“This show of the mass will of people around the world against the massive injustice of poverty and in support of the Millennium Development Goals this past weekend was moving and powerful — but now it’s up to world leaders to match the passion and commitment of their people and deliver on their commitments ,” said human and civil rights leader Martin Luther King III. “My father proved that when the voices of citizens become too loud to ignore, governments are forced to do the right thing. We’ll keep mobilizing and advocating for change until they do.”

“The largest Stand Up is truly an historic event and as keepers and adjudicators of world records we are delighted to ratify such an important record and make this official,” said Craig Glenday, Editor- in-Chief of Guinness World Records. “We congratulate every individual for taking part in this initiative and welcome them to the family of Guinness World Records.” “This ever increasing number clearly shows that business as usual cannot go on,” said Eveline Herfkens of the UN Millennium Campaign. “Leaders must take note and act now.”

The number of people who “Stood Up and Took Action” as verified by Guinness World Records in each region is as follows:

• Africa 24,496,151
• Arab States 17,847,870
• Asia 73,151,847
• Europe 951,788
• Latin America 211,250
• North America 123,920
• Oceania 210,803

Total 116,993,629

Key “Stand Up and Take Action” events included:

In the Philippines, more than 35 million people —1/3 of the population – Stood Against Poverty at events organized through the Department of Education, universities, local municipalities and government ministries. Thousands of fishermen also took to the streets with GCAP Philippines on October 17 to demand a government program for food sovereignty and sustainability.

In Egypt, millions of people Stood Up in mosques across the country as well as along the banks of the Nile, where two sailboats made eight stops between Alexandria and Aswan to educate Egyptians about the Millennium Development Goals.

In Ahmedabad, India, Indian Cricket League officials and cricket players from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies led a “Stand Up” moment for 30,000 fans at a game of the Ahmedabad Rockets and the Mumbai Champs on October 17.

Farmers in Pakistan took to the streets to decry rising food prices. Other Stand Up rallies urged the government to check rising poverty as the number of poor people in Pakistan rose from 60 million to 77 million this year.

In New Delhi, India, more than 6,000 people Stood Up on the perimeter of Parliament on October 18, including some of the richest and poorest families in the country, in an event organized by the Art of Living Foundation, one of the largest spiritual movements in the world. In Badarpur Khadar, a village 15 km from Delhi, India, with no electricity, water, sanitation or health facilities, 700 people Stood Up on October 18, when they opened the first school in the village’s 300-year history. The villagers plan to take up the issue of their denial of the fundamental constitutional right of primary education with the government.

In Jigawa, Nigeria’s poorest state, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III — the most powerful and respected traditional ruler in West Africa — joined 20,000 people who Stood Against Poverty on October 18, in a Summit where they called on the government to empower women and other marginalized groups through skill acquisition programs, empowerment schemes and access to micro-financing.

In Rwanda, President Kagame joined 10,000 people to Stand Against Poverty at the Rubavu Stadium, in the Western Province. The President called on Rwandans to use their hard-won peace and stability as the foundation to fight poverty, create wealth and drive development for the well being of the entire population.

In Uganda, the entire Parliament stood on October 17, and members of the Parliamentary Committee on the Millennium Development Goals helped to clean the Kisenyi slum outside Kampala.

In Malawi, over 600,000 people were mobilized under the Micah Challenge umbrella. 240 catholic churches joined with over 1,000 Ecumenical churches. The congregants demanded greater transparency and accountability from their leaders.

In Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia, more than 450,000 Muslims in 1,500 mosques Stood Up after Friday prayers on October 17. Khatibs (preachers) explained the responsibilities of Muslims in accordance with Islamic values to fight poverty.

In Bangladesh, over 13 million people Stood Against Poverty at events throughout the weekend, including a Millennium Development Goals Road Show and a policy seminar to engage political leaders in the upcoming national elections.

In Nepal, over 1.5 million people Stood Against Poverty, at a convention of women members of the Constituent Assembly and many other events focusing on deepening participatory democracy as part of building a poverty and hunger-free Nepal.

400,000 students in the West Bank and 200,000 students in Gaza Stood Against Poverty as part of an annual program to teach them about the Millennium Goals and involve them in holding their government accountable.

In Thailand, the Royal Thai Government, represented by the Ministry of Interior, and the United Nations jointly pledged their commitment to eradicate poverty and inequality by launching a 180-day Roadmap for Poverty Eradication.

Thousands of people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Baidoa, Somalia stood up in solidarity with all others around the world living in poverty, and determined to Take Action to improve their own situation.

In New York, H.E. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the UN General Assembly, and Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro joined 837 people who Stood Against Poverty after performances by the cast of the Broadway production “Tale of Two Cities.”

In Italy more than 400,000 people Stood Against Poverty at events which included a high-level event attended by Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini and Letizia Moratti, Mayor of Milan.

A poverty forum in Kabul saw delegates pledge to take action to end poverty in Afghanistan, where 85% of the population is deemed to be living in poverty. Parliamentarians and government officials, professors from Kabul University, civil society organizations, and religious leaders attended the event and Stood Up.

In Germany, Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul joined the Stand Up event in Berlin, encouraging civil society to increase pressure on the government to stick to their promises. With hundreds of events across the country, more than 100,000 people demanded more and better aid and the implementation of fair world trade rules to realize the MDGs.

To download photos, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/standagainstpoverty/.

To download footage, visit http://video.un-kampagne.de/ and enter the username “video” and password “uploads.”

CONTACT: GCAP UN Millennium Campaign Ciara O’Sullivan Kara Alaimo + 34 679 594 809 + 1 212-906-6399 ciara.osullivan@civicus.org Kara.Alaimo@undp.org

About the Campaigns:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit www.whiteband.org.

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org.

23/10 Press release - Stand Up in Asia

In the wake of the historic, Guinness Record-breaking rally against poverty

Apart from the numbers, organizers tally up the emotions, moments and lessons of Stand Up

Last week, as governments across the globe stepped up efforts to ward off a financial meltdown, people from all walks of life came together in rallies and events held in 131 countries to “Stand Up against Poverty.” As reports of economic slump despite fresh doses of economic stimulants hogged headlines, more than 116 million people made history, set a new world record and infused fresh doses of determination to the global movement against poverty.

“The mobilizations may not have garnered intense press coverage to make the whole world shudder at one fell swoop, but if you were a part of it, you will shudder at the spirit and the meaning of this whole exercise. We are talking of people of different races, classes, faith, gender, and other social divisions, coming together to take action against poverty. We are talking of millions of people simultaneously sending a message to their governments to fulfill their promises to end poverty, ” said Joel Saracho, national coordinator of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) in the Philippines.

More than 35 million joined Stand Up events in the Philippines. But the real story of Stand Up, Saracho stressed, is not about the huge numbers of people but about the emotions and the individual moments in the mobilizations that calls for people to “stand up because we can no longer take sitting down the suffering of poor people.”

“The number of participants in the Philippines represents one-third of the Philippine population. But world record or no world record, the Stand Up event signifies millions of Filipinos taking the time to come together and say, Enough of hunger! Enough of poor mothers dying from preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Enough of children dropping out of school because they need to work or because they simply don’t have the money for school expenses,” said Saracho.

“It has been a real challenge. We have had some good and bad experiences while organizing the Stand Up events in Bangladesh. One rickshaw puller became very upset, almost angry, during the mobilization. He told us that these days he could not afford to buy three meals for his family anymore. They have to survive on one meal only. His meager earnings from pulling rickshaw have dwindled even more as people nowadays prefer to walk in order to cut down on expenses. For him, surviving these days is extraordinarily difficult,” said Tasneem Athar of the Campaign for Popular Education, one of the organizers of Stand Up in Bangladesh.

Homeless, jobless “Stand Up” to be counted

Homeless and jobless migrant workers in Singapore stood up to be counted.

“They are angry, upset and scared. After leaving villages in South Asia with the promise of good jobs in Singapore, they find themselves cheated, in debt, without work and homeless. They want justice,” said Michael Switow, co-funder of ONE (SINGAPORE).

ONE (SINGAPORE) led a Stand Up event during which people made a personal declaration to demand an end to poverty.

“At the event, the people spontaneously held hands. Many shouted the words to the pledge that goes “We will Stand Up not just today but everyday to demand what’s right. This is our Personal Declaration.” Afterwards, the event manager at the venue approached me and said he had goose bumps and had never seen anything quite like it,” said Switow.

Loretta Marie Perera, who will graduate this January from the Singapore Institute of Management, was one of those who “stood up’ in Singapore.

“When I stumbled upon Stand Up last week, I was truly inspired. I went about getting as many people as I could to Stand Up and take the pledge. It was slightly disheartening at first. But for every one person who didn’t care, there were ten who did. I know there’s a whole lot more to be done and I want so very much to be a part of that,” she said.

“One participant who came from a very poor community in Kabul told me, “Poverty in Afghanistan will be eliminated only when our leaders listen to the voices of the poor. They do not completely understand yet how it feels when you do not have enough to eat and you have no choice but to sleep with an empty stomach”. I would hear the same thing over and over, uttered by many other people who came to stand up. We really have to make our leaders listen and understand our suffering,” said Sefatullah Habib, a medical doctor who heads the health program of the Kabul-based Sanayee Development Organization, which organized Stand Up events in Afghanistan.

In Uttar Pradesh, India, Stand Up participants burned an effigy of Ravana, the ten-headed demon from the epic Ramayana. “We burned an effigy of Ravana as a symbol of the people taking action to end corruption. We need to eliminate corruption, which is one of the root causes of poverty and unemployment in our country,” said Sandeep Bhatnaagar of Jupiter Academy, Uttar Pradesh

Stand Up numbers too large to ignore

A total of 116, 993, 629 people, representing nearly two percent of the world’s population, were mobilized in more than seven thousand events held in 131 countries from October 17 to 19, GCAP and the United Nations Millennium Campaign announced in an online press conference from New York yesterday. The figure exceeded the initial target of 67 million or 1% of the world’s population. Asia mobilized the highest numbers, mobilizing more than 73 million people, twice over last year’s total for the region.

Collectively, the millions who “stood up” have set a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of people standing up for a cause. Last year, a total of 43.7 million people participated in Stand Up events globally.

The global action comes at a time when 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day, one woman dies every minute as the result of pregnancy and childbirth, an estimated 40 million are living with HIV/AIDS and the world spends $1.2 trillion on weapons annually but cannot find the fraction necessary to help meet existing overseas development assistance commitments.

For those who were involved in organizing the Stand Up events across the globe, the numbers are simply too large to ignore.

“We have a significant increase in the number, scale and scope of mobilizations. We have multiplied the community of anti-poverty activists all over the world. Most important, this year these voices involved clear actions and commitments from individuals, groups, communities, institutions, networks, social movements and other civil society groups. They come from different age groups, but share the same message of ending poverty and coming together for equality,” said GCAP Mobilization Officer Ben Margolis. ENDS/

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is the world’s biggest anti-poverty alliance. For more information, visit www.whiteband.org.

For details of all Stand Up events that took place across Asia, go to www.gcap-senca.net

For more information contact:

Lani C. Villanueva

Communications Officer, GCAP-Southeast North and Central Asia Secretariat

Tel. Nos. (632) 383 38 02 / (632) 799 27 51 / Email: villanueva.lani@gmail.com

20/10 Media Advisory - ONLINE PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE RECORD...

ONLINE PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE RECORD-BREAKING MOBILIZATION

MORE THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE ON EARTH TAKE ACTION TO DEMAND AN END TO POVERTY AND TO TELL WORLD LEADERS THAT FINANCIAL CRISIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE TO BREAK THEIR PROMISES

Millions of People Mobilized in More Than 120 Countries on October 17-19 to Demand Urgent Action by Governments to End Poverty and Achieve the Millennium Development Goals

WHEN: Wednesday, October 22 at 1:30 pm GMT (9:30 am in New York)

WHAT: High-profile anti-poverty activists will host an online press conference to announce results of the historic “Stand Up and Take Action” mobilization, held on October 17-19, and discuss its significance for the fight against global poverty. Campaigners will announce that more than one percent of the people on earth Stood Against Poverty, breaking last year’s Guinness World Record of 43 million.

People gathered at a huge variety of events across the globe to tell world leaders that the financial crisis is not an excuse for breaking the promises they made at the Millennium Summit in the year 2000 to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The activists will discuss the results and potential impact of the mass mobilization, including reactions from world leaders.

Reporters will have the opportunity to ask direct questions.

WHERE: Online. Visit www.standagainstpoverty.org and follow the link on the homepage to access the press conference. Questions can be submitted in real time via Live Chat or e-mail at standup2008@standagainstpoverty.org.

Activists on the panel will include:

• Salil Shetty, Director, UN Millennium Campaign
• Kumi Naidoo, Co-chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty; Anti Apartheid and anti-poverty activist from South Africa
• Sylvia Borren, Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty; Women’s rights and anti-poverty activist from New Zealand/the Netherlands

CONTACT: GCAP Ciara O’Sullivan + 34 679 594 809 ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

UN Millennium Campaign Kara Alaimo + 1 212-906-6399 Kara.Alaimo@undp.org

About the Campaigns:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit www.whiteband.org.

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org.

20/10 Sultan of Sokoto Stands Up Against Poverty

At 11 a.m. on 18th October 2008, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III, the most powerful and respected traditional ruler in West Africa, led 20,000 people in the Stand Up Against Poverty Talakawa Summit.

The event, also tagged “Poverty Hearing”, was organised by the Jigawa State Government in Collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Action Aid International, The Global Campaign against Poverty (GCAP) and the United Nations Millennium Campaign.

In his speech, the Sultan expressed solidarity with the objectives of the summit and he personally read out the Poverty Pledge, in which he urged consistent and unalloyed commitment to fighting poverty by empowering the poor and promoting justice rather than providing charity.

This monumental event in Jigawa, Nigeria’s poorest State was made possible by the commitment of the progressive governor of the state, Alhaji Sule Lamido, to transforming the poverty status of the state. Guided by its philosophy of popular participation and involving the people in policy making, the Sule Lamido administration has since inception committed itself to the convening of a Talakawa summit.

Citizens have shown concern on the continued implementation of several poverty alleviation programmes and initiatives by previous regimes, which have not made any impact on their lives. It is the belief of the Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido that no such programme can be credible without the full consultation and involvement of the Talakawa, to hear their concerns, their worries and their suggestions on how to solve their problems.

Present at the summit were representatives of the poor across 51 vocational groups of the state, which included rice farmers, groundnut oil producers, food sellers, traditional birth attendants, cart pushers, the physically challenged, local cosmetics producers, carpenters, tailors, farmers, fishermen and others. Others present include traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, political leaders, national and international NGOs, MDAs, development partners and more than 20,000 Talakawa. The Talakawa resolved to monitor and challenge their elected representatives to prevent siphoning of public funds and ensure public resources are used for the public good.

The Talakawa raised the concerns about rapidly declining income, unfair competition from modern production, lack of modern technology to enhance their competivity and lack of modern infrastructure like roads, electricity, ambulances and the like

The solutions proffered centred around the promotion of small scale industries which they could use to transform their lives with access to modern tools and technology, training in these modern tools of production, access to capital and access to markets for their products

The Talakawa also stressed the need to protect local production and bridge the information gap so that the Talakawa know which tier or agency of government to take their complaints to.

In preparation for the Summit, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organized a workshop on tackling poverty in Jigawa State on the 17th of October 2008.

The objective of the workshop was to engage government and civil society in assessing the effectiveness of the state budget in tackling poverty in preparation for the First Talakawa Summit taking place the following day. The workshop was declared open by the Secretary to the Jigawa State Government, Dr. Aminu Abdullahi and solidarity messages were received by the Coordinator of the DFID funded Coalition for Change (C4C), Ms Amina Salihu and a Representative of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the MDGs, Alhaji Wachiko Abdurrahman. The event was chaired by Professor A. D. Yahaya.

The keynote address was given by Dr Ali Garba of Bayero University, Kano while the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Budget and Planning gave a presentation on the progress in the implementation of the 2008 Budget of the State. Sectoral presentations were taken from the Ministries of Education, Women Affairs and Water Resources. The final presentation was a report of independent civil society monitoring of the implementation of the Budget by the Jigawa State Civil Society Coalition on Development Monitoring (JICISCADEM) who are partners to CDD and CITAD.

While commending the state on its pro-poor policies and its effective implementation of the 2008 budget, participants called on the government to increase and deepen the processes of participatory decision-making and government as well increase level of collaboration with civil society groups in the monitoring of budget implementation in the state. Participants further called on government to evolve strategies that will empower women and other marginalized groups through skill acquisition programmes, marketing and promotion of products of empowerment schemes and facilitating access to micro-financing for the poor.

17/10 Press release - WORLD LEADERS TOLD NOT TO LET FINANCIAL CRISIS...

WORLD LEADERS TOLD NOT TO LET FINANCIAL CRISIS DETRACT FROM ENDING POVERTY AND ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Bono, Archbishop Tutu and Martin Luther King III Join Millions to Demand Governments Meet Promises made at Millennium Summit in 2000

New York, 16 October 2008 — Beginning tomorrow, more than 67 million people are expected to mobilize under the slogan “Stand Up Take Action” at events around the globe to demand that world leaders do not use the financial crisis as an excuse for breaking the promises they made in 2000 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

“From Friday to Sunday, in rich and poor countries, at concerts and sporting events, in universities and in houses of worship, millions of people will show that they will not remain seated in the face of poverty and broken promises to end it” said Salil Shetty, Director of the UN Millennium Campaign. -“This mass mobilization will demonstrate to world leaders that citizens do not consider the global financial crisis to be an excuse for breaking promises, and they must commit to concrete plans of action now in order to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The global financial crisis once again shows the urgent need for a radical re-thinking of the international financial architecture to make it more equitable and relevant to today’s world”-.

Among the events, thousands of people will march to Government buildings in Pretoria, South Africa to present the new leadership with concrete policy demands to help the growing number of poor people. “By standing together on this historic day you could be the first generation to end one of the greatest injustices and human rights violations in history: extreme poverty,” said Desmond Tutu, Archbishop of Cape Town and Chairman of The Elders. “You join millions and share the vision of a more just and peaceful world.”).

The global movement in support of the Millennium Development Goals is growing. Last year, more than 43 million people Stood Against Poverty. This year, more than 67 million people –one percent of the world’s population – is expected to mobilize. “Four decades ago, my father, Martin Luther King Jr., proved that peaceful action of the masses can reverse the course of history, no matter how entrenched the status quo may seem,” said human and civil rights leader Martin Luther King III. “This weekend, people across the globe have the opportunity to Stand Up and Take Action to be part of a movement just as powerful, demanding that world leaders end the evil and injustice of extreme poverty.”

“If you want to stand by the poorest and most vulnerable, this is a chance to stand up and be counted,” said Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of The ONE Campaign. “You’ll be in the company of more than 60 million others who hold the view that even in tough times we can’t abandon our promises to the poorest to do more of what helps and less of what hurts.” “It is scandalous that we are not hearing our voices in the debate on the financial crisis. We are the majority who want to see a different wealth distribution system,” said Sylvia Borren, Co Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) , who is in New York this week for Stand up. “We are the ones who call for that which has been given to those in the minority at the top of the social ‘pyramid’ to be given to the millions at the bottom. Then you will see real change”.

During Stand Up, citizens of poor countries will demand that their governments:

• Make the Millennium Development Goals the highest priority in budget allocation..
• Put in place clear plans to achieve the Millennium Development Goals at the national, sub-national and local levels, adapted to local realities. .
• Aggressively fight corruption and set up mechanisms to end impunity.

Citizens of rich countries will demand that their governments:

• Establish targets to deliver on existing aid volume commitments.
• Commit to debt relief beyond existing aid commitments and ensure that it reaches the poorest countries without delay.
• Announce concrete plans to complete the Doha Trade Round with an outcome that will help poor countries and the poorest people achieve the Millennium Development Goals, through the elimination of trade distorting agricultural subsidies, capping of domestic subsidies on products of importance to poor countries, and genuine market access to poor countries.

The mobilization comes at a time when:

1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day.

One woman dies every minute as the result of pregnancy and childbirth.

An estimated 40 million are living with HIV/AIDS.

The world spends $1.2 trillion on weapons annually but cannot find the fraction necessary to help meet existing overseas development assistance commitments.

For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment.

Events are planned across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Oceania. Click here for a list of sample global events: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/node/878

The final number achieved for this mobilization will be announced globally on October 22nd via an online press conference at 1:30GMT. All Stand Up events will be registered on www.standagainstpoverty.org Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PZ0M7tcff8 for a message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and for higher resolution downloads visit http://blip.tv/file/1343952.

To schedule interviews and coverage and for more information contact:

GCAP: Ciara O’Sullivan + 34 679 594 809 ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

UN Millennium Campaign: Kara Alaimo + 1 212-906-6399 Kara.Alaimo@undp.org

About the Campaigns:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit http://www.whiteband.org

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.enpoverty2015.org

Ciara O’Sullivan Media Coordinator Global Call to Action Against Poverty – GCAP www.whiteband.org Spain Cel: +34 679 594 809 Spain office (CONGDE): + 34 915 23 98 65 Skype name: cmosullivan

09/10 Media Release - OVER ONE PERCENT OF GLOBAL POPULATION...

OVER ONE PERCENT OF GLOBAL POPULATION EXPECTED TO “STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION” AGAINST POVERTY AND FOR THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON OCTOBER 17-19

Lineup of events announced

New York, 8 October 2008 – The United Nations Millennium Campaign and Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) today announced details of some of next week’s events aimed at mobilizing more than one percent of the world’s population — over 67 million people – on October 17-19 to demand that world leaders deliver on their promises to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

-“The global movement in support of the Millennium Development Goals is growing, and on October 17-19 more than one percent of the people on earth will send a clear message to their leaders that they will no longer stay seated while promises to end extreme poverty remain unfulfilled,”- said Salil Shetty, Director of the UN Millennium Campaign.

“It’s incredible to see that in times of economic instability people are even more motivated to show their leaders that they want poverty eradication to remain at the top of the agenda. From the smallest villages to city streets, sports events and political lobbies, the sheer diversity of actions is staggering. We are showing the power of our growing movement in an unprecedented way this year,” said Kumi Naidoo, Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP).

Amongst the tens of millions of people Standing Against Poverty are individuals with compelling stories to tell, such as activist and journalist Jenerali Ulimwengu, who has dedicated his life to exposing and fighting bad governance in Tanzania. As the result of his hard-hitting reporting, his citizenship in Tanzania was temporarily revoked. During Stand Up and Take Action this year, Ulimwengu will spearhead demands for the government to fulfill the MDGs by ensuring that poor people have access to clean portable water, improving access to healthcare (particularly for women and children), putting in place pro-poor development policies and improving service delivery in all key sectors. Ulimwengu is available for interviews.

Also Standing Against Poverty and available for interviews is James Njoroge Gitau, who lives in the Kariobangi slums in Kenya, surviving on less than one dollar a day. Gitau has mobilized more than 100 schools and churches to Stand Against Poverty and is organizing a medical camp to care for sick people in his community. Gitau is calling on his government to put in place pro-poor policies, stop corruption and allocate resources for programs for the poor.

In Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, India, Yogesh Jain will once again Stand Against Poverty. Last year, Mr. Jain mobilized more than 200,000 people to Stand Up in protest of the districts’ lack of healthcare, clean drinking water and resources for education. As a result of the massive mobilization, government officials conducted surprise inspections which resulted in the allocation of funding for infrastructure repairs and the allotment of government land for school construction.
 In Badarpur Khadar, a village 15 km from Delhi, India, with no electricity, water, sanitation or health facilities, members of the National Conference of Dalit Organizations will open a school in a tent on October 18, providing local children with the opportunity to attend school in their village for the first time. Organizers will Stand Up to demand better resources from the Indian government. h4.

“Stand Up and Take Action” events include”:

Africa

• In Lagos, Nigeria, 100,000 people are expected to gather on October 17-19 for a concert by Femi Kuti to commemorate the life of renowned Nigerian Musician Fela Kuti and demand that the government pay closer attention to the country’s poor people by investing more petro dollars in education, healthcare and other pro-poor development programs.
• In Pretoria, South Africa on October 17, an expected 5,000 campaigners led by the workers’ trade union COSATU and the South Africa Council of Churches will march to Union Buildings, the official seat of government in South Africa, to demand guaranteed state social security schemes covering all children under eighteen. They will also call for the abolition of the value added tax on basic foodstuffs, the abolition of user fees on water, and the ratification of the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
• In Harare, Zimbabwe, 5,000 people are expected to gather when Pastor G and Victor Kunonga perform at “Do the Right Thing” on October 18 to call on the government to improve service delivery in health, water and sanitation. Using the case of Chitungwiza, a heavily populated dormitory town of Harare with an estimated population of 1 million, the groups participating in the campaign are arguing that years of neglect of the water system and the government’s failure to provide safe drinking water has led to outbreaks of cholera and other related diseases.
• In Togo, caravans will travel around the country to towns and villages, with each visit focusing on a specific MDG. The tour will culminate at a beach where 5,000 people are expected to gather to Stand Up together on October 19.
• In Nairobi, Kenya on October 18, several top artists including Sarah Mitaru, Jua Kali and Jaky Malley Ringtone will join hands to host a concert aimed at protesting rising costs and reminding world leaders that Africans will not accept a new slavery through retrogressive trade policies such as the Economic Partnership Agreements.

Asia

• In Delhi, India, members of the National Conference of Dalit Organizations and Amnesty International, India will meet with Parliamentarians on October 17 to demand resources for the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups. Also in Delhi, celebrities and more than 10,000 people are expected to gather for a mass mobilization on Parliament Street.
• In Daltonganj, Jharkhand, India more than 30,000 people from 600 villages and 18 districts are expected to gather on October 17 and 18 at a mass mobilization to demand poverty alleviation measures from the government and the achievement of the MDGs. The gathering, called Mahapanchayat, will be addressed by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
• In Indonesia on October 17, Muslims will Stand Against Poverty at more than 400 mosques in a statement of solidarity to encourage the government to commit to more pro-poor policies.
• In the Philippines, the National Anti-Poverty Commission and other civil society actors are expected to mobilize more than 10 million people at events including a National People’s Day on October 18, which will offer medical services and a job fair. Also in the Philippines there will be a “Stand Up and Take Action” Rap Contest for community youth groups in metro Manila on October 17 and a bike run on October 19.
• In Thailand, at least 180,000 people living below the national poverty line are expected to participate in poverty reduction clinics organized by the Ministry of Interior, which will encourage domestic and individual savings, health promotion, and empowerment of the poor.
• In China, a Poverty and Migration Forum hosted in Beijing will include large numbers of people Standing Up.
• In Singapore, bands including Vertical Rush and Jack and Rai will play at Youth Park on October 18 to express their demands to end world poverty and a new 2015 Countdown Clock will be launched to show leaders how much time — person by person, second by second – is left to achieve the MDGs.

Europe

• InItaly, 80,000 people are expected to take part in 10 simultaneous Stand Up events in 9 cities including Venice, Bologna, Florence, Milan and Rome on October 18. Nine huge chairs without seats will be installed simultaneously in 9 squares to signify that people will not remain seated until their government delivers more and better aid. On October 19, 300,000 supporters are expected to Stand at the Italian Premier League football match.
• In Armenia, anti-poverty-campaigners will organise a competition in a minimum of four Armenian regions, among children coming from different parts of Armenia. The thematic scope will be articulated around poverty and inequality.
• In Belgium the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in collaboration with 11.11.11 and CNCD (GCAP Belgium platforms) is hosting a Stand Up and Take Action activity with the Belgian Professional Football League to take place during the weekend of October 17-19. Banners will be shown at the start of each game with the logo ‘‘Stand Up and Take Action Against Poverty’‘.
• In Malta, SKOP (Solidarjeta’uKoperazzjoni) in collaboration with STOPoverty, Kopin and Global Action Schools, is inviting all organisations/institutions, social groups and schools to perform a one-minute STAND UP on October 17 as a sign of urgency to eliminate the violations of Human Rights and Extreme Poverty around the World.
• In Luxembourg, the Whiteband Coalition will organise the event: « Ta voix contre la pauvreté » (your voice against poverty) a sociocultural activity combined with a solidarity march in Luxembourg-city. Participants will Stand Up Againt Poverty. The activity is co-organized by a coalition of North-South NGOs as well as NGOs from the social sector.
• InScotland/ UK, the Glasgow City Council has passed a motion to recognize the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and will call on all Glaswegians to “Stand Up and Take Action” against child poverty in Scotland. A march from Glasgow Cathedral to Glasgow’s George Square aims to mobilize 3,000 people.
• In Slovakia, campaigners are organising a press conference and a “Development Day” event in the centre of Bratislava. Louis Michel (European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid) will attend as speaker of one round table that will also gather NGOs representatives, southern partners and officials from the Slovakian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance.
• In Spain, thousands of people are expected to gather to march against poverty in Madrid on October 17 under the “Rebélate contra la Pobreza” initiative. Simultaneous anti-poverty mobilizations will occur on October 17 and 18 in more than 20 cities, including Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Donosti, Bilbao, A Coruña, Badajoz, Cuenca and Valencia.
• In Germany, Bianca Jagger will host an event at the Sony Center in Berlin on October 17 presenting 8 video messages from members of the World Future Council who received alternative Nobel prizes, to demand more and better aid. At the end, the pop group Chulca Candela will lead the Stand Up moment.

North America

• In the United States and Canada, students will join campus programs and challenges to build political will to end extreme poverty by hosting teach-ins, Stand Up rallies, and other campus events.
• Throughout the United States and Canada, faith groups are organizing Sabbaths, Sevas, and Sadaqas to rally believers of all faiths —Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and others — to learn about and take action on behalf of people living in extreme poverty and dying from preventable diseases.

Middle East/ Arab region

• In Palestine, 500,000 pupils are expected to Stand Up in schools. Students in 15 university branches will organize media debates to demand a lending fund for poor students.

Latin America and Caribbean

• In Santiago, Chile there will be a walk between Arms Square and Constitution Square on October 17 featuring a moving wall on which people can take action by writing messages. At the event, citizens will ask municipal candidates to sign a commitment against poverty.
• In El Salvador, citizens will Stand Up at a Presidential Candidates Forum on October 17.

Global

Members of the Art of Living Foundation, one of the largest spiritual movements in the world, will mobilize to plant more than 100 million trees around the world. Screenings of the independent film “The End of Poverty?” by Cinema Libre Productions will take place in about 15 locations worldwide including the Sao Paulo Film Festival, London, Sydney, Washington DC, and Brussels. 


All Stand Up events will be registered on www.standagainstpoverty.org To plan interviews and coverage and for more information contact:

GCAP: Ciara O’Sullivan + 34 679 594 809 ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

UN Millennium Campaign: Kara Alaimo + 1 212-906-6399 Kara.Alaimo@undp.org

About the Campaigns:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit http://www.whiteband.org The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.enpoverty2015.org

02/10 Media Advisory - ANTI-POVERTY ADVOCATES ATTEMPT TO...

ANTI-POVERTY ADVOCATES ATTEMPT TO MOBILIZE 1% OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLE TO TELL WORLD LEADERS TO END POVERTY NOW

New York, 2 October 2008 — From October 17th to19th, in an unprecedented mobilization, more than one percent of the world’s population is expected to “Stand Up and Take Action” to demand that their leaders end poverty and meet and exceed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The mobilization comes at a time when hundreds of billions of dollars are being found to bail out wealthy bankers and financial institutions while the emergency summit on the MDGs held at the United Nations last week was only able to generate $16 billion in commitments to ending poverty. Large amounts of this money come form the private sector and non-governmental organizations and there is skepticism as to whether government commitments represent new money. Participants in “Stand Up and Take Action” will send a clear message to world leaders that just weeks after they recommitted to taking action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, millions of citizens are monitoring their actions and will hold them to account for meeting their commitments.

“This October 17-19, world leaders will hear directly from their people that we will no longer stand by while 50,000 people die of preventable causes each day,” said Salil Shetty, Director of the Millennium Campaign. “World leaders have just re-committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and from this moment on, we will be holding them accountable for taking urgent action to deliver on their promises.”

“The financial crisis combined with the past year’s soaring food prices, and subsequent hunger, particularly in women-headed households, has highlighted the injustice of global poverty and inequality more than ever. This action is about solidarity between men, women and children in rich and poor countries; it’s about taking responsibility for what we ourselves can change and holding leaders who fail their promises accountable,” said Sylvia Borren, Co-Chair of the Global call to Action Against Poverty alliance.

Last year, 43.7 million people from all walks of life in cities and villages, in rich and poor countries, stood up against poverty on October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In the last year, as the combined effects of the food and financial crises with climate change have been felt, the call to action has grown and more than one of the world’s population — 67 million people — are expected to Stand Up and Take Action.

Interviews are available with groups and individuals “Standing Up” around the world, including:

In India, 90,000 people will march to Parliament in Delhi. Amongst them, thousands of women will demand political representation for women in India.

Members of the Art of Living Foundation, one of the largest spiritual movements in the world and based in India, will mobilize to plant more than 100 million trees around the globe.

Indonesia‘s CSO Network will use “Stand Up” to demand better access to local health services for the poor and people of marginalized areas, better reproductive healthcare, and equal education and employment opportunities.

In Abuja, Nigeria, a concert hosted by Femi Kuti to make “Music Against Poverty” will commemorate the life of renowned Nigerian Musician Fela Kuti and Stand Up in support of the MDGs.

In Tema, Ghana, “Games Against Poverty” will use sport as a platform to support the MDGs.

Groups across Europe will mobilize to demand more and better aid. In Portugal, members of the Star Trackers group will parachute on the sky of Évora, a Unesco World heritage site, to raise awareness of the MDGs. In Italy, sea dolphins will Stand Against Poverty at the Oltremare Park in Riccione and 300,000 people will Stand at the beginning of all Italian Premier Football League matches. In Spain, the Spanish Alliance Against Poverty will organize street demonstrations in more than 50 cities. In Germany, Bianca Jagger will host an event at the Sony Center in Berlin with video messages from recipients of alternative Nobel prizes.

“Stand Up and Take Action” is organized annually by the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and UN Millennium Campaign to coincide with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. It began in 2006 with 23 million people Standing Up, the following year it increased to 43 million when they Stood up and Spoke out. This year they will Take Actions as well as Standing Up. The actions range from immediate practical actions people can take in their communities to presenting political demands to governments and e-actions.

All Stand up events are registered on www.standagainstpoverty.org.

To plan interviews and coverage and for more information contact:

Ciara O’Sullivan + 34 679 594 809 ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

Kara Alaimo + 1 212-906-6399 Kara.Alaimo@undp.org

About the Campaigns:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit www.whiteband.org.

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org.

How to add your own video

During your event, take photos and audio and capture videos. You can use anything from a high-quality camera to your mobile phone!

This year for Stand Up and Take Action videos we are encouraging you to use blip.tv to upload their videos online.

Why blip.tv?

Unlike other video hosting websites, blip.tv hosts videos in a format that enables us to download higher quality versions of the videos, meaning we can re-use the footage to create video products for media and broadcasting purposes, and meaning your video can be featured!

In order to make it easy for videos to be found and identified as Stand Up and Take Action videos, we are asking everyone to tag your videos with the keyword standup 2008.

How do I upload videos to blip.tv?

If you don*t have a blip.tv account, you need to create one at: http://blip.tv/users/create/

After you log in, click on upload to add your video. In the upload page:

• Scroll down to specify your License. We suggest that you pick Creative Common Attribute-NonCommercial
• Don’t forget to add the standup2008 tag. To do so, click on categorize which will open three questions: type in standup 2008 in the tags (keywords) field
• Press the UPLOAD button to publish your video.

All the videos will be featured on the Stand Up Video page.

What if I want to upload my video somewhere else?

If you already have an account elsewhere and don’t want to use blip.tv, that’s OK too.

Just remember to tag your video with the keyword standup2008, and drop us an email to standup2008@standagainstpoverty.com to let us know where to find it.

On youtube.com, you can find us at http://youtube.com/gcapwhiteband, where we’ll also be featuring some of the best videos.

CNN Interview with Anita Sharma

Desmond Tutu Video message

Stand Up in Soweto

Stand Up India Video

Stand Up on YouTube playlist

Stand up Italy video