Yesterday brought word that over 100 million people stood up for the Stand Up and Take Action —a remarkable number. Anita Sharma from the United Nations Millennium Campaign has more:
Congratulations ONE! I wanted to share with you the recent Stand Up and Take Action press release. Nearly 30,000 ONE members and supporters joined the recent campaign. Over the course of this past weekend, nearly 117 million people in some 130 countries participated in diverse events such as sports stadiums in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Spain, houses of worship in Indonesia and Canada, and the steps of parliament in Uganda, India, and Italy.
Because the financial crisis threatens to erase gains made in the fight against global poverty and puts resources and commitments into jeopardy, the timing of the summit and Stand Up could not be more urgent or appropriate. We intend to build on this amazing show of global support by demanding that our leaders keep their promises to ending extreme poverty.
Stand Up Against Poverty just announced that over 113 million people stood up during this year’s Stand Up and Take Action event held over the weekend. That’s nearly 2% of the world’s population.
You could have heard a pin drop as the audience at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute raptly watched A Powerful Noise. But the impact of the film on the audience was anything but quiet.
A Powerful Noise, an award winning film that was featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, shares the stories of three phenomenal women and how they have risen to overcome barriers to stand up and be a voice in their societies. Their amazing stories truly confirm that ONE person really can make a difference!
Filmgoers took the film’s empowering message as a call to action. First on the agenda was a chance to stand in unity with millions worldwide and participate in the UN Millennium Campaign’s world record attempt for the most people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. Birmingham ONE member Suzanne Martin reprised her role as leader for the third year in a row and led the group in reciting the Stand Up! pledge.
Several organizations were represented at the event’s action tables – ONE, Bread for the World, CARE, UNA, Church World Service, Oxfam, and Empower Alabama provided attendees with additional resources for action. Before adjourning everyone was invited to sign onto a letter to the next President asking him to make fighting global poverty a central part of his foreign policy agenda.
The subtitle of A Powerful Noise” is “The Impact of One Voice. The Power of Many.” – perfectly describing the work of ONE and public policy advocacy.
Like so many of you around the world today, ONE staffers set aside some time to Stand Up together as one in the fight against extreme poverty. ONE staff in Washington, DC and London convened this morning to watch the Stand Up video and recite the Stand Up pledge (both posted below).
This past week more than 30,000 ONE members have signed our petition to Barack Obama and John McCain asking them to keep their poverty-fighting commitments to the world’s most vulnerable people. Since our campaign began, the candidates have continued to stand by the promises they made earlier in the campaign.
Now we need to keep the pressure on, and to do that we’re going global and breaking records. As we mentioned on Monday, this October 17-19 is the “Stand Up and Take Action” weekend against poverty, when we’ll join the Global Call To Action Against Poverty and the U.N. Millennium Campaign to set a new Guinness World Record of 67 million people standing up, literally, against poverty – 1% of everyone on earth.
Click here to add your name to the petition below. When you do, we’ll also add your name to the millions around the globe who are standing up against global poverty this weekend.
Dear Senators Barack Obama and John McCain,
As you work to find a solution to the global financial crisis, please do not waver in your support for the world’s poorest people. It is now more important than ever to stand up for effective, efficient solutions that save millions of lives, strengthen the global economy, and win the hearts and minds of people around the world. I’m keeping my commitment to fight global poverty, and I ask you to do the same.
Thank you for your voice,
Chris Scott
P.S. This blog post is part of Blog Action Day ’08. Join us by clicking on the link below.
In celebration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the ONE Campaign Miami in partnership with CARE, Results and Oxfam International is proud to introduce Miami’s Stand Up to Make Poverty History Event, to be held at Bongos Cuban Café in Miami, Florida on October 16, 2008 beginning at 8 p.m.
As part of ONE’s ongoing efforts to raise public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and their initiatives in working with such problems in the world’s poorest countries, Stand Up, offers an opportunity to gather and learn about ways that we can make a difference together.
The evening will feature exciting live music, fair trade artisans, community networking and several information booths with resources from local organizations offering ways in which to become more involved, both locally and globally in addressing these issues.
With billions of people living on just dollars a day around the world, global poverty remains one of the greatest challenges and tragedies the international community faces. Join us as we Stand Up together in Miami to end global poverty.
-Sara J. Paterni
P.S. Check out this awesome video from Miami’s Stand Up event last year.
Yesterday we blogged about this year’s Stand Up Take Action events that will begin on Friday. Many of you will be hosting Stand Up events, big and small, in your local communities—and you won’t be alone! Check out some of these great events occurring around the world:
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 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 Italy, 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 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 Lagos, Nigeria, 100,000 people are expected to gather on October 17-19 for a concert by Fema 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.
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