For the fourth year in a row, millions of people around the world will Stand Up and Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - essentially to halve global poverty by 2015.
On October 16, 17 and 18:
Join this growing three day global mobilization and stand with us!
In 2008, More than 116 million people in 127 countries around the world stood up and spoke out to demand a more urgent political response to the growing crisis of global poverty and inequality. That is almost 2% of the world's population and the biggest mass action in history!
They called on their world leaders to keep their promises made in 2000 to halve extreme poverty by half and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. They promised to end poverty, inequality and hunger. Promised to stop children dying from preventable diseases. Promised to ensure basic education for all children, particularly girls. Promised to stop women dying during pregnancy and childbirth. They have promised to provide water and sanitation and to protect the environment.
Stand Up and Take Action reminds world leaders to keep their promises.
Last year, close to 80 000 Canadians stood alongside almost 117-million world-wide!! This year we hope to have a much larger number of Canadians participate because we want to send a strong message to the government that hundreds of thousands of Canadians want bold action taken to make poverty history both globally and here in Canada.
It is especially critical this year that we show the world Canadians care because in June 2010, our government will host the next G8 Summit. The G8 Summit in 2010 will be a critical moment in our time and we cannot miss the great opportunity for positive change that this meeting could present.
Please encourage as many people as possible to sign onto the Make Poverty History campaign. If you have a live internet connection, you can sign online at www.makepovertyhistory.ca or you can download our sign on sheet.
The more people that sign on, the stronger the message to our leaders and the more people we can reach and involve in our campaigning activities in the lead up to the G8 2010.
Desmond tutu said “If everyone who wants to see an end to poverty, hunger and suffering speaks out at the same time, the noise will be deafening. Politicians will have to listen.” This is what STAND UP is all about.
