In the year 2000, Canada joined 189 countries in promising to cut global poverty in half by 2015. But in 2010, every three seconds, a child dies from extreme poverty, and more than a billion people go to bed hungry every night. In Canada more than 3.5 million people, including 1 in 10 children, still live in poverty.
Canadians are losing ground in the fight against poverty, and the world is falling behind on its Millennium Development commitments.
I suppose they must not have thought we'd care. But we do.
On September 17-19, join with tens of thousands of Canadians to Stand Up and tell our government to get back on track and keep its promises at home and abroad. Millions of people around the world will Stand Up. Canada can Stand Up too.
Will you?
Stand Up. Take Action. Make Poverty History.
What
Three days of global action where millions of people around the world “Stand Up and Take Action" to show their support for the fight against poverty at home and abroad. In Canada, we Stand Up to show our government that Canadians want Canada to keep its promises to end poverty here at home and abroad.
Stand Up is in its fifth year and every year this global movement is growing. Last year over 173 million people took part in the three days of global action!
When
Anytime during September 17, 18 or 19
Why
We want to see Canada adopt and follow plans to reduce poverty at home and abroad.
Six out of the 10 provinces have adopted poverty reduction plans and are waiting on the federal government to step up to the plate too and adopt a national poverty reduction plan.
The MDGs can be achieved by 2015 with effective breakthrough plans. The world is waiting on Canada to lead with effective policies to meet the MDGs.
Learn more about:
- The need for a National Poverty Reduction Plan in Canada
- The Millennium Development Goals (with Make Poverty History's MDG report)
- How Canada needs to get to 0.7% of its budget for aid
- How we can end poverty in Canada
Why now
2010 is our year of HUGE opportunity to get the Millennium Development Goals back on track. From September 20 – 22, the United Nations will be holding a MDG Review Summit in New York. This Summit is the last big moment to pressure countries to develop and implement 5 year actions plans with policies that will get the MDGs back on track and achieved by 2015.
In Canada, there is great momentum building for provincial and territorial poverty reduction plans as well as a national poverty reduction plan. 2010 is our year to significantly build on that momentum.
Ending poverty in Canada and around the world is possible. We have the solutions. What we need is the political will. And this will only come when our governments see how many citizens care.
"If everyone who wants to see an end to poverty, hunger and suffering speaks out, then the noise will be deafening. Politicians will have to listen."
Rev. Desmond Tutu
