Canadians To Join Millions Around The World To Stand Up Against Poverty

When: September 17-19, 2010

 

Where: Events Across Canada

 

On September 17, 18 and 19 Canadians will join millions of people around the world at “Stand Up” events calling on world leaders to meet their promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—a set of eight ambitious targets aimed at significantly reducing global poverty and disease by 2015. Poverty reduction plans and legislation are key to achieving and exceeding the MDGs and ending poverty in Canada and abroad. 

 

Stand Up events will take place in advance of a crucial UN MDG Summit this September in New York. Between September 20-22, world leaders, including Canada’s Prime Minister, will discuss the progress made, lessons learned and critical next steps for the lifesaving Millennium Development Goals. In 2000, leaders from 189 nations signed on to the MDGs and we are now two-thirds towards the deadline for achieving the MDGs. 

 

The Millennium Development Goals have spurred significant progress in reducing global poverty and hunger and improving health and education, and access to water and sanitation and promoting gender equality since world leaders adopted them in 2000. But with only 5 years to go before the target date of 2015, progress has stalled or even reversed on some of the Goals because of the impacts of climate change, the food price crisis, and the global economic crisis. 

 

Around the world, Stand Up campaigners are calling on leaders attending the UN MDG Summit to adopt a breakthrough plan to achieve he Millennium Development Goals within five years. 

 

This is the fifth year of the “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign.  A wide cross-section of Canadians will stand up in a variety of venues including sports stadiums, university campuses, hospitals, churches, stadiums and in front of the Prime Minister’s Office.  

 

Anti-poverty campaigners from across the globe – alongside New York activists – will Stand Up and Take Action Against Poverty outside Lincoln Center Plaza in New York, a day before world leaders gather for the UN MDG Summit.

 

Last year’s Stand Up events attracted 173 million participants globally, breaking the Guinness World Record for human mobilizations.  In Canada over 80,000 Canadians participated in Stand Up events in communities across the country.

 

As of September 14th over 50 Stand up events  are planned to take place across Canada.  

 

For a full list by city see: http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/standup/events

For a full listing of Stand Up events globally, go to: http://standagainstpoverty.org/suap

 

- 30 -

 

For further information:

 

Make Poverty History

mediamakepovertyhistory.ca 

 

Stand Up media resources