About the Campaign
We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected. - Millennium Declaration
WHY STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION IN SEPTEMBER 2010?
At the Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders agreed to achieve the eight MDGs in order to eradicate extreme poverty and its root causes by the year 2015. When world leaders gather at the United Nations for the 10-year review of the Millennium Development Goals in September, the voices of their citizens will follow them, telling them, loudly and clearly: “We will no longer stay seated or silent in the face of poverty and broken promises to end it!”
The demands and expectations of citizens around the world that they deliver on these commitments, made visible and audible throughout 2010, will culminate in the “Stand Up 2010” mobilization.
The MDG Review Summit offers us a unique opportunity to influence the political and media focus surrounding the lead up to the meeting and the meeting itself. Holding Stand Up the weekend before the Summit will allow us to drive our activities towards a high-profile Stand Up mobilization with a direct link to and with the specific intention of impacting on the proceedings at the Summit itself.
WHEN: September 17-19, 2010
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO GET INVOLVED
1. TAKE ACTION
There are many ways you can take action. For some ideas, take a look at ww.standagainstpoverty.org. The actions should send a relevant message to your local or national government. This could include signing a petition, taking an online e-action, presenting your MDGrelated demands to a politician, preparing a study on an issue you care about or direct lobbying …there are options for everyone.
2. JOIN A PLANNED STAND UP EVENT
The United Nations Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty are working with a large number of national and local partners: schools, universities, local community groups, women’s groups, choirs, sporting clubs, faith groups, trade unions, local authorities, corporations and many more. Events are being organized in cities and villages around the world. You can join these events or encourage a group or organization you are a part of to get involved. This is a unique opportunity to speak with one voice on one issue. Get the message across with your action. View STAND UP events and find one near you at www.standagainstpoverty.org.
3. ARRANGE YOUR OWN STAND UP EVENT
a) Choose the location.
b) Plan an event or insert a STAND UP and TAKE ACTION moment into an existing event.
c) Choose an event leader or high profile host person/celebrity from the community.
d) Spread the word via e-mail, letters, flyers, posters and local media. The “Event in a Box” range of resources and materials is available for download at www.standagainstpoverty.org.
e) Invite local government members to attend and witness your demands.
ON THE DAY: HOW TO “STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION”?
§ Plan the event so the STAND UP moment takes place within the official STAND UP timeframe.
§ The event leader explains STAND UP and the ways people can TAKE ACTION.
§ Everyone comes together, sits or kneels down (people with disabilities can be counted by their presence at an event or by performing any appropriate symbolic action).
§ People in the crowd then STAND UP in unison and are asked to take an appropriate action such as signing a petition, sending a postcard or message to a politician, taking an online action or reading an anti-poverty pledge.
§ Ask the audience to record this STAND UP moment on digital cameras, mobile phones or video recorders and upload them at www.standagainstpoverty.org.
ONE DAY OF UNIFIED GLOBAL ACTION: MAKE NOISE FOR THE MDGS
On September 18, the second day of the mobilization, we will “Make Noise for the MDGs!”
We are encouraging people all over the world to take part in a common global action to make sure that the global movement in support of the MDGs is seen and heard in every corner of the globe. We hope to see widespread participation in this global action and are urging everybody to think of creative ways to generate a noise. Examples of noise- making ideas include citizens gathering in a public space to bang spoons on metal plates as a way of illustrating hunger; Church groups and temples could arrange for their church/temple bells to be rung at the same time on that date in cities across their
country; Local musicians could come together to play their instruments in innovative locations – African drummers on Mt. Kilimanjaro; the French National Orchestra from the top of the Eiffel Tower; football fans in South Africa blowing their local “Vuvuzelas” (trumpets) at football matches that weekend. Visit www.standagainstpoverty.org for an online tool and mobile phone application to make a noise!
DEMAND THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT DELIVERS BREAKTHROUGH PLANS!
During Stand Up, we will be demanding that governments produce “Breakthrough Action Plans” and that these plans be presented, discussed and adopted as part of the outcomes at their Summit.
These plans must incorporate a strong focus on addressing accountability. The issue of inequality across all spectrums, including gender, spatial, ethnicity (including indigenous people), caste and
disability must also be addressed. In addition, these plans must include concrete proposals for overcoming implementation bottlenecks at the local level and allowing for citizen monitoring of both national and local government delivery of services.
The “Event in a Box” and a range of resources and materials are available at www.standagainstpoverty.org
About the Campaign in India
In India the campaign consists partners with civil society organizations, parliamentarians, local authorities, youth, media and the private sector in the priority States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. In partnership with these various stakeholders, the campaign promotes collective action in support of sustainable human development and elimination of poverty and inequalities.
To take action in India, sign our petition: Make Noise and visit our events page: Events
To know more about the Campaign in India, write to:
UN Millennium Campaign, UNDP, 55, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi – 110003; Email: rahul.sharma@un.org.in