Stand Up And Be Counted

The global campaign to end extreme poverty and injustice

14 October 2009

We have the knowledge, money, resources and technology to end extreme poverty, the only thing missing is political will. From October 16 to October 18, this is the message New Zealanders from all around the country will be sending to our leaders when they take part in Stand Up, Take Action.

Stand Up, Take Action is a United Nations global campaign to remind our leaders that there is grass-roots support for the pursuit of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At Stand Up events participants literally Stand Up to show their support.

Sixty schools taking part in Stand Up nationwide and people are welcome to join local events include a public Stand Up at Auckland University on Friday 16 October, in Wellington’s Civic Square on Saturday 17 October, at Nelson Market on Saturday 17 October and a Bridge of Rememberance in Christchurch on Saturday 17 October.

Last year over 116 million people from around the world took part in events worldwide. Events are being organised by ordinary people in offices, churches, universities, schools and public centres.

In 2000, leaders from 186 countries around the world committed to achieving the MDGs – eight measurable targets that if met would halve extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2008, banks and financial institutions received over US$18 trillion (that’s US$18,000,000,000,000) in bail out assistance. That figure is over nine times what all the developing countries have received in aid since 1960.

“Although the MDGs are not concerned solely with foreign aid, this figure goes to show that when our leaders have the will to help, they can and they do,” says Stand Up Auckland team member Ali Shariat.

Since 1999, through the MDGs, we have helped over 41 million children go to school. Since 1990 3.5 million less children die from preventable and treatable disease each year. However, we are still a long way off our full targets. We still have to save the other 75 million children who cannot go to school and the 9500 children who do die from those diseases each day.

“We have achieved so much since the goals were set. It would be a shame if leaders used the economic crisis as an excuse to walk away from their global commitments,” says Ali.

“By Standing Up and being counted, we can show our leaders that we do not want them to give up.”

Unlike the Vietnam protests of the 1960’s and 70’s, and the apartheid protests of the 1980’s which divided people, Stand Up is a movement that unites us all. Regardless of our political beliefs, the ending of extreme poverty and injustice are goals we all aspire to.

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