Agenda: Stand Up and Speak Out: October 17th, 2007; Day of Global Mobilization Against Poverty and Inequality

Agenda: Stand Up and Speak Out: October 17th, 2007; Day of Global Mobilization Against Poverty and Inequality

August 09, 2007

    NEW YORK, Aug. 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- On October 16th
and 17th, millions all over the world will once again Stand
Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality and in
support of the Millennium Development Goals. The Stand Up
Speak Out initiative is planned to coincide with the
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On this
day last year, 23.5 million people stood up against poverty
in a 24-hour period, setting a new Guinness World Record.

    This year, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty
and the United Nations Millennium Campaign plan to mobilize
people all over the world to break this record, urging
millions more to join this growing global movement. They
will demand that their governments keep their promises to
achieve the Millennium Goals to end extreme poverty by
2015. From workers to students, women's groups to community
groups, people will call on political leaders to deliver
more and better aid to the poorest nations, implement
fairer trade conditions, cancel debt, ensure gender
equality as well as greater transparency and accountability
from their governments.

    They will stand up and challenge the world record

    Events are being planned in over 100 countries. These
will range from major rallies and concerts to gatherings in
school assemblies, town halls and refugee camps.
Participants will be asked to register for the Guinness
challenge in the 24-hour period from 9pm GMT on October
16th to 9pm GMT on October 17th.  

    For more information on Stand Up and Speak Out events
and a video reel from last year visit
http://www.standagainstpoverty.org .

    They will speak through music, political meetings and
using banners 

    A new piece of choral music, The Poverty Requiem, will
be performed in a global chain of performances in over 25
countries. Delegations will meet politicians to present
their demands to end poverty and on four continents,
International Women's Tribunals on Poverty will be held to
raise awareness of gender issues. Elsewhere, groups are
making giant Banners Against Poverty with messages for
leaders and later linking these on key global mobilization
dates.  
    More details will be available closer to the date.






    For more information, please contact:

     Ciara O'Sullivan, GCAP
     Tel:   [phone] 
     Email: [e-mail] 
     Web:   http://www.whiteband.org 

     Mandy Kibel, Deputy United Nations Millennium Campaign

     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]  
     Web:   http://www.endpoverty2015.com