Millions ‘Stand Up’ in India for poverty eradication
India showed solidarity and participated in the UN campaign: 'Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now’. More than 23 million people, up by 14 million of last year, demanded from the government to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the MDGs.
New Delhi: A Guinness World Record was broken this weekend when 173 million citizens gathered at over 3,000 events in more than 120 countries, demanding that their governments eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!”, now in its fourth year, has been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest mobilisation of human beings in recorded history.
In India 23 million people showed solidarity and participated in the campaign; this is up by 14 million of last year.
[To view progress towards achieving MDGs in India, please click here]
Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament and Chairperson, Parliamentarians’ Group on Millennium Development Goals said: “I believe that we must all work towards ensuring that a stop is put to the number of infant deaths every year. The underlying factors of poverty, lack of proper access to healthcare, lack of nutrition security, proper sanitation and clean drinking water need to be addressed if these grave human rights violations are to be put an end to.”
“Poverty alleviation measures in all parts of the world are often fraught with challenges ranging from issues as diverse as the financial crisis to an earthquake. It is a question of being able to retain our will and optimism to overcome these hindrances. In India effective and deeply thought policy measures have been instituted and substantial budget allocations made for social sector schemes. This demonstrates the commitment of the Indian government towards the promise made at the United Nations in 2000 and more importantly to the people of this country. The millions Stood Up this weekend have demonstrated the need for urgent action,” said Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign.
“The purpose of this massive mobilisation from India is to deepen and enhance accountability of governance from local to the national level. The current government has taken the right steps by making education a fundamental right, ensuring employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and introducing the Right to Information Act which is being used extensively by citizens across the country. The challenge that lies ahead of us is to translate progressive policy and legislation to real goods and services for women and the socially excluded and marginalised. Our aim should now be to accelerate the achievement of MDGs on ground and encourage local monitoring initiatives. The Nine is Mine initiative led by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, to conduct citizens audit in parliamentary constituencies is a right step in this direction,” said Minar Pimple, Deputy Director and Head of Asia and Pacific, United Nations Millennium Campaign.
The mobilisation was organised globally by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, in partnership with a range of organisations including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP).
[To view highlights of events from across India, please click here]
About the UN Millennium Campaign:
The UN Millennium Campaign was established by the UN Secretary General in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by 189 world leaders from rich and poor countries, as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to achieve the Goals by 2015. Our premise is simple: we are the first generation that can end poverty and we refuse to miss this opportunity.
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The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are an eight point roadmap marked by measurable targets and clear deadlines to build an equitable, prosperous and just world.
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
For more information, photos and b-roll contact:
United Nations Millennium Campaign, India: Mandira Moddie and Lopa Ghosh
mandira.moddie@un.org.in and lopa.ghosh@un.org.in; Telephone: +91 11 465 32207
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Pulkit Srivastava | 9810752559 I psrivastava@perfectrelations.com
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