New Guinness record of over 116 million Standing Up for MDGs
A new world record was set during October 17-19 when over 116 million people stood up worldwide against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. Asia had the highest numbers of 73 million, of which 14 million were from India and another 13 million from Bangladesh.
New Delhi: Over 116 million people, nearly two percent of the world’s population, in 110 countries, have broken the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people to “STAND AGAINST POVERTY”.
The Guinness citation reads: “The record for most people to Stand Up Against Poverty in one week was set from October 17-19, 2008 for the United Nation’s Millennium Campaign during the Stand Up Take Action events and involved a massive total of 116,993,629 participants in 7,777 events around the globe.”
This is the largest single coordinated movement of people to 'Stand Against Poverty and for Millennium Development Goals’ and was coordinated by the United Nations Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP).
“In what was undoubtedly the largest mobilisation since Guinness began keeping records, citizens around the globe put their leaders at the national and global level on notice that their commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 have to be met – no more delays or excuses are acceptable,” said Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign.
"Already, world leaders are responding. Mass mobilisations have the power to change the course of history, and we will not stop mobilising and advocating for action until the MDGs are achieved for the poorest people in the world,” he added.
“World citizens have acted and are committed to keep the pressure on governments to achieve and exceed MDGs. Asia has seen the biggest mobilisation, and now it is time for governments to act to deal with the development emergency that we are faced with and honor their commitments,” said Minar Pimple, Deputy Director, Asia, of the United Nations Millennium Campaign.
Key “Stand Up” events from South Asia and Asia:
In India, more than 14 million people all over the country stood up to demand an end to poverty and for the MDGs. The Art of Living Foundation (AOL), under the guidance of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar mobilised over six million people to stand up in 26 states in India under the ‘Mission Green Earth Stand Up Take Action’ campaign, in partnership with the UN Millennium Campaign and the Ministry of Environment & Forests.
In one of the events organised by the Art of Living Foundation in New Delhi, more than 6,000 people Stood Up on the perimeter of the Parliament on October 18, including some of the richest and poorest families in the country.
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, and its partners including the National Conference of Dalit Organizations (NACDOR) and Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), mobilized over 5 million people in rallies, public declarations and signature campaigns, to hold the government to account for achievement of the MDGS.
The National Service Scheme, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, conducted Stand Up in over 100 Universities and NSS camps around the country, contributing 2.3 million young voices to the campaign. All over the country, schools and Universities participated in the Stand Up and Take Action campaign.
In Badarpur Khadar, a village 15 km from Delhi, India, with no electricity, water, sanitation or health facilities, 700 people Stood Up on October 18, when they opened the first school in the village’s 300-year history. The villagers plan to take up the issue of the denial of their fundamental constitutional rights to primary education with the government.
In Ahmedabad, India, Indian Cricket League officials and cricket players from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc. led a “Stand Up” moment for 30,000 fans at a game of the Ahmedabad Rockets and the Mumbai Champs on October 17.
In the Philippines, more than 35 million people (one-third of the population) stood against poverty at events across the country. The campaign was a result of concerted efforts of the UN agencies in the Philippines, local government units, civil society organisations including GCAP, universities and government agencies, including the National Anti-Poverty Commission and the Department of Education.
Thousands of fishermen also took to the streets with GCAP Philippines on the morning of October 17 to demand a government programme for food sovereignty and sustainability.
In Nepal, over 1.5 million people expressed their solidarity through the Stand Up and Take Action Campaign including a convention of women members of the Constituent Assembly and other events focusing on deepening participatory democracy as part of building a poverty and hunger-free Nepal by the Citizen’s Campaign for Democracy and Social Transformation and other civil society partners.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, ‘Pranchanda’, issued a public statement on October 17, committing the government to the achievement of the MDGs and encouraging the people to join the movement of building a new nation.
In Bangladesh, over 13. 3 million people stood up and arranged unprecedented campaign events and innovative programmes across the country with a wide range of partners, including the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the National Federation of Youth Organisation, and Dhaka City Cooperation. The events included an MDG Road Show and a policy seminar to engage key political leaders in the upcoming national elections.
In Pakistan, 390,000 people were mobilised through the network of civil society organisations and local governments with the active involvement of youth groups and members of district, provincial and national assemblies.
In Indonesia, over 7.3 million people Stood Up; in Jakarta and other cities of Indonesia, more than 450,000 Muslims in 1,500 mosques joined the Stand Up after the Friday prayers on October 17. Khatibs (preachers) explained the responsibilities of Muslims in accordance with the Islamic values to fight against poverty and call for more effective actions by governments and the people.
In Thailand, over 290,000 people Stood Up; the Royal Thai Government represented by the Ministry of Interior and the United Nations jointly pledged their commitment to stamp out poverty and inequality by launching a 180-day Roadmap for Poverty Eradication.
The number of people who “Stood Up and Took Action” in each region is as follows:
Africa - 24,496,151
Arab States - 17,847,870
Asia - 73,151,847
Europe - 951,788
Latin America - 211,250
North America - 123,920
Oceania - 210,803
Total - 116,993,629
Key “Stand Up” Global events:
In New York, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the UN General Assembly, and Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro joined 837 people who Stood Against Poverty after performances by the cast of the Broadway production “A Tale of Two Cities.”
In Milan, Italy, more than 400,000 people Stood Against Poverty in the Italian Parliament and at an event attended by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Letizia Moratti, Mayor of Milan.
In Germany, Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul joined the Stand Up event in Berlin, encouraging civil society to increase pressure on the government to stick to their promises.
With hundreds of events across the country, more than 100,000 people demanded more and better aid and the implementation of fair world trade rules to realise the MDGs.
In Egypt, millions of people visited two sailboats which made stops along the Nile to educate Egyptians about MDGs.
In Madrid, Spain, 40,000 people gathered to march against poverty on October 17 under the “Rebélate contra la Pobreza” initiative. Simultaneous anti-poverty protests occurred on October 17 and 18 in 50 other Spanish cities, including Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Donosti, Bilbao, A Coruña, Badajoz, Cuenca and Valencia.
In Jigawa, Nigeria’s poorest state, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar joined 20,000 people who Stood Against Poverty on October 18, in a Summit where they called on the government to empower women and other marginalised groups through skill acquisition programs, empowerment schemes and access to micro-financing.
In Rwanda, President Kagame joined 10,000 people to Stand Against Poverty at the Rubavu Stadium, in the Western Province. The President called on Rwandans to use their hard-won peace and stability as the foundation to fight poverty, create wealth and drive development for the well being of the entire population.
In Uganda, the entire Parliament stood on October 17, and members of the Parliamentary Committee on the MDGS helped to clean the Kisenyi slum outside Kampala.
To download photos, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/standagainstpoverty/.
To download footage, visit http://video.un-kampagne.de/ and enter the username “video” and password “uploads.”
For more information contact:
Asia
Minar Pimple, Deputy Director, Asia, United Nations Millennium Campaign Email: minar.pimple@undp.org Cell No. : +66 84700 2265 or +91 9967 656590
India
Mandira Moddie, Campaign and Advocacy Specialist, United Nations Millennium Campaign
Email: mandira.moddie@un.org.in Tel: +91-98188-57582
For interviews contact:
Vineet Joshi, Communications Coordinator, India
Email: vineet.joshi@undp.org; Tel: 98102-27197 and 91-011-46532207, 46532259, 24652295 (direct); Telefax: 91-011-24633042
Kallayaphron (Jasmine) Jaruphand, Programme Associate, Asia
Email: jaruphand@un.org Tel : +66 89 777 4558
About the Campaigns:
The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a civil society alliance of social movements, international NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of public accountability, just governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation; and gender equality and women’s rights. For more information, visit www.whiteband.org.
The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments accountable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals, formally adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000, are a set of eight specific goals which commit rich and poor countries to work together to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, protect the environment, and create a global partnership for development by ensuring rich countries give more and better aid, debt relief and trade opportunities to poorer countries. For more information, visit www.endpoverty2015.org.
