Stand Up Against Poverty

October 15 there is a global wise event happening that you can easily be involved in. Stand Up Against Poverty comes from the "Make Poverty History" campaign. I know that the web site talks about having big events...but I believe that small events or even just churches getting involved would have a profound effect on our world.

The basic idea is for one minute everyone stands while the following is read:

"Could I ask you all please to Stand Up Against Poverty.
( THEY STAND )
We stand here proudly as members of the generation that intends to defeat extreme poverty, the greatest challenge of our times.

We stand up now because we do not wish, years from now, to stand in front of the next generation and say ‘we knew that millions of people were dying unnecessarily every year - and we stood by, doing nothing.'

We cannot stay seated when a child born in a poor country today will die 30 years earlier than a
child born in a wealthy one. It’s is time to end all this heartbreak.

And we stand up because we are asking not for charity but justice – we know, that in our names,
world leaders have already made promises to bring this to an end – they are called the Millennium Development Goals.

What is needed is the political will to achieve and exceed these goals - So we, hundreds of
thousands of concerned individuals from over 100 countries, are on our feet to say -
To the leaders of the wealthy countries – be great - fight to keep your promises – debt
cancellation, more and better aid, and trade rules that help fight poverty – you know what needs to be done – do it.

We also stand before the leaders of poorer countries to say – be great – make it your first
responsibility to save the lives of your poorest citizens. We ask you to achieve real transparency
and accountability in how money is spent, to tackle inequality, to root out corruption. You know
what needs to be done. Do it.

Every generation has mighty battles to fight against evils such as slavery and apartheid which
seem as though they cannot be defeated. But history proves time and again they can, if enough
people stand up against injustice.

We wish to set a record today of the number of people standing up to demand action on poverty
– but the record we really want to break is the world’s record of breaking promises and just
ignoring the poor.

(Insert local message here)

We are six billion Voices. We want justice now. No more excuses. We will not stand for them."

To check out more information and register your group go to http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=2024079 .

Afterall, aren't they worth it?