For a closer look at the numbers

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Still more from the Stand Up event from two weeks ago. While I was able to participate online in the event, I was not able to follow up in a timely manner due to real life/day job demands. Part of me simply wants to move on to other issues, but some review needs to be made to make sense of things.

This also came from the Stand Up End Poverty organization giving a wrap up of the events impact. They put a nice spin on the outcome, which is to be understood. There is however the concern that this campaign is beginning to plateau. A basically 50% increase is impressive, but there were exponential increases in past years. There is mention of North America sharing in the largest percentage increase, but if the number starts small that is not a high hurdle to get over. My point is not to cease the efforts, but rather start concentrating on increasing overall numbers work on strengthen the connections that have been made.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD SHATTERED BY CITIZENS ACROSS GLOBE DEMANDING THAT THEIR LEADERS END POVERTY

More than 173 Million People Gather at "Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!" events, setting new world record for largest mobilization in history

A Guinness World Record shattered [this weekend] when 173,045,325 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 mobilization of human beings in recorded history, an increase of about 57 million people over last year.

"The more than 173 million people who mobilized this weekend sent a clear message to world leaders that there is massive, universal, global demand for eradicating poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals," said Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. "In particular, we have seen citizens determined to show their governments that they will hold them accountable for keeping their promises to end hunger, improve maternal health and abolish trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. They will not accept excuses for breaking promises to the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, who have already been hardest hit by the global food, economic and climate crises they had no role in causing."

The numbers from around the world:

• Asia 101,106,845
• Africa 37,848,412
• Arab region 31,394,459
• Europe 2,102,121
  
• Latin America 229,371
• North America 191,535
• Oceania 172,582

The mobilization was organized globally by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, in partnership with a range of organizations including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP).

For a closer look at the numbers

Asia and Africa, which is where the largest numbers of poor people reside, continue to be the two regions where the maximum number of people Stand Up for the MDGs. Asia saw the biggest increase in absolute numbers and Europe, the Arab Region, North America and Africa saw the biggest increase in percentage growth.

The top two countries in terms of numbers mobilised this year are Philippines and Bangladesh, with Philippines continuing to mobilise in force despite the typhoons and devastating floods.

India and Nepal showed big jumps in spite of the dates clashing with Diwali and 3 million Indonesians joined the Stand Up mobilization even as the country was reeling from a major earthquake.

The mobilization in Africa this year was simply spectacular, Nigeria is still numero uno with huge increases in Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and several other countries.

And in the Arab region, Egypt saw a massive jump again, Yemen entered the mobilization in a big way.

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Thank You for Standing Up

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My real life/day job has been heating up lately, so I missed out on blogging about the October 24th 350.org events or any follow up after the October 16 thru 18 Stand Up event though I did get to participate on line this year. This is a part-time amateur effort so one does what one can. This is what the folks at Stand Up sent me after the event.

The global people's movement for the MDGs is stronger than ever, over 173 million people have answered the call - you made it happen!

Dear Fellow Campaigners,

Your passion, commitment and determination have once again inspired a global movement which continues to grow beyond all expectations. You stood up in your cities, towns and villages, in your churches, mosques and temples; you stood in your colleges, schools and homes, on town squares and street sidewalks, you stood together as a global community, not only to shatter the Guinness World record but also to send a powerful message to leaders at the local, national and global level which cannot now be ignored:

"We are more determined than ever to see the Millennium Development Goals become a reality and to end poverty now!"

We know from experience that a significant proportion of activities and events do not get registered in time as many of them take place in remote rural locations with limited internet connectivity. Despite these constraints, over 3000 events spread across 121 countries were registered and more information on the scale of this mobilisation continues to flood in through phone calls, text messages and faxes! More details are at the bottom of this email and on the website www.standagainstpoverty.org.

On behalf of the United Nations Millennium Campaign (www.endpoverty2015.org) I want to thank every one of the thousands of organisers across the world at the local and national levels - social movements, faith groups, NGOs, youth organisations, women's groups, trade unions, civil society coalitions campaigning for the MDGs, local and national governments and the even larger number of volunteers, local groups and individual citizens who made this year's Stand Up and Take Action a resounding success.

We also want to thank the UN system at all levels as well as many of our global partners including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, Art of Living Foundation, Micah Challenge, Skype, UStream, the ONE Campaign, major media partners at the global and national levels and so many others who played a pivotal role in this unprecedented mobilisation.

Together we have the power to make a difference ...

Now in its fourth year, we have seen the impact that Stand Up is making in people's lives and improving the MDG policies and practises of governments. Providing the space and platforms for ordinary citizens to have their voices heard on issues that matter to them at the national and local level. In both rich and poor countries, citizens have come together, to put the priorities of the poor and excluded groups, firmly on the political agenda and get their own governments to address them. Once again an overwhelming majority of the people who stood up were from poor countries. And as their voices grow louder, they can no longer be ignored. The sharp focus on women's rights, hunger and maternal health (in poor countries) and the elimination of trade-distorting agricultural subsidies (in rich countries) and the specific targeting of Parliamentarians made the Stand Up 2009 messaging more impactful. An outstanding example was the leadership of the Speaker of the All-Party Parliamentary Group in Bangladesh which mobilised citizens in large numbers and joined the Prime Minister in taking an oath to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

We will continue to Stand Up every day until promises to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Goals are delivered ...

Next year in September, world leaders will gather at the UN to review progress on the MDGs. With the strength of over 173 million people telling their leaders that their commitments are being closely monitored, we will take this commitment to those decision makers with renewed energy to convert the strength of these numbers into concrete policy and practice changes in our own local and national contexts. We challenge Heads of State to come to the 2010 MDG Review Summit not just with generalised statements of intent but concrete national action plans for MDG implementation that are focussed on the rights of the poor and excluded, particularly women, to meet the 2015 deadline.

To us, Stand Up once again showed the power of the MDGs in really unifying the different parts of the UN for one common cause and the extent to which the MDGs and the UN system enjoy the confidence of the public at large.

Warmest wishes and once again congratulations on this massive show of people power against poverty and inequality. I hope you will closely follow up with all the partners, organisations and individuals that you helped to mobilise and inspire them further to join our on-going campaign for the MDGs from now to 2015.

Warmest wishes

Salil Shetty

Director

Millennium Campaign

United Nations

salil.shetty@undp.org

Copyright © 2009

Some Speak Out to End Poverty Now Some Sing!

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When I learned about these "Stand Up" concert events being planned, I decided to grab some YouTube videos to give a taste for those of us participating online:

In Nairobi, Kenya, they held the anti- hunger concert dubbed Free the Hungry Billion, Stand Up and Take Action, bringing together development-conscious musicians from across the African continent, including

Oliver Mutukudzi (Zimbabwe),

Susan Owiyo (Kenya)

Professor Jay (Tanzania)

Didier Awadi (Senegal)

Ntsiki Mazwai (South Africa)

Carlou D (Senegal)

Nameless (Kenya)

and Wahu (Kenya) Video .

Food donations will be collected from attendees.

In Nigeria, thousands of people attended various concerts over the three-day mobilization by performers including

Sarah Mitaru
Sarah Mitaru - Stop The War

Francis | MySpace Video

and Femi Kuti,

who will honor the life and work of renowned African musician/AIDS activist Fela Kuti.

The performers will explore the MDGs and the issues of social injustice, exclusion and poverty through song and dance. They will also sign a petition demanding accountability and transparency in their governments in order to achieve the MDGs.