Stand up and Speak Out.

What is STAND UP and SPEAK OUT? 

Stand Up and Speak Out is the growing movement of people no longer prepared to stay seated or silent in the face of poverty and inequality. It is a worldwide call to make poverty history and to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
 
Seven years have past since world leaders committed to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Yet, every day, 50,000 people die as a result of extreme poverty and the gap between rich and poor is getting wider.

Global Citizens for Change along with Make Poverty History, Eight Goals for a Better World and The Global Call to Action Against Poverty, is asking you to stand up and speak out to make governments honour their commitments to give more and better aid, to cancel the debts of developing countries, and to make international trade more just –this will not happen without all of us taking a stand.

Last year, more than 23 million people took part in STAND UP and SPEAK OUT and set a new Guinness World Record. This year, we want you to help break this record so the message is even louder. Every person counts!

What qualifies as a STAND UP event?

A STAND UP event can be almost anything – a concert, vigil, picnic or at the family dinner table, classroom or even one person. It can take place anywhere: at work, in the streets, or in your own home.  The only requirement is that there must be a time when you stand up for 1 minute as a pledge to end poverty.

What is the message we want to send across Canada?

By standing up you are supporting Canada in taking a leadership role to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 – this means:

• setting a plan to increase Canadian foreign aid to the UN target of 0.7% of GNP by 2015 –as set out in the global plan to meet the Millennium Development Goals. We are only half way to reaching this target right now;
• demanding that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund cancel the debts of developing countries and finance their development without imposing harmful economic policy conditions.

What to do:

Stand Up

Between Oct 16 and 17th Stand up for one minute (a symbolic act of raising a hand can count if standing up presents a physical challenge). Do it at home, in your office, in the subway or anywhere that’s convenient for you. Do it with friends, co-workers, family members, a faith-based group, a bowling team, etc.
Click here for a list of time zones of when you should stand up in your area.

Be Counted:

Before 9 pm (EST) on Oct. 17, register your Stand Up by clicking here, and your name will be added to the collective of returned volunteers and supporters who have stood up with a united voice against poverty. Global Citizens for Change will tally the number of volunteers and submit this as an official group entry with the global Stand Up and Speak Out campaign.

Do More:

Be a catalyst in your community by getting three friends to coordinate a STAND UP at their work or school - it is simple and it is effective.
Click here for more information.

Learn more:

www.makepovertyhistory.ca/e/stand-up/index.html
www.standagainstpoverty.org