WHEN THE POOR SPEAK AGAINGST POVERTY

When on Tuesday, 16th October and Wednesday 17th October, 2007, 44 millions people in over 110 countries around the world with Africans making up 7.1 million of that figure, they showed the over 2billion poor people of the world are not indifferent to their condition and could take action if properly mobilised and involved.

This attempt entered the Guinness book of records is the largest number of people to stand up against poverty in 24 hours compare to last year figure of 23.5million people.
This attempt organised by the United Nations Millennium campaign (UNMC) and the Global call to action against poverty (GCAP) saw millions of concerned people of the world and activist alike standing up against poverty, inequality and supporting the millennium Development Goals. The main aim of this campaign is channelled towards the demands for a quick response to the global poverty crisis rocking the world.

The United Nation Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon who also took part in the action at the UN headquarters in New York said “Today tens of millions of people are making their voices heard by standing up and speaking against poverty and for the millennium development goals. They are sending messages that call on their leaders to keep their promises. They are calling for the actions of citizens to be matched by the action for Governments in developing and developed countries alike, to demonstrate the political will required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all.”

Also of significance is the fact that Asia and Africa which account for 85 per cent of people suffering from extreme poverty i.e. those living under one dollar a day had the largest number of participants for the event. The richer countries accounted for less than 1 million for the total figure.

The poor have been able to show their frustration that we still live in a world where 50,000 people die daily from preventable diseases. Some important conclusions one can draw from these event are that the action stops them from being victims and empowers the poor to be agents of change in their conditions.

Furthermore, the stand up against poverty has showed that we need to put more pressure on our leaders to make our money work us. The people through this action are telling the government and all concerned leaders that they are ready to take actions against poverty.

It is important for everyone wherever we may be to take action and ensure that poverty is eradicated and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are met by 2015. It is not how many millions of people that stood up against poverty in the midst of plenty that count but what need to be done to ensure promises made by the world leaders to the poor, the marginalised and weak is fulfilled.

More and more people from poorer countries are now more active in ensuring the MDGs are achieved and surpassed. The ever expanding anti-poverty movement around the word like the UN millennium Campaign, Global call to action against Poverty (GCAP), International NGO partners in local , national, and community based organisation around the world are coming up from the poorer countries of the world.

The “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign offers the centre stage to those directly affected to take action wherever they may be and for our leaders to do more in solving this problem because they have no excuse for not doing so.