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Stand up against Poverty

16 Oct 2006 18:02:19 GMT
Source: Concern Worldwide - Ireland

New Guinness World Record Attempt

Concern Worldwide has stood up around the world in an attempt to create a new World Record for the biggest number of people ever to stand up together. Millions of people stood up all over the world, in a twenty-four hour period between Sunday morning, October 15th, and Monday morning, October 16th. Concern people stood up in several northern cities, including Dublin, London, New York and Chicago, as well as across the global south, including in countries such as Laos, India, Pakistan, Niger, Zambia, Uganda, Afghanistan and Liberia.

These Concern staff, supporters and partners stood up for the world record and made a pledge to commit themselves to make poverty history.

The world record stand up was part of the on-going campaign to make poverty history, the same as the white band campaign – make poverty history - last year. We Stood Up against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals.

This was an important symbol of global solidarity. People in the north were linked with people in the south, in an expression of common opposition to poverty. We were, are and will continue to be together in this work. The objective of this work is to link people to stand together to fight poverty by calling on governments to act.

Background:
In 2005, the white band united people across the world. And, although far from all that was sought to make poverty history, some progress has been made: the G8 pledged $50 billion more aid, debt cancellation for up to 42 countries and access to affordable treatment by 2010 for people with HIV/AIDS. However, the increased aid and debt cancellation promised by the G8 have yet to be delivered in full, and more is needed. Rich countries are denying trade justice to poor countries. There's still a long way to go to make poverty history. People and organisations across the world continue to campaign against poverty and to keep up the pressure on their governments to do more.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Mon Oct 16 18:03:33 2006