GET READY TO STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION FOR THE MDGS: OCTOBER 17TH -19TH, 2008
Last year, more than 43 million people all over the world stood up and spoke out sending a clear and powerful message to governments: Keep your promises to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
This year we are inviting you to Stand Up and Take Action, to be a part of the growing global movement determined to stamp out poverty and inequality.
We have reached the halfway mark to 2015, the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. There has been some progress, but there is still a long way to go. We need to take urgent and inspired action now, to remind our governments we expect them to deliver. That's why this year we're focusing on country-specific actions in support of the achievement of the Millennium Goals. Millions will be Standing Up and Taking Action, locally, nationally and globally.
The scope of actions is broad and depends on what is relevant for each national or local context. Whether by a signed petition, a text message campaign, phone calls to local government representatives, face to face meetings with parliamentarians, local and national leaders - What's most important is that we Stand Up and take Action to make our demands heard loud and clear.
In poor countries, Campaigners will be reminding their governments to implement time-bound MDG-based national development strategies, plans and budgetary allocations; to improve MDG implementation and delivery mechanisms with a strong focus on poor and excluded groups particularly women; to produce concrete plans to enhance domestic resource mobilization that will be earmarked for MDG achievement; to create and implement plans for increased transparency and fighting corruption, more systematic and on-going monitoring and reporting of progress towards the achievement of the MDGs and greater accountability on MDG planning, implementation and reporting to elected officials (Parliaments, local Governments etc.) and key non-state stakeholders including the media, faith groups, citizens groups and civil society organizations.
In rich countries, delivering on Goal 8 commitments continue to be important and at the national and global level. Specific commitments from these Heads of State should include, setting and meeting time-tabled commitments on not just aid volume and debt relief, but aid quality and effectiveness; breaking the impasse in the trade negotiations at the WTO, particularly on elimination of agricultural subsidies and market access for developing country goods and services and to stop pushing through WTO plus agreements on a bilateral or regional basis.
Stand Up, Take Action 2008 will be held over a three day period from October 17th -19th.
By starting on a Friday and concluding on a Sunday, everyone, whether at home, at work, at school, university or in a place of worship will have the chance to take part.
We will once again be aiming to break the world record for the most number of people to Stand Up Against Poverty. But even more importantly, you will be building on the momentum created over the last two years, a momentum which has already contributed to real progress. Thank you for all you have done to make Stand Up a strong movement and powerful force in the fight to end poverty and see the Millennium Goals achieved and exceeded. Let's resolve to make Stand Up and Take Action even more impactful in 2008.
Keep watching
www.StandAgainstPoverty.org for information and updates!
http://www.StandAgainstPoverty.org
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PRINCE C.J BENJAMIN
