Stand Up Against Poverty

As I mentioned yesterday, Mothers Acting Up recently brought the Stand Up Campaign to my attention. The goal is to get as many people as possible to "stand up" both physically and figuratively against world poverty on October 15th and 16th. There will be Stand Up events held all over the world and organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the number of people standing up together in a 24-hour period.

While setting a record would be great, this campaign is really about raising awareness surrounding the Millennium Development Goals which contain eight steps toward cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty in half by the year 2015. The goals are to:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger


• Achieve universal primary education


• Promote gender equality and empower women


• Reduce child mortality


• Improve maternal health


• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases


• Ensure environmental sustainability


• Develop a global partnership for development

The MDGs have been adopted by several countries including the United States who has contributed $19 billion already. But in order to stay on track for 2015, the U.S. must pledge another $38 billion this year. Now I realize money is tight with the Bush Administration in control of our finances, but they wouldn't be as tight if we weren't spending millions of dollars everyday in a war that cannot be won. Besides, don't you think fighting world poverty is a more worthwhile cause than the occupation of Iraq?

So consider taking a moment or two out of your day this Sunday and Monday and Stand Up in whatever way you feel is appropriate - Blog about it, Email your lawmakers to keep them on track, Write a poem, Acknowledge that there are millions suffering from hunger and struggle daily just to survive until tomorrow so they can start all over again - BUT DO SOMETHING! If we all do just one thing we can have an impact on these people's lives. Not only economically, but emotionally by letting them know that they are not alone, they are not forgotten and that people care about what happens to them.

I know it helps me get through my toughest days.