On October 16th and 17th , millions all over the world will once again Stand Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality and in support of the Millennium Development Goals. The Stand Up Speak Out initiative is planned to coincide with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On this day last year, 23.5 million people stood up against poverty in a 24 hour period setting a new Guinness World Record.

This year the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and the United Nations Millennium Campaign plan to mobilize people all over the world to break this record, urging millions more to join this growing global movement. They will demand that their governments keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Goals to end extreme poverty by 2015. From workers to students, women's groups to community groups, people will call on political leaders to deliver more and better aid to the poorest nations, implement fairer trade conditions, cancel debt, ensure gender equality as well as greater transparency and accountability from their governments.

They will stand up and challenge the world record
Events are being planned in over 100 countries. These will range from major rallies and concerts to gatherings in school assemblies, town halls and refugee camps. Participants will be asked to register for the Guinness challenge in the 24-hour period from 9pm GMT on October 16th to 9pm GMT on October 17th.
For more information on Stand Up and Speak Out events and a video reel from last year visit www.standagainstpoverty.org

They will speak through music, political meetings and using banners
A new piece of choral music, The Poverty Requiem, will be performed in a global chain of performances in over 25 countries. Delegations will meet politicians to present their demands to end poverty and on four continents International Women's Tribunals on Poverty will be held to raise awareness of gender issues. Elsewhere, groups are making giant Banners Against Poverty with messages for leaders and later linking these on key global mobilization dates.

More details will be available closer to the date.

For more information contact:
Ciara O'Sullivan, Media Coordinator, GCAP
ciara_os@hotmail.com Tel: +34 679 594 809 www.whiteband.org

Mandy Kibel, Deputy Director Communications, United Nations Millennium Campaign
mandy.kibel@undp.org Tel: +1 212 906 6242 www.endpoverty2015.org

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