More than 200,000 Australians have joined 116 million people worldwide to set a new record for the largest number of people to join together on a single issue.
This figure represents a historic moment in the anti-poverty movement in that approximately 2% of the global population took part in the Stand Up Against Poverty event.
From Friday 17th to Sunday 19th October, schools, churches, workplaces and community groups gathered to hold events in support of reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“All over Australia we have seen ordinary people saying to the Australian Government ‘We support you to meet your promises to the world’s poor.’ That is a very powerful movement,” said Make Poverty History coordinator Starr Guzman.
“We are absolutely rapt to see so many Australians embrace this event, and more importantly, this cause,” she said.
Stand Up Against Poverty – in only its third year – has quickly grown into the premier global anti-poverty event. This year Rove McManus, Missy Higgins, Lior, Brooke Satchwell and Zoe Naylor joined the event as official ambassadors.
Media contact: Starr Guzman on 0402 669 844
About Make Poverty History
In Australia, Make Poverty History is a coalition of more than 60 aid agencies, community groups and religious organisations. The coalition seeks to ensure the Australian Government creates policies that: guarantee more and better aid, debt relief, fairer trade, help poor communities keep their governments accountable, tackle climate change and honour commitments made to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a global plan to halve poverty by 2015.
Make Poverty History is asking the Australian Government to provide our fair share of long-term and predictable aid for health. This totals around $1.2 billion per year, made up of $520 million for basic health services and health system strengthening, $400 million to the HIV/AIDS response, $110 million for research, $50 million to help build grass roots demand and accountability and $100 million for other aspects of health programming.
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