Stand Up

STAND UP 2009: Another Record Broken STAND UP Video What is STAND UP? Why STAND UP?

STAND UP 2009 - Another Guinness World Record Broken

	225,334 Australians joined a record 173,045,325 people across the world to Stand Up and Take Action against extreme poverty. Stand Up events were held across Australia including a concert at Federation Square Melbourne featuring Make Poverty History (MPH) ambassadors, Hip Hop duo and former African refugees Diafrix. Speakers included Minar Pimple and Christopher Woodthorpe of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Stand Up ambassador Brooke Satchwell, and Make Poverty History co-chair Tim Costello. Thousands of Australians Stood Up at events in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, calling for the Australian Government to do its fair share in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Highlights included: • 156 people on Virgin flight DJ829 stood up for the first ever ‘in-flight’ Stand Up event. • 5000 festival goers at ‘Fresh Fest’ Brisbane, led by Bliss n Eso, Stood Up Against Poverty. • Blue King Brown led a special Stand Up at ‘One Movement’. • Paediatric doctors Stood Up at the Royal Children’s hospital. • For the first time ever people Stood Up using the Stand Up Take Action application via their iPhones. Thank you to all of you who stood up in your school, workplace, university, and community centres across the nation. Well done!

STAND UP Video

Stand Up is the world’s largest mobilisation. It is a worldwide initiative seeking to end poverty, address its causes and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In 2008, 117 million people worldwide joined together through Stand Up (a Guinness World Record), including over 207,000 Australians who participated in Stand Up events around the country. The 2008 Stand Up participation led to direct action and policy changes in many developing countries, where leaders saw that people in their country were passionate about ending poverty. However, many more steps need to be taken.

In 2009, over 173 million people stood together to urge world leaders to keep their promises and do their fair share to end poverty and climate change. Thousands of Australians Stood Up in schools, universities, workplaces, places of worship, and community groups to add their voice to the growing worldwide movement that does not remain seated in the face of poverty.

Every day over 50,000 people die of easily preventable and treatable causes. Millions of people all over the world are living in extreme poverty. We can either stand-by and watch or stand up, show that we care and make a difference.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed in 2000 by 191 heads of government, set out the pathway and promises of all to reach poverty reduction targets by 2015. Progress towards the MDGs is slowing and will slow even more unless climate change is also urgently addressed.