THIS TIME BEING STOOD UP IS A GOOD THING

Tuesday, October 25, 2006

‘STAND UP’ Count Reaches 23,542,614!

By now you should have heard about the amazing response to the 'STAND UP' campaign that took place a week-and-a-half ago. In case you didn’t, let me share what happened.

In 24 hours on October 15-16, over 23 million people in more than 100 countries collectively called on their governments to bring an end to world poverty! Guinness Book of Records officials called it, "the largest single coordinated movement of people in the history of the Guinness World Record."

Micah Challenge organized church participation in the worldwide campaign, which saw participants from Ghana to Zimbabwe, from Canada to the Emirates, and from Indonesia to Togo taking part.

In Jaipur, India 38,000 cricket fans “stood up” at the start of the India vs England match. In Mexico, several hundred thousand people stood up at football matches led by nine Football Clubs. Hundreds of thousands stood together for one minute at an anti-poverty music concert in Mbare slums in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. And thousands more stood in Times Square, New York, all declaring their support for the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which all 191 UN nations signed onto in the year 2000.

In Sierra Leone, the 'Stand Up' weekend started with a seminar attended by 52 church leaders. Over 500 churches participated in the 'STAND UP'.

In this country, Canadians stood in centres large and small, in churches and parks and schools from Courtenay to Capreol and Charlottetown, from Thunder Bay to Tillsonburg and Toronto. While over 50,000 Canadians were officially recorded, many others also took part. In so doing, they gave a clear message to our leaders to uphold the promises they made in 2000.

It’s a message they need to hear! While a number of nations have increased their Official Development Assistance to 0.7% of GNI as promised, Canada is still only at 0.32%. I truly believe that for a country blessed with so much, it’s time we did the honourable thing. We need to step up to the plate.

Cutting world poverty in half by 2015 and raising the percent of foreign aid giving to 0.7% of GNI were two of the key promises all UN nations agreed to.

The phenomenal response to the ‘STAND UP’ campaign sends a clear message. People care. Canadians care! And I would add, “So does God!”

As we approach the MDG target date of 2015, I assure you that Micah Challenge Canada will be working hard to make that point on behalf of the world’s poor.

In the spirit of Micah 6:8

Paul Robinson
National Coordinator
Micah Challenge Canada
519-688-9445 (o)
paulrobinson@micahchallenge.ca
www.micahchallenge.ca (Canada)
www.micahchallenge.org (International)

“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8
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