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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Nelson Mandela at Trafalgar Square 2005 - 3


Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural.

It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.

Nelson Mandela

 

Lobby!

October 30, 2007,

For all GCAP national coalitions,

Congratulations on the fantastic success of Stand Up and Speak Out 2007!

In order for impact of Stand Up 2007 derives maximum policy impact and that the political leadership in each country at the highest level is held to account for meeting the policy demands of the national coalitions, we are proposing that national coalitions (in the South and in the North) send an Open Letter to their Head of State.  Each letter obviously has to be tailored by the national coalition according to your local needs and signed by the collective leadership of the national coalition. 

Download the cover letter, co-signed by Ana Agostino, Sylvia Borren, Kumi Naidoo and Salil Shetty, and a sample lobbying Open Letter (for Southern and Northern Heads of State) which you should adapt and finalise.  We believe that this Open Letter can also be very useful to get more visibility for the demand to eradicate poverty and inequality by offering it to national newspapers for publications.

To have an impact, it is advisable that this letter goes out as soon as possible. Please do send us a copy of the final letter that you sent to your Head of State and an update on any meetings that you had or media coverage that you secured to standup2007@standagainstpoverty.org and Irfan.mufti@civicus.org.

On behalf of the IFT,
Irfan Mufti
GCAP Campaign Manager

 

 

Lobby highlights

In response to a call from national platforms and other GCAP constituencies, the mobilisation plans agreed by the International Facilitation Team for 2007 were more heavily political that in 2006.

As well as a broad agreement that all mobilisations and other actions should have a stronger political element, some specific actions were also built in.

In more than 30 countries, national platforms lobbied senior ministers and heads of state with key national political demands as well as agreed global demands targeting the IMF and World Bank. Longer summaries of these events are available but they include amongst many others:

  • Engagement with the President of India at the Women’s Tribunal
  • A meeting with the President of Somalia
  • A meeting with the UK International Development Secretary
  • Meetings with several key ministers in Palestine
  • A meeting with the finance and deputy finance ministers in Liberia
  • A meeting with the deputy finance minister in Argentina

These actions were highlighted along with an agreed global declaration at the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF which took place in Washington DC from 19 – 22 October. A small GCAP team had several high level meetings with key Bank officials and organised a massive performance of the poverty requiem on the park outside the Bank during the meeting of the Development Committee. 200 dancers and singers from a High School in Pennsylvania were joined by life-size figures representing every country in the world with a GCAP national platform. Early indications suggest the lobbying strategy was very impactful and widely noticed.

While it is always difficult to measure the success of such efforts, there are indications of significant impact although much of this is anecdotal:

  • Many Bank and Fund officials commented that they found the actions in Washington very powerful and it has led to several communications within both institutions
  • In Wales, following high-profile Stand Up events and strategic lobbying, the leader of the agreed to do all she could to facilitate debates in the Welsh Assembly on the issues raised by GCAP campaigners there.
  • In India, following the Women’s tribunal which was attended by more than 400 women, the President noted that, ‘ Women’s concerns should be focal in all major policies and programmes.’

 

 

Events highlights

 
  • In India all over the country people of all ages were standing up. In Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India, five million people participated. DAV Schools, the largest public school system of the country, reported 500,000 voices against poverty and at Kashmir University, 35,000 students stood up.  Also in Delhi, one of four Women's Tribunals on Poverty gathered 400 women from 20 states to debate how gender exclusion and discrimination impede development in poor countries.
  • In Bangladesh just under 850,000 people stood up with the main event held at Dhaka City office and led by the Mayor followed by a high profile concert. People called for cancellation of debt servicing to eradicate poverty and at the end 1000 candles were lit to express solidarity with the GCAP movement.
  • In South Africa, children in Pretoria stood up and the residents of the Big Brother Africa House joined the call lighting a bonfire against poverty which burned for the 24 hour period.   In Malawi children were asked to bring a blade of grass to a local football match, the sum of which was their total of 15,584 participants.
  • In the Philippines, a massive 7+million people were mobilised at events involving faith groups and at the Anti Poverty fair. Campaigners called on the Arroyo government to change their position regarding the worsening condition of millions of Filipinos trapped in poverty.

  • Pakistani campaigners mobilised over 3.5 million including thousands who helped unfurl a 10km–long banner, In Bahawalpur carrying one million written messages.  Pakistan was one of 25 countries across the world using giant banners to form a white band, the symbol of the global anti-poverty movement.

  • Palestinian children throughout the Occupied West Bank and Gaza spoke out saying no to poverty.  The activities organized jointly with the Palestinian Ministry of Education took place for the first time in public and private schools, as well as UNWRA schools.

  • In Ramallah, a choir from the University performed a new musical work “The Poverty Requiem” as one of a global chain of 20 performances that took place on every continent. A high school choir also performed the piece at the UN Headquarters in New York.

  • In Egypt, Cairo the “Sailing the Nile” initiative saw over a million participants.

  • Civil Society delegations to government were organised in an unprecedented coordinated global lobby against poverty.  Somalia was one of 35 countries where civil society representatives organised a group to present demands for pro-poor policy change directly to their politicians.

  • In The Hague, the national anti poverty campaign displayed 200 uniquely created life-size ‘Avatars’ whilst in London the UN Deputy Secretary General stood up with key women leaders in front of city hall.

  • In Rwanda, youth groups organized a Stand Up soccer tournament with 20 primary schools and in Bangladesh 10,000 young people blocked a busy crossroads with a human chain.

  • Faith leaders Stand Up and Speak Out – At papal mass at the Vatican Pope Benedict XVI sent a message of support urging increased efforts to eliminate poverty. Indian spiritual leader his holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar mobilized 30,000 people at his ashram in Bangalore and millions more across the globe to raise their voices through the Art of Living Foundation. Micah Challenge, the global Christian campaign took part and In the US, Canada and Europe Episcopal and Lutheran churches made the MDGs their top social justice priority by appointing an MDG-focused organizer in every diocese.

Guinness Record 

 

43.7 million people, in 127 countries have broken the Guinness World Record – set last year at 23.5 million - for the largest number of people to “STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY” in 24 hours.

The “Stand Up and Speak Out” record attempt took place over 16th and 17th October and was jointly organised by the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) and the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) with a wide range of other partners. The challenge saw millions of people physically and intentionally standing up against poverty, inequality and in support of the Millennium Development Goals.  They spoke out to demand a more urgent political response to the growing crisis of global poverty. More

Visit standagainstpoverty.org for full list of events from around the world

Read the Thank You letter from Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign

 

Poverty Requiem

An initiative for choirs and singers led by Oxfam Novib. Choirs in dozens of countries performed this specially written song on October 17. 51 PERFORMANCES IN 23 COUNTRIES! From all parts of the world thousands of people performed the Poverty Requiem! More than 50 different stagings took place in 23 countries as part of the global Stand Up and Speak Out Campaign of GCAP. Check here for some youtube films on the net. More

 

Banners against Poverty

Over 30 countries from every region of the world created banners that were displayed on October 17, 2007, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the Global White Band Day. On this day, 43.7 million people in 127 countries took action under the slogan Stand Up and Speak Out. The Banners Project was one of many global actions people participated in. Following the successful display of Banners Against Poverty in over 30 countries as part of STAND UP and SPEAK OUT we now have the opportunity to join segments of national banners from around the world for the creation of a Global Banner Against Poverty. More

See the Photo Gallery


International Women’s Tribunals on Poverty

An initiative from the GCAP Feminist Task Force. With 70% of the world’s poor being women, the Tribunals serve to inform and present testimony on the conditions of women worldwide. More...


Delegations to Political Decision Makers

National coalitions have nominated small delegations to visit their heads of state or other political leaders on 17 October. These delegations spoke out and were supported through the media and by the people. More...



October 17th - the Background

 

October 17th, 2007 is the 20th Anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On that day in 1987, people around the world came together to commemorate the signing of the International Declaration of Human Rights and to affirm that extreme poverty is one of the world violations of these rights.

GCAP participated to the United Nations / ATD 4th World event at the United Nations Secretariat in New York. The General Secretary Ban Ki Moon opened the event and the first part of it was the Stand Up and Speak Out. The General Secretary gave the first speech and Tommy Paige gave a testimony in the name of families living in extreme poverty. This was followed by message from the permanent representatives of France and Burkina Faso to the United Nations. The programme continued with several testimonies, a music performance, the handing in of prices to the children who won the "International Children's Art Competition" that this year had as a theme the overcoming of poverty. GCAP was represented by Ana Agostino, co-chair of the International Facilitation Team. Read her speech. See the Photo gallery from the event.

Read ATD 4th World plans and background of October 17, as well as the brief report of the day. Know more on Oct17.org


White Bands

We once again mobilised people around the symbol of the White Band. Coalitions are encouraged to produce white bands for people to wear on October 17 and to use this symbol in innovative ways on websites and buildings, with ambassadors and celebrities, and during rallies and stunts.

 
 
 

For more information contact:

Sarah Gregory
GCAP Mobilisation/Outreach Coordinator
sarah.gregory@civicus.org

Ben Margolis
Co-chair GCAP Mobilisation Task Force
BMargolis@oxfam.org.uk