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GCAP launches 50 days of action in Accra
“This is the time to take a stand for what we want to change,” says Mary Robinson
2008-09-01Members of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and partners today launched a period of intense campaigning against poverty and inequality during the closing day of the Civil Society Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana. From September 1st to October 20th, millions of campaigners around the world will join GCAP to campaign around some key political and mass mobilisation opportunities.
Present in Accra at the
launch were Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and a member of The
Elders, alongside GCAP Co-Chairs Kumi Naidoo and Adelaide Sosseh and members of
the GCAP alliance from every continent.
“There is a period of unique opportunity in the 50 days ahead when people can show they won’t accept the suffering of human poverty any longer. There are ways for every man, woman and child in the world to take action, however small and local, so that leaders fulfill the Millennium Development Goals, adhere to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and stretch their efforts to narrow the staggering inequality that exists in our world today,” said Adelaide Sosseh, GCAP Co-Chair, the Gambia.
50 days of action on poverty
2-4 September Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, Accra, Ghana
25 September UN High level conference on MDGs (alongside UN General Assembly)
7 October World Day for Decent Work
13-19 October Global Week of Action on Debt
11-13 October Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF
15 October Rural Women’s Day
16 October World Food Day
17 October International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
17-19 October Stand Up and Take Action against Poverty and Inequality
19 October Micah Sunday
All October Freedom From Poverty, Every Human Has Rights Campaign
Actions will range from concerts to seminars to football matches to rallies and be supported by online campaigning like signing the Universal Declaration pledge or adding your name to a new initiative called In My Name .
The culmination of the
50 Days is the mass annual mobilisation, Stand
Up. For the third year running, millions will be Standing Up and Taking Action over the weekend of
October 17th to be counted towards a Guinness World record. In 2007 43.7 million people took part, making
a noise that leaders could not ignore.
For more information or to book an interview, contact Begay Downes Thomas in Accra - cel + 233 240247331 or Ben Margolis, GCAP Mobilisation and Outreach officer at benmargolis@whiteband.org
Notes to Editors: The Global
Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is the world’s largest civil society
alliance of social movements, International NGOs, trade unions, community
groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and
campaigners working together across more than 100 national
coalitions/platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s
leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular,
GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of; public accountability, just
governance and the fulfillment of human rights; trade justice; more and better
aid; debt cancellation and gender equality and women’s rights.
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