GCAP eletter 12

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THE GCAP E-LETTER 2007

October 8^th 2007 - Edition #12

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The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing alliance of trade unions, community groups, faith groups, women and youth organisations, NGOs and other campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms. GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality.
The white band is our symbol and expression of solidarity against poverty.

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Dear Friends,

Please read down to the bottom for important information.

With just 8 days left until Whiteband Day, I write to you from Asia where I have just been attending the regional GCAP Asia meeting. Colleagues from across the region gathered to develop their media skills, outline their plans for October 17 and discuss their future participation in GCAP.  At the same time, a GCAP Africa face-to-face meeting happened in Lusaka in Zambia and was attended by two other Support Team colleagues, Sarah and Joe.

I was excited to hear of preparations in many Asian countries and spend extra time with the GCAP coalitions in Nepal and Bangladesh. These countries have formed strong coalitions and are mobilizing different shades of civil society including rural women, workers, peasants, children, youth, tribal and indigenous people that will be speaking in one voice on October 17^th. They are also trying to engage with governments and political leadership by sending delegations with clear demands. I am also happy that most of these coalitions have evolved clear policy agenda through local consultations. Everyone is clearly working hard to both mobilise numbers and ensure their policy demands are expressed in media materials. Many coalitions will be organizing unique activities like human chains, banner marches, poverty mellas, cultural events and music concerts and parliament delegations.

GCAP has also finalized its action plan for IFIs meetings starting October 19^th in Washington. A policy document and peoples’ petition are ready and will be available on GCAP website. Our three Co-chairs have now confirmed their presence at the meetings as spokespersons for the campaign so we hope to offer the media and the politicians a number of opportunities to hear our call for reform.

I would like to remind everyone that there are tremendous mobilisation tools available this year so please do access them online at standagainstpoverty.org and whiteband.org so you can brand your event in an eye catching way and add political punch to your messaging.  We also have a note on how to use online social networks to spread the word. There is more information below as well as links to the useful media toolkit and press release issued the past week.

This week we also await the verdict in the trials of our GCAP Ethiopia colleagues Daniel and Netsanet.  We are following this closely and together with Action Aid and CIVICUS will release a reaction statement as soon as a verdict is handed down.  I know you join me in wishing our friends a safe and rapid release from prison.

Finally, I remind colleagues that our great friend and GCAP supporter, Katsuji Imata has now officially left the Support Team and is going to work with CIVICUS in Johannesburg for the coming months.  We have all valued his enormous contribution – not least of all his work on the DIFD funding proposal and Future Structure documents which have now been completed and circulated. The latter will be discussed after all feedback has been received with a view to making a decision by the end of the year.

Kindest regards,

Irfan Mufti, GCAP Campaign Manager

MOBILISATION Update

Reminder on registration and counting rules for Guinness
To ensure your Stand Up and Speak Out action is counted towards the Guinness World record challenge, please register it now if you have not already on standagainstpovetry.org All event organisers should also download and read the  counting note which has been sent around, you can also find it on-line.

After registration you simply count the number of people who take part in your event on the day (between 9pm GMT on the 16th and 9pm GMT on the 17^th) and then go back on-line as soon as possible after the event - before 6am GMT on the 18th -to record the number next to your event.  Use the login you are allocated when you registered.

Wherever possible, upload a photo proving the event took place.  The outcome of the Guinness challenge will be announced on the 18th at 13.00GMT.

For events taking place where internet is not readily accessible we are asking a counting coordinator to be allocated in each country to coordinate with event organisers and log the events on their behalf. For more information please contact Sarah at the support team, sarah.gregory@civicus.org

What’s the point?  Firstly registering your event means we can communicate all that is happening around the world to the media.  Secondly, it means your efforts will be part of a figure that will help us all in our global advocacy efforts in 2007 and 2008.  The more we can verify the strength of our global movement the stronger our case against governments.

We will send a new document this week to everyone on how to upload your photos of events immediately after your event.

Follow up?
We will have access to all the registered data as well as the UNMC after the event so GCAP coalitions will be able to follow up with anyone who took part in your country.  What we do with the pictures, testimonials, videos and coverage AFTER October 17 is as important as the day itself, so don't forget to look forward to the year ahead and how we will capitalise on any momentum made now.

October 17 Materials
Please remember to use the materials – logos, brochures, flyers, postcards etc. we have made for the day of action, they can be downloaded and printed locally by just sending the appropriate link for our website to your printer.

standagainstpoverty.org/en/materials and

whiteband.org/Action/materials/stand-up-2007/stand-up-and-speak-out-2007-materials

Video Clip:
The Stand Up and Speak Out video clip featuring a school in Soweto is being used by national coalitions and partner organizations in the build-up to October 16^th/ 17th. You can also watch the video online at YouTube.

To use it you can request a copy via mail or download it online at whiteband.org or standagainstpoverty.org. There are also a number of other video clips available on the site.

Delegations to Political Decision Makers
Civil society will send a strong message directly to politicians in more than 25 countries in the build up to and on October 17th with clear national political demands, as well as a call for action from governments at the IFI meetings.  It is not too late to organise a delegation to lobby a senior minister in your country - and it is important our message is heard by as many representatives as possible.  For support in organising a delegation, please contact Androulla Kyrillou or see the handbook developed by the support team.

Banners against Poverty:
There are now an amazing 30 national Banners project members.  Pakistan has created more than 10 km of banners with more than 1 million signatures, Palestine will incorporate banners into their 1 million children and youth Stand Up and Speak Out event and in Switzerland large ‘white band’ banners in cities across the country will be showcased.  Do make sure you get good photographs of your banners and send them via e-mail to the IFT Support team as soon as you can so they will be circulated to media and put on whiteband.org

Children and Youth Task Force Update – Using social networking sites to support the campaign against poverty

The CYTF is rapidly preparing for Stand Up and Speak Out.  To ensure children and youth participation the CYTF has contributed to an E-campaigning strategy targeted at people who use social networking websites.  The attached document outlines how YOU and your NETWORKS can utilize social networking sites over the next 8 days.

For more information contact Joe Cressy from the Support Team.

Annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Foundation

We welcome the recent news from Bangladesh that civil society has successfully mobilised to prevent the transitional government from adopting a policy Support Instrument proposed by the IMF which would have handed control of the countries fiscal policies to this massive institution.  From October 20-22, GCAP will mobilise in Washington at the annual meetings of these two international financial institutions calling on them to hear our demands for greater transparency, an end to conditionality, greater accountability, good governance and action on climate change.

GCAP spokespeople at the meetings will include: Kumi Naidoo (secretary General of CIVICUS), Ana Agostino (International Council for Adult Education) and Sylvia Borren (Director of Oxfam Novib) - all 3 co-chairs of the IFT.  For more information on planned activities at the Bank go to ifis-annual-meetings-actions or contact Ben Margolis at bmargolis@oxfam.org.uk

Media and Communications

GCAP issued its second joint global press release with the UNMC about the October 17^th mobilisation to media contacts last week.  Please download it from the website or copy it from the text pasted below.

Please send copies of your national release to Henri Valot for publication on the Whiteband.org website.  That way more journalists around the world can read your news and political demands and we can refer to them in interviews.

If you need media advice or support, whether making materials or pitching stories to specific journalists, please don't hesitate to contact our media coordinator Ciara O’Sullivan, she is ready to help at any moment ciara_os@hotmail.com or ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

Case studies
The project to gather information about individuals taking part in mobilisations around the world has been a success but we need more.  Please download the case study template in your language from the link below and use it to complete the story of one of your mobilisers who is making a difference on the ground and has an interesting personal story to tell.  We need these NOW + photos of the person profiled.  We will use these in many ways to publicise the GCAP day of action. http://www.whiteband.org/Action/gcap-2007-mobilisation-tools/

Blogs from you to us ……….to the world
If you would like to send a blog from your country on the day of your mobilisation, it’s so easy: just write a personal account of what you see and how you feel and e-mail to us together with a small picture of yourself and the action. Stories can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic.

A blog doesn't need to be long or complex but it should feel personal. 200 words are fine. Some tips below:

• Think about your audience and what you want your story to tell. What will your audience find interesting?  How will your story help communicate what GCAP is trying to achieve?
• Keep it brief!  Ideally a blog post should be able to be read in three to five minutes.  As a general rule, a few brief posts are better than one long one, depending on the subject matter.
• Events: Paint a picture of the scene to show others what the event is like include location & date. Try to give a sense of events unfolding.  What has been positive or negative?  Low and high points?  Outcomes?
• Describe the persons who are taking part and include their quotes.

For more information contact Henri Valot henri.valot@civicus.org or Ciara O’Sullivan on ciara_os@hotmail.com or ciara.osullivan@civicus.org

Photos and Videos
If you take photos or video recordings of your events don’t forget to send them to us as soon as possible so we can offer them to the media. 

Our friends from UBUNTU created a site for all GCAP videos on October 17. It is very easy to upload your videos there. Check it out and use it at: cs-tv.tv/wbd

An expanding galaxy of GCAP sites
Since 2005, GCAP has strengthened its online capacities. The whiteband.org brings together the dozens of global, regional and national GCAP websites. Check them out! There will always be a website close to you!

Some useful links

• Subscribe to the newsletter, Join as a partner organisation or Post an event
• Download internal letters and GCAP reports and documents, GCAP materials and logos
• Learn GCAP news and Releases, read the whiteband.org mission statement and surf on GCAP sites
• Use the mobilisation guide 2007
• Use the campaign tools and the MDG campaigning toolkit
• Learn on accountability, aid, debt, and trade
• See the Photo Gallery

The GCAP IFT Support Team

Irfan Mufti, Campaign Manager 
Ciara O’Sullivan, Media and Communication Coordinator (E-letter editor)
Sarah Gregory, Outreach and Mobilization Coordinator  
Henri Valot, Web and New Media Coordinator 
Joe Cressy, Mobilisation Officer  
Caitlin Blaser, Campaign Officer
Tebogo Sililo, Support Team Volunteer

GCAP IFT support team
C/O CIVICUS
PO Box 933, Southdale 2135
Johannesburg – South-Africa
Email: info@whiteband.org
Tel: + 27 11 833 59 59    Fax: + 27 11 833 97 79

TWO WEEKS TO GO

WORLD PREPARES FOR HISTORIC ANTI-POVERTY MOBILISATION

October 16^th/17^th, 2007

02-10-07:  With just two weeks to go before International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the biggest ever mobilization against poverty and inequality and in support of the Millennium Development Goals, is geared to take place in almost 90 countries (highlights below).  Stand Up and Speak Out is a day when the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) alliance and UN Millennium Campaign call on millions to show courage and demand a more urgent political response to the growing crisis of global poverty.

For 24 hours from 9pm GMT on the 16^th of October people around the world from all walks of life will gather in public spaces, schools, places of work or worship, at sports and cultural events and at landmarks to demonstrate their frustration that we still live in a world where 50,000 people die daily from preventable causes. It will also offer a voice for global civil society seeking more involvement in the current aid architecture debate, debt cancellation processes, trade negotiations and public accountability monitoring. 

Last year on this day 23.5 million people stood up to demand an end to poverty and set a Guinness World Record in the process. This year the goal is to widen the call to action so that we send an even louder message which politicians cannot ignore. The result of the Guinness record attempt will be announced globally on the 18^th of October.

"The staggering range of events show more than just creativity but that there is a new energy and compulsion to speak out against the greatest injustice of our time – the disgrace that is preventable death from poverty.  The gap between rich and poor, unequal distribution of resources and sheer lack of urgency our leaders show in responding to this with real action, is driving this year’s mobilization to new heights.  People want trade injustices tackled head on now, debts cancelled immediately and aid to be far more effective than it is at present in poor countries –places where the people are preparing to hold their own leaders accountable for how this money is spent.” said Kumi Naidoo, Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty in South Africa this week.

In 2000, world leaders made a commitment to do everything in their power to end poverty, by agreeing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  This year marks the halfway point to this deadline and still almost a billion people living on less than a dollar a day. 

Salil Shetty, Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign said “As we cross the mid-point to the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, it is clear that urgent action in many countries is needed now more than ever. By standing up last year millions around the world demonstrated their frustration with the lack of real progress in poverty eradication. This year, millions more are joining this growing global movement of people who refuse to stay silent in the face of poverty or broken promises to end it".

Virtual Stand Up - As well as the vast range of events, millions of people will join the campaign in cyberspace posting October 17th blogs, wikis, videos and pictures on the standagainstpoverty.org website and other online communities such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and MyGamma.  In Africa, mobile phone technology has enabled groups to pre-register their activities online using WAP phones and viewing videos of Stand Ups in other countries on services like You Tube.

Event highlights – Thousands of events are happening for 24 hours from 16^th October including:

• In India the NGO NACDOR is planning a march of 20,000 Dalits. They will all Stand Up and Speak out on issues focusing on land rights and the achievement of MDGs for Dalits in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Across Africa thousands of events are planned.  In Kenya, the Ministry of Education has given permission to mobilise 25,000 schools and the Kenyan Commissioner of Prisons will host Stand up and Speak out moments in the prison service across the country (93 prisons holding approximately 60,000 prisoners), attending an event himself at the country’s biggest remand prison, holding 3,000 inmates. This is also the first male prison in Kenya to be headed by a woman. Elsewhere on Lamu Island a human chain will be formed from Lamu to Shela Island, after the finals of an anti-poverty football match.
• Leaving from Japan the floating community on Peace Boat’s 59th voyage will once again gather again on the top deck to call for an end to poverty.
• In Ramallah, a choir from the University will speak out through music and perform a new musical work “The Poverty Requiem” as one of a unique global chain of 20 performances taking place on every continent.  Elsewhere in Palestine, one million Palestinian children throughout the Occupied West Bank and Gaza speak out raising banners, releasing white balloons and shouting slogans to say no to poverty.  The children’s activities have been organized jointly with the Palestinian Ministry of Education and are taking place for the first time in both public and private schools, as well as UNWRA schools in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• In Afghanistan campaigners will take to the streets with government ministry staff, private sector representatives and others in Kabul, Harat and Mazar e Sharif to demand greater public accountability, transparency in how foreign aid is spent and tackle corruption in how contracts are awarded.
• In Bangladesh, despite the serious flooding earlier this year, civil society groups are mobilizing to demand more and better aid is spent on direct services and employment-generating projects.  The Dhaka City Corporation will hold a rally in front of the Nagar Bhaban on the 17^th led by the Mayor and later a People’s Concert for youth is expected to draw at least 20,000 people. Outside the capital 40,000 women’s groups and children from 35,000 learning centers are all going to stand up and speak out against poverty and inequality.
• Somalia is one of 25 countries where delegations of civil society representatives will present policy demands to the Head of the Transitional Federal Government pushing for changes in world trade in favour of their agro-pastoral economy.
• Across Europe, in Germany, the Euro 2008 Qualifier football game against Czech Republic will see fans start the match with a massive stand up and speak out moment. In The Hague, the national anti poverty campaign will display 200 uniquely created life-size ‘Avatars’ representing members of the public from across the Netherlands, whilst in London, trade union representatives, students and the UN Deputy Secretary General will use the white band symbol of the global anti-poverty campaign to call for renewed commitments from rich countries.
• Pakistani campaigners have arranged an unprecedented Stand Up and Speak Out event to unfurl a 10km–long banner along the main canal in Lahore, ending with a political rally at the door of Parliament.  This is one of 25 countries across the world using giant banners to form a white band, the symbol of the global anti-poverty movement.
• Youth Stand Up and Speak Out - The world’s largest youth organizations, including the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the International YMCA, AIESEC, IMCS and the Global Youth Action Network support the action. In Rwanda youth groups are organizing a Stand Up soccer tournament with 20 primary schools. A youth network in Ghana has appointed Stand Up ambassadors to lead events all over the country, including an MDG youth declaration and in Bangladesh, an umbrella organization of youth movements will mobilize 10,000 young people to block a busy crossroads with a human chain.
• Faith leaders Stand Up and Speak Out - His holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will mobilize 40,000 people at his ashram in Bangalore and millions more across the globe to raise their voices through the Art of Living Foundation that aims to relieve disease and violence at a societal level. In India and worldwide, renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev, has also agreed to encourage millions to participate in the action. Micah Challenge, the global Christian campaign aims to engage support for impoverished and marginalized communities and will also be taking part.  In the US, Canada and Europe Episcopal and Lutheran churches have made the MDGs their top social justice priority and have appointed an MDG-focused organizer in every diocese.
• Women and Poverty highlighted –women make up the majority of the world’s poor (70%) due to unequal access to resources and opportunities, discriminatory land and inheritance laws and unequal distribution of household resources. World Food Programme reports that 7 out of 10 of the world’s hungry are women and girls. On October 17, women will join the Stand Up and Speak Out Campaign to call on world leaders to empower the women that power the global economy.  International Women's Tribunals on Poverty will be held in New York, Malta, Cairo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lima, and India highlighting the feminization of poverty highlighting racism, violence against women and discrimination among other factors leading to women’s poverty. UNIFEM the women’s fund at the United Nations and the Women’s Funding Network will also join together to launch a digital Stand Up moment online for their networks.

Spokespersons - GCAP and the UN Millennium Campaign are offering people all over the world for interview plus spokespersons for the alliance including:

GCAP:

• Kumi Naidoo, Co-Chair GCAP & Sec. Gen of Civicus (Global/South Africa)
• Ana Agostino, Co-Chair of GCAP, Member of GCAP’s Feminist Taskforce (Global/Latin America & Caribbean)
• Sylvia Borren, Co-chair GCAP & Director Oxfam Novib & Lyricist Poverty Requiem (Global/Netherlands)
• Lysa John, Wada na Todo, GCAP member (Asia/India)
• Hamdi Al-Khawaji, The Democracy and Workers Rights Center in Palestine & GCAP member (Middle East)
• Alison Woodhead, GCAP IFT member & Campaign Manager, Oxfam International (Europe/UK)
• Christophe Zoungrana, GCAP Africa Coordinator & ANCEFA (Africa/Sénégal)

Millennium Campaign:

• Eveline Herfkens, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Millennium Campaign  (US)
• Salil Shetty Global, Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign (US/UK/Ghana)
• Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, Africa Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign (Kenya/Nigeria)
• Minar Pimple, Asia Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign (India/South Asia)
• Marina Ponti, Europe Director, United Nations Millennium Campaign (US/Italy/UK)
• Juan Miguel Diez, Officer in Charge, United Nations Information Centre (Mexico)

There is still time to plan a Stand Up & Speak Out moment or join an existing one.  To register online or see what existing events are planned in your country, go to www.standagainstpoverty.org

For more information contact:

Ciara O’Sullivan, GCAP Media Coordinator, ciara_os@hotmail.com Tel: +34 679 594 809 GCAP

www.whiteband.org

Mandy Kibel, Deputy Director, Head of Communications, United Nations Millennium Campaign

mandy.kibel@undp.org Tel: +1 212 906 6242  

Anand Kantaria, Global Media Coordinator, United Nations Millennium Campaign

Anand.kantaria@undp.org Tel: +44 7908 230 165      www.endpoverty2015.org

Notes to Editors:

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) is a 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.

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  The Millennium Development Goals were adopted by 189 world leaders from the north and south, as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to achieve the Goals by 2015. Our premise is simple, we are the first generation that can end poverty and we refuse to miss this opportunity.