FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Millions to Stand Up and Speak out against poverty and inequality on 16, 17 October 2007

The South African Global Call to Action Campaign, led by the South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), and working with faith based and other organisations, will once again be hosting activities to coincide with the anti-poverty Month of Action. These events take place during the month of October and culminate on October 17 – the UN recognised international day for the eradication of poverty.

The South African Global Call to Action Campaign, led by the South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), and working with faith based and other organisations, will once again be hosting activities to coincide with the anti-poverty Month of Action. These events take place during the month of October and culminate on October 17 – the UN recognised international day for the eradication of poverty.
Bishop Paul Verryn, patron of the SA campaign and from the Central Methodist Mission, said that "God will be angry with us if we do not deal with the rampant poverty and inequality. This is the urgent task of our revolution."
Acting Executive Director of SANGOCO and the secretariat head of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty South Africa, Hassen Lorgat , says: "We are undertaking a number of activities during this anti-poverty month. Once again, we, civil society, will break the Guinness World Record on 16 and 17 October 2007, uniting, standing up and speaking out against poverty, inequality and marginalisation. SANGOCO will join millions worldwide to demand that world leaders commit themselves to their promises to end poverty and to achieve the MDGs.

Similar events are being organised by The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) and the UN Millennium Campaign (UNMC) worldwide to put pressure on multilateral institutions and leaders in both rich and poor countries to honour and exceed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Last year, over 23 million people around the world took part in the Stand Up initiative against poverty and in support of the MDGs. By doing so, they set the first ever Guinness World record for the largest number of people ever to Stand Up against poverty. This was also a record for the most people ever mobilised around any single issue. Their actions sent a clear message to governments that there is a growing global movement of people no longer prepared to stay seated or silent in the face of poverty and broken promises.
SANGOCO believes that at the current pace, progress towards the MDGs is appallingly off track and all governments must step up their efforts to reach these goals by 2015. SANGOCO has compiled and written an assessment report which evaluates whether South Africa and Africa are on track in meeting the MDGs. This will be released to the public on 17 October, including on the website: www.sangoco.org.za
To create awareness and encourage organisations around poverty and inequality initiatives nationally, a number of activities have been planned which are indicated below. The highlights of the SA campaign include athletes organising events labeled variously as Aerobics / Dancers / Martial Artists Against Poverty. Hip Hop Against Poverty, featuring Phuzekemisi in concert, Joubert Park , Johannesburg , on 17th Oct will be a great attraction.

These various codes of the arts have challenged others in South Africa and internationally to join or organise their own events. Close to 300 schools in the Gauteng area have indicated their willingness to participate in the Stand Up.

Also on the 17th October, we will convene "speak out on refugee rights," an assembly of over 18 refugee communities. According to Emmanuel Ngenzi from the Refugee Ministries, the event seeks to highlight the plight of the African refugees, who are the most marginalised sector in our society and who suffer death through poverty and violent xenophobic attacks.

Getting cities and their mayors and managers to take up the Millennium Cities Campaign is essential to bring the MDGs home. Details of these programmes will be sent out in subsequent media releases which will be placed on our website.

GCAP-SA will also be organising activities to promote activism and advocacy around the proposed reform of the UN and other multilateral institutions.

Issued by
SA GCAP
Hassen Lorgat
27 11 403 7746
27 (0)82 411 2946
Secretariat – SANGOCO
Campaign partner organisations include: SANGOCO, Methodist Church (Central Methodist Mission); Action Aid South Africa, Refugee Ministries, Coordinating Body of Refugee Communities, UN Millennium Campaign.

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The Global Call for Action against Poverty can take its place as a public movement alongside the movement to abolish slavery and the international solidarity against apartheid…. as long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.
- Nelson Mandela
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