Ei-iE

Education International is once again joining with the Global Call to Action against Poverty and the United Nations Millennium Campaign in supporting the annual Stand Up and Take Action against Poverty campaign.

Last year, another world record was set in response to organising by the GCAP and the UNMC, nearly 2% of the world’s population joined in – an amazing 116.9 million people in 131 countries!

In a number of countries this annual mobilisation is followed by persistent broad civil society advocacy which has lead to increased spending on education and health in countries like India and Pakistan, and to some improved social security legislation, for instance in South Africa, Palestine and Russia.

This year the Stand Up events can take place on 16, 17 and/or 18 October, and they can be registered again with the UNMC to be verified by the Guinness Book of Records.

EI is encouraging teachers to join in this year with their schools and trade unions to help increase the pressure on world leaders who have reacted to the financial crisis by spending trillions of dollars bailing out the banks and corporations: far more than they made available for the food crisis, and several times more than was spent on development aid over the last 50 years!

The crisis is already leading to cutbacks on public spending, but at least we know that the money needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals is available. It is the political will that is lacking. Mobilisation is the answer. Millions of people who are not responsible for the crisis, which is particularly affecting women and their young and aged dependents, are bearing the brunt of it nevertheless.

This year the Stand Up mobilisation also counts for the “Tck Tck Tck” Campaign for Climate Justice, which is being organised by Kofi Annan and the Global Campaign for Climate Action to ensure that a strong climate agreement is achieved in Copenhagen in December.

For what your organisation can do, please visit the GCAP website www.whitebandaction.org.