Stand Up and Take Action

On 17-19 September 2010, millions of people will Stand Up and Take Action to demand that world leaders boost progress against poverty at the Millennium Development Goals Review Summit the following week.

In 2000, world leaders agreed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - a pledge to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Now with only 5 years to go, there is a real need to speed things up, if we are to reach the goals that were decided on back then.

The UN estimates that last year, some 55-90 million more people lived in extreme poverty than had been projected before the economic and financial crisis. From 20-22 September 2010, world leaders will meet again to assess progress towards the targets that they set.

September 17th -19th, 2010 worldwide, we will see three days of mobilization enabling anyone wanting to be a part of the mobilization to organize and participate in a wide range of events to show their support for the achievement of the MDGs and have their voices heard articulating their demands for delegations attending the Summit.  People will join rallies, sign petitions, attend public meetings and participate in special events. We encourage you to take part!

Find events or register your own event here.

In particular on 18 September people will “Make a Noise for the MDGs” - resulting in a worldwide cacophony making us vocal and impossible to ignore.
Find out more about Stand Up and Make a Noise

There will also be an opportunity take part in the Stand Up Screenings Series - a film festival with a difference that allows community groups any where in the world to put on films about the MDGs and be part of it .
Find out more about the Stand Up Screening Series 

Can we reach the MDGs?

Well, this is what The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thinks about that:

“In the decade since the Millennium Development Goals were first agreed, we have learned a great deal about what works, and where we need to focus our efforts. Evidence shows that the Goals can be achieved, even in the poorest countries, when good policies and projects are backed by adequate resources. We can and must do more, especially given the growing impact of climate change, increasing global hunger, and continuing fallout from the economic and financial crisis.My message is simple: The MDGs are too big to fail. We are ready to act, ready to deliver, and ready to make 2010 a year of results for people.”