The Just1 2009 StandUps Against Poverty and for the UN Millennium Development Goals

"Each and every person taking part in the
50 Days of Global Action Against Poverty reaffirms my belief
that individuals can come together to make a difference....
I wish you every success in your efforts
for this October's StandUp."

A Huge Hug for all, in the PM's letter down this page

"It is extremely important that we raise public awareness
about the challenges faced by developing countries,
so I welcome your efforts in this area. 
I wish you every success with your plans to get
others involved in StandUp Against Poverty 2009."
Huge Hug in letter from Douglas Alexander,
Secretary of State for International Development Jun 2009

Views from 2008

With less than 4 months to go to 16-18 October, the countdown is well under way.

Before Easter, activity started in earnest with personalised letters sent to all diocesan bishops - Catholic and Anglican - in the four home countries. There's been a warm reply from many - allowing that they need to get a collective opinion before opting to declare theirs a StandUp Diocese.

So far four have asked to be counted in: Portsmouth RC, Hexham & Newcastle RC, Hallam RC, and Blackburn CofE.  Many thanks to their bishops for taking the lead.

Together they bring the StandUp Schools current total up to about 500, suggesting around 130,000+ pupils and staff. In addition, I'm guessing an equivalent number of people in parishes and churches.  So it looks like a quarter of a million already.

Letters have gone off to senior government ministers telling them what's on.  And members of parliament have started to take up the idea of visiting a local school on Friday 16th October - to share the Promises to the Poor with some good citizens of tomorrow (allowing that some MPs won't see the irony in this...)

Work has also started on informing all sorts of media. Special interest groups such as SACREs and head of education teams are next in line - and NASACRE have kindly posted details on their website.

And a special activity called Huge Hugs is also happening.  With this, I'm asking people for a short Well Done and Thanks message to pass on to everyone taking part in StandUps - and also to everyone in international and local NGOs and other humanitarian organisations, by way of appreciation for all their work.

Here's one for a start.

From the Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
dated 15 May 2009

Dear Mr Gibbons

It was indeed heart-warming to hear of your successes last year, and I wish you all the best with your present campaign.  I greatly value the input of faith groups, charitable organisations, NGOs and private individuals in the global struggle against poverty, and note with interest your suggestion that The Commons declare itself a 'StandUp House'.

The role of the individual in driving positive change is a crucial one: each and every person taking part in the 50 Days of Global Action Against Poverty reaffirms my belief that individuals can come together to make a difference.

This time of financial crisis is no time to walk away from our commitment to the world's poorest. I am pleased to say that a number of positive developments were achieved at the recent London Summit: the participant countries reaffirmed their commitment to support the very poorest countries and honour existing pledges of aid and assistance.  The Summit has placed development and the poorest countries at the heart of international efforts to restore global growth and jobs.

I am personally committed to the eradication of global poverty and supporting development in the poorest countries. It is therefore very encouraging to hear of proactive and positive community action in support of these same goals. I wish you every success in your efforts for this October's StandUp.

Gordon Brown

I am pleased to encourage schools to take part in the Stand Up campaign as it offers a StandUp offers a simple but powerful way of showing solidarity with a cause with which young people have a great affinity.  And it offers another opportunity to engage our students in the ongoing discussion about important issues of justice for the poor and marginalized.
Diocesan Director of Schools

We will have 450 standing up in assembly but we have turned the pledges into bidding prayers. 
School Chaplain

I estimate that we will have a total of 900 people standing.
Principal of College

Yes! We would like to stand up against poverty and inequality. We will do so at a special assembly, consisting of 195 children, 15 staff and about 25 parents. Thank you.  Head Teacher
 

We're all set for next Friday! At our whole school assembly there will be approximately 25 adults and 434 children standing up against poverty. Our Key Stage 2 children and the adults will be reading the pledges, and our Key Stage 1 children will have been fully briefed about what they will be standing up for! (Our Reception children and maybe our Year 1s will be holding cards they will have made, with a photo from the Internet of someone who is living in poverty, and will then take the card home so that they can pray specifically for that person).
RE Co-ordinator

We are a small primary school 67 on roll. Friday 17th is our Harvest Festival. We will include the Stand Up during our Harvest. Estimate 100 with parents/parishioners etc.
Head Teacher

450 will be standing up in class. 
Head of Social and Ethical Studies

Just to confirm that 198 boys and 12 staff members took part in the Stand Up Against Poverty appeal today. We will be taking a collection next week as well. It was definitely worth doing and has helped to raise awareness among us all of the plight of poor people around the world. Many thanks for co-ordinating such a mammoth project. I hope it has gone as well elsewhere as it did here!
Head Teacher