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UNE stands up against poverty

October 18, 2006

Stand Up Against Poverty organisersMore than 150 people stood up against poverty at the University of New England on Monday as part of an international effort to set a new world record for the highest number of people standing up for a single cause.

The event at UNE was part of an international event called Stand Up Against Poverty, an initiative of the United Nations' Millenium Campaign, which seeks to “inform, inspire and encourage people’s involvement and action for the realization of the United Nations' Millenium Development Goals and support citizens’ efforts to hold their government to account for the Millennium promise”.

According to the Stand Up Against Poverty website, 23,542,614 people in 11,646 locations stood up over 24 hours on October 15 and 16 to set a new Guinness World Record.

UNE Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Pettigrew, who launched the event at UNE, said Australia needed to “participate strongly” in the fight to eradicate poverty.

“We need to stand up and show our face in Australia as part of that,” he said.

Uniting Church Chaplain Reverand Judy Redman, who helped organise the event at UNE, called on the leaders of wealthy nations to honour their commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and on the leaders of impoverished nations to “make it your first priority to save your poorest citizens”.

“We wish to set a record today to break the record of broken promises and ignoring poverty,” she said. “We call on Australian leaders to help make poverty history. No more excuses. We will not stand for them.”

In addition to helping set a new world record, organisers used the day to launch a project to raise funds to build a school in Bhutan – raising $215 towards that cause – and collect signatures for a petition asking the Australian Government to act on the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Student Poverty.

For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771. A photo is available to accompany this story.

Posted by Leon Braun at October 18, 2006 03:51 PM