Bread for the World Stands Up to End Poverty

“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected.”—Millennium Declaration

Last weekend, millions of people around the world literally stood up as a demonstration of their commitment to end hunger and poverty. The global event, “Stand Up and Take Action,” came just as world leaders began gathering in New York for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Review Summit, where our own staff members did some live-blogging from the Digital Media Lounge. This year’s fifth annual “Stand Up” event asked people around the world to “stand up, take action, and make noise.” By standing up, concerned citizens sent our world leaders an important (and loud) message: We must keep our promise to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

“Stand Up and Take Action 2010” included a whopping 1,328 Stand Up events in 74 countries, and we at Bread for the World headquarters in Washington, DC, wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Bread staff gathered at noon last Friday to collectively stand up and read the 2010 pledge, which was specially adapted this year to reference the MDG Summit. You can find the complete pledge on the Stand against Poverty website.

Of course, there are lots of ways you can stand up against hunger and poverty, and you don’t need a specific day of the year to do it. Click here to learn more about how you can get involved with Bread for the World. As the 2010 Stand Up pledge reads, “The call to our leaders is simple: End poverty and inequality now!”

Take a look at some of the Stand Up events around the world.