The deadline for submitting your Letter of Interest and Plan is approaching: only six days are left!

The deadline for submitting your Letter of Interest and Plan is approaching: only six days are left!

Adopted by UN member states in 2001, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aim to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS and malaria, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development.

Ten years down the line, we still have much to do if the 2015 target of achieving the MDG is to be met. Whilst significant progress has been made in some areas, just over 3 billion people (about half the world's population) currently live on less than US$2.50 a day (Population Reference Bureau).

Many citizens across the world are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the slow progress being made towards achieving the MDGs and are taking action by petitioning and talking to their elected representatives. In 2009 more than 173 million people gather at "Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!" events, setting a new world record for the largest mobilization of this kind.

This year, the United Nations will be holding the Millennium Development Goal Review Summit from 17th to 19th September. Governments and world leaders will be invited to discuss progress on the MDGs to date and the way forward. Coinciding with the Review Summit is the 2010 UN Millennium Campaign's Stand Up event. This provides a platform for activists to demand accountability whilst urging stakeholders such as heads of governments and developed countries to uphold and increase their commitments to the MDGs.

At YPWC, we're supporting the demand for more progress to made in meeting the MDGs. There are two ways you can get involved:

1. Become a Youth MDG Advocate

Advocates will play a vital role during the upcoming Stand Up and Take Action event. Applicants should be between 10 and 35 years old and be ready to plan and hold Stand Up events in their local community. Events such as these are a great way to rally young people and other stakeholders to support development at both a local and international development. They can be anything from a radio discussion, an organized Stand Up, clean-up exercise, film screening, panel discussion or public display.

This opportunity is voluntary and unpaid, however Advocates will be supported by YPWC with training and materials on the MDGs and STAND UP to help them organize STAND UP and MDGs focused events that will go towards achieving the MDGs.

To apply, send a letter of interest and a proposal plan (just complete the easy-to-fill form here: http://www.ypwc.org/images/docs/youth_mdgs_advocate_plan_final.doc ) for a community event to: standup@ypwc.org with the subject “Letter of Interest: Youth MDGs Advocates” by 7th September 2010.

2. Participate in a Stand Up event or register your own

If becoming a Youth MDG Advocate isn't for you, then you can also plan or join an existing event to help raise awareness on behalf of the 3 billion people that live on less than US $2.50 a day. A Stand Up, Take Action moment is when everyone at the event is asked to kneel or be seated, and then stand up in unison to both physically and metaphorically 'stand up' against poverty. These events will also help participant’s petition governments to deliver on commitments towards the MDGs and adopt the outcomes of the Review Summit.

Be sure to register any events with Stand Up so that it will be recognized and counted with the hundreds of other events that will be taking place.

The YPWC Stand Up/MDG Task Team can provide support with ideas and logistical support, as well as publicize events to the wider YPWC network. Be sure to send us event proposal plan (just complete the easy-to-fill form here: http://www.ypwc.org/images/docs/youth_mdgs_advocate_plan_final.doc ) by 15th September 2010.

Source; www.ypwc.org
For more information on STAND UP please visit http://standagainstpoverty.org/