Scarboro Missions Stands Up Against Poverty

By Karen Van Loon
November/December 2008

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Almost 117 million people—nearly two percent of the world population—participated at events in 131 countries on October 17 to 19 as part of STAND UP and TAKE ACTION Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This global movement led by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and the United Nations Millennium Campaign sent a clear message to world leaders to fulfill their promises to end poverty. This mass mobilization broke the world record of 43.7 million people set last year.

Scarboro missionaries, staff, and friends participate in the Stand Up Against Poverty day of action on October 17, 2008. The action was organized by Karen Van Loon, coordinator of Scarboro’s Justice and Peace Office. Scarboro missionaries, staff, and friends participate in the Stand Up Against Poverty day of action on October 17, 2008. The action was organized by Karen Van Loon, coordinator of Scarboro’s Justice and Peace Office.

“In what was undoubtedly the largest global mobilization against poverty in living memory, citizens around the globe put their leaders at the national and global level on notice that their commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 have to be met—no more delays or excuses are acceptable,” said Salil Shetty of the United Nations Millennium Campaign. “Already, world leaders are responding. Mass mobilizations have the power to change the course of history, and we will not stop mobilizing and advocating for action until the Millennium Development Goals are achieved for the poorest people in the world.”

“This is a wonderful statement of global determination and commitment to end the injustice of extreme poverty,” said Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town. “116 million people demand the right to food, water, health care, education and a life of dignified work for all. 116 million people have stood together to say end extreme poverty. This message must be heard by leaders everywhere—it cannot be ignored.”

In the Philippines, more than 35 million people—one third of the population—participated in Stand Up Against Poverty events organized through the Department of Education, universities, local municipalities and government ministries. In Malawi, over 600,000 people mobilized under the Micah Challenge, a global movement to deepen Christian commitment to the poor and to challenge world leaders to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

Get to the point

On October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 34 Scarboro missioners, staff and guests participated in a Make Poverty History Canada campaign calling for Canada to get to the point—to reach within 10 years the UN target of giving 0.7% of our national income in foreign aid. Five other countries have already reached or exceeded this 0.7% target and several others have committed to a timetable to reach it. Canada has several times promised to increase aid but in 2007, as a percentage of income, it fell to around .28 percent.

In September 2008 the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices plunged 75 million more people below the hunger threshold, bringing the estimated number of undernourished people worldwide to 923 million. In October the World Bank predicted this number could rise to 967 million by end 2008. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said, “While people in the developed world are focused on the financial crisis, many forget that a human crisis is rapidly unfolding in developing countries. It is pushing poor people to the brink of survival.” Recent financial events could be a “tipping point for many developing countries,” he said.

United Nations officials have called on all States to reaffirm their commitments to grant official development assistance and to not let the financial crisis deflect attention from dealing with other challenges such as climate change and the Millennium Development Goals. On October 17, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “If we fail to keep our promise on the MDGs, we create the conditions for greater human misery and global insecurity.”

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” John 10:10.

Regional overview of people who participated in the 2008 Stand Up:

Africa:                    24,496,151
Arab States:          17,847,870
Asia:                    73,151,847
Europe:                    951,788
Latin America:          211,250
North America:          123,920
Oceania:                    210,803

Total:                     116,993,629

Message sent to the Prime Minister:

“On October 17th, with our brothers and sisters around the world, we at Scarboro Missions wish to commemorate a hope-filled United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

In honour of this day we would like to congratulate you and the Canadian government for last May passing the Better Aid Bill C-293, which targets Canadian foreign aid to poverty reduction and increases accountability. We now call on the federal government to take the next step in helping to make poverty history by raising Canada’s Official Development Assistance to 0.7% of our Gross National Income within ten years.

Last month the UN Food and Agricultural Organization reported that soaring food and fuel costs increased the number of people suffering from hunger by 75 million to a worldwide total of 923 million. Hunger kills a child every six seconds. The current financial crisis threatens to worsen poverty and hunger. Compared to the urgent action given to the financial crisis, this ten year timeline to increase aid for improving agricultural production, helping impoverished countries deal with climate change and other urgent needs, seems relatively modest. Let us not forget our brothers and sisters who face a daily crisis greater than our own.

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