'Stand up against poverty'

Members of People's Forum on MDGs, Bangladesh pledge to stand up against poverty at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Thousands of children and representatives from different organisations yesterday observed 'Stand Up Assembly' in the city with a call to stand up against poverty.

The programme was organised to motivate world leaders and policy makers to implement their pledges for alleviating poverty by 2015.

A total of 132 different social and voluntary organisations including Proshika, Brac, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, DemocracyWatch, Manusher Jonno, Coalition Urban Poor, ECLAB and UCEP observed 'five-minute silent stand up' programme at the Central Shaheed Minar.

The 'Stand Up Assembly' was also observed at 30 locations, including school, college and university campuses, in the city and its outskirts.

People's Forum on MDGs (PFM), Bangladesh organised the assembly titled 'Stand Up Against Poverty' coordinated by Campaign For Population Education (CAMPE).

The 'Stand Up Assembly' was a part of the month-long programme to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The day is being observed today in the country as elsewhere in the world.

Over 100 countries took part in different programmes including human chain, stand up assembly, cultural programmes and youth seminar during the month.

The mobilising programme against poverty will end today with the announcement of number of participants in the 'Stand Up Assembly' that will be included in Guinness Book of World Records, said Rasheda K Chowhury, PFM convenor and CAMPE director.

Dr Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, is expected to announce the number of Bangladesh participants in the afternoon, she added.

"In New York, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and in Johannesburg former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela will announce the number of participants in those places respectively," Rasheda further said.

Earlier at the Central Shaheed Minar, Dr Nilufar Banu, research director of Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad, presented a declaration paper on Stand Up Assembly.

She stressed the need for political will to achieve poverty alleviation by 2015.

She also urged the leaders of wealthy nations to give adequate assistance and pursue a supportive trade policy for poverty alleviation in poor countries.

"We want to make a world record by creating the largest crowd demanding active initiatives in poverty alleviation," she quoted from the declaration paper.

Lawmaker Motiur Rahman Ranga, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Shaheen Anam and cultural activist Shomi Kaiser also spoke on the occasion.

They urged all to follow the ideology of Dr Yunus to eradicate poverty nationwide and worldwide.