Within a 24-hour period, 10,000 people must physically and symbolically "STAND UP" to communicate their desire to fight poverty and to hold their governments and leaders accountable for promises to end poverty by 2015.

The purpose of this action is to raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to publicly demonstrate to policy makers the growing global support for the achievement of the MDGs and for the strengthening of development policies in both Northern and Southern countries.

STAND UP is a mobilization initiative designed to coincide with global mobilizations around the International Day of Poverty Eradication and the White Band Day of the Global Call to Action against Poverty. It relies fully on citizen participation in that it mobilizes all individuals, everywhere, to take part in local, group events around the world through which they use their bodies (rather than their voices) as concrete symbols of MDG advocacy.

To ensure the inclusion of those not physically able to stand up, a symbolic act of raising a hand, wearing a white band (the symbol of the global fightagainst poverty), or holding up a banner with the "Stand Up Against Poverty"message will also be counted.

Find out how you can join an existing event in your area or organize your own Stand Up events