The United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) together with a voluntary organisation Wada Na Tode Abhiyan here on Wednesday launched the India chapter of the global people’s movement called, “Stand Up Take Action”, to eradicate poverty.
The movement seeks to inspire people to take action in support of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations to remove poverty from the world by 2015, said a release by the UNMC.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals with deadlines to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. To meet these goals and eradicate poverty, leaders of 189 countries signed a declaration at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000.
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The “Stand Up and Take Action” movement began in 2006 to ensure the achievement of the MDGs remains a priority on the global political and public agenda, especially since there are just six years left to the 2015 deadline.
India plays a key role in the movement since experts across the globe are of the opinion that if India misses the MDGs, in all likelihood the rest of the world will too, the release said.
Campaigners from across India will pick up eight goals on which to base their creative “Stand Up Actions.” The burning issues of hunger, health and education bear special significance in the Indian context given the backdrop of drought, with the prices of foodgrains and vegetables spiralling in an otherwise deflationary scenario.
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There will be an added emphasis on the rights and entitlements of socially excluded groups and women, the release said.
On October 16, “Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Do not Break your Promise Campaign)” will launch a citizen’s audit of government health centres and schools in over 100 parliamentary constituencies across the country.