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It's time to raise the bar in the fight against poverty. Last year, 116 million people got involved. This year, make sure your voice counts too.
Actions are being organized around the country (and world) to inspire individuals and communities to get active and to motivate governments to take more responsibility in the fight against poverty. Find out what's taking place in your area, download materials if you like, and then get to work. For an inspirational kick-start, read a few other people's stories first.
Trust me, it feels good. I've marched for fair trade with farmers in rural Kenya, and then visited their farms when the event was over. There's no feeling in the world like standing in solidarity with people that till the land for crops we eat and depend on. (In my case in Kenya, it was coffee, so technically not a necessity, but... I can't say I don't depend on it.)
If you're near Seattle, for example, support the launch of the Global Center for Women's Land Rights. In Chicago, join a video conference with Paul Farmer, or help out the local Girl Scouts in collecting peanut butter and jelly. (Point is, the options, and locations, are endless.) In Kenya? Join the woman standing up against sexual harassment and fighting for maternal health.
What if there are no events planned for my community?
Organize one! A few ideas to start with:
- Plan student sessions to plant trees or do community clean-ups, for example, and hold forums to promote the importance of these activities. Emphasize involvement in the community, both at a local and global level.
- Organize educational classes and forums focused on global poverty and climate change—create opportunities to not only spread the Stand Up message, but also reinforce the value of education, which is still not available to everyone around the world (but should be).
- Organize a blood drive: help build a bigger blood bank, and pressure governments to use their resources more efficiently in combating disease.
- Put your camera to work during the events, and post pictures and videos online to spread the message of change. Make it contagious.
When the days of action are over...
Don't stop when the official Stand Up events are over. Look for ways to incorporate the fight against poverty and climate change into your everyday life. Here are a few starting points to make the fight last beyond October 18th:
- Buy fair trade whenever possible. It might sound cliche, but really, spending an extra dollar on coffee beans, or an extra five on fairly-traded cotton, does much more to help the farmers who grew them than some NGO donation will. Plus, the market for fair trade products has exploded in recent years, so your options aren't limited just to coffee anymore.
- Learn more about where and how your food was produced. The choice isn't always handed to you—for most foods, you won't see a fair trade label, for example. But seemingly insignificant things like the tomatoes in your burrito can make a huge difference in the quality of life for the people growing them—in some (unfortunately more than a few) cases, literally the difference between slavery and a fair wage. When people speak out, change happens. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, for example, scored a huge victory in their fight to be paid fairly.
- Look for artists and other creative platforms working to raise awareness and create change, including albums like Power Up the Planet, which is set for release on October 24 (another day of climate action).
- Find and get involved in other efforts to fight global poverty: join the campaign against free trade, for example, or help end exploitation and environmental abuse by big oil giants.
Related Posts:
Countdown to Copenhagen: The Events That Will Rock the World Before COP15 Does
Carbon Emissions Down in '09, But Don't Get Lazy Now!
Investing in Women and Girls to Fight Poverty, Climate Change
