Global Month of Action 2006
The Global Month of Action, called by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, launched in the UK on 14 September with Christian Aid's drumming march on the Treasury, ahead of crucial World Bank and IMF meetings in Singapore.
The Beat Goes On
Christian Aid's drumming march and rally on Thursday 14 September was well attended, with around 3,000 people gathering in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in Lambeth. There were also delegations from the MPH Jewish Coalition and Islamic Relief. The weather was sunny and there was an energetic and cheerful atmosphere.
The event was calling on the UK government to withdraw its funding from the IMF and the World Bank until they stop imposing damaging economic policy conditions on poor countries. The day got off to a great start with Hilary Benn's announcement that morning that the British government would withhold £50 million of its funding to the IMF.
The marchers then drummed their way up to Westminster to a rally outside the Treasury, beating on drums, pots and pans, yoghurt pots, tubs, tambourines and anything else people could get their hands on.
There was a pause for a minute's silence outside Downing Street, and a petition with 25,066 signatures and a drum were delivered to Number 11 Downing Street.
See the Pressureworks website for a full report of the event.
GCAP Scotland Launch
The organisations that led the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign in Scotland during 2005 have joined forces again to launch the "Global Call to Action Against Poverty Scotland".
Scottish campaigners went to the German Consulate in Edinburgh on Friday 15 September to hand over a giant postcard with a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and the words "Keep Poverty on the Agenda" to a look-alike "big head" of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Protest in Singapore
Meanwhile, at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Singapore the GCAP contingent have been hard at work making sure the delegates and media are aware of the lack of voice the poor have at these meetings. On Friday 15 September, under the banner of "Stand Up Against Poverty: We Must Have A Voice", around thirty people donned t-shirts and face masks and silently protested against the World Bank and IMF's policies that restrict the voices of the poor.
This media action took place in the "protest zone" in the Conference Centre, an area about the same size as the penalty area of a football field. It was surrounded by barriers, and all protesters had to swipe their identity pass through the computer as they entered and left the protest zone.
The event was a huge success, with hundreds of press gathered around as the GCAP people marched silently into the protest zone, swiped their passes and then stood in rows in front of the press. GCAP spokespeople from Zambia, Uruguay and Ghana then read out a GCAP statement on the banning of fellow civil society members and on the impacts of conditionality and the lack of representation of poor countries on the executive boards of the IMF and World Bank.
Launch Events Around the World
There were Global Month of Action launch events all over the world on Saturday 16 September:
In Indonesia, GCAP held an international "Peoples Tribunal on Poverty and Debt" in Batam. People from across the developing world gave evidence on the impact of World Bank and IMF polices, as well as the impact of debt repayments on the lives of people living in poverty in their countries.
In the Philippines, GCAP Philippines and the Freedom from Debt Coalition staged a protest rally in front of the World Bank office in Ortigas to express indignation at this institution's continued exclusion of the peoples' voices in its decision-making process.
In Liberia, 500 activists and campaigners staged a protest outside the World Bank and IMF offices in Monrovia - holding banners protesting against the harmful impact that debt has on Liberia's development.
In Dakar, Senegal, the Month of Action was launched with a concert on 16 September.
In Freetown in Sierra Leone, there were mass rallies calling on their government to reject harmful conditionalities imposed by the World Bank and IMF.
In Brussels, Belgium there was a rally with clowns who demanded that the IMF and World Bank "stop the circus" of their harmful policies.
GCAP groups from across Latin America have come together to issue a statement on the impact of IMF and World Bank policies in the region.
Stand Up Against Poverty
On 15th-16th October there was a global attempt to set an official Guinness World record for the largest number of people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty in 24 hours.
23,542,614 people Stood Up Against Poverty... with Guinness World Records spokesperson Craig Glenday saying: "By the time we get all the figures in it will be the largest single coordinated movement of people in the history of the Guinness World Records."
At each Stand Up event, people stood up and pledged their solidarity with the world's poorest people and demanded that governments take urgent action to end poverty and inequality and to meet and exceed the Millennium Development Goals.
In Johannesburg, Kumi Naidoo, spokesperson for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) said: "Ordinary people around the world have stood up to express their passion to end poverty. Together, we have sent a clear message to our political leaders that we are going to keep pushing them to deliver on aid, on debt cancellation, on trade justice and to provide good and accountable governments. The people's voices are growing louder. We will not rest until poverty is ended".
In the UK, the Global Month of Action was supported by a Toolkit setting the framework and actions for the month.
Powerpoint presentation on Global Month of Action
You can download, modify and use this powerpoint presentation celebrating the Global Month of Action.
Presentation on Global Month of Action (3.29 MB)