I. About Stand Up
Stand Up is an exciting and innovative global challenge of the Millennium Campaign, which will attempt to set an official Guinness World Record for the most number of people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty on October 15-16, 2006.
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.
Stand Up aims to raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and publicly demonstrate the growing global support for the achievement of the Goals.
Stand Up is the opportunity for organizations to be part of this global event in support of poverty eradication and the achievement of the MDGs.
It is an occasion to showcase laudable efforts and accomplishments towards the attainment of the MDGs as well as pose the challenge for sustaining and even accelerating the efforts.
II. Tumayo Tayo Pilipinas
Inspired by the idea of this campaign, the United Nations system in the Philippines will use the month of October – recognized as “UN Month” – as a platform for MDG advocacy. UN-led activities are organized throughout the month.
What?
Underpinning the October events is the theme: “Stand Up Against Poverty. Stand Up for Millennium Development Goals”, which capitalizes on the global Stand Up event of the Millennium Campaign.
In the Philippines, the goal is to have at least 1 million Filipinos stand up and be counted from 15-16 October 2006. Simultaneous and parallel events will be organized nation-wide and enrolled to adopt the common logo, theme, slogan and Stand Up moment.
The campaign encourages a large number of national and local partners including people’s organizations, national government, local government units, non-government organizations, the private sector, academe and media to participate.
Some of the events being organized with the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and UN – Habitat MDG Resource Cities to date are as follows:
Lead flag-raising ceremony in Malacañang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator;
Simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies in national government offices and public schools nationwide; and
Satellite events in MDG resource cities and events organized by partners will be enrolled to the Stand Up Campaign.
Central Event: MDG Festival
The central event will be a two-day event such as an MDG Festival will have a line-up of cultural shows, concert with local pop bands, performers, artists, dances, and other presentations throughout the event. This will be open to the public and will feature songs from the MDG Album, “Tayo Tayo Rin Sa 2015” will be performed.
RockEd, UN Habitat and partner organizations that are in the field of performing arts and visual arts will take the lead in providing performers and exhibitors for the two-day festival.
When?
The MDG Festival is organized by RockEd Philippines, from 2 p.m. Sunday, 15 October 2006 at till Monday, 16 October 2006. Schedules and programme is subject to change upon further advice.
Where?
The central event will be held at the Marikina City Quadrangle City Hall. Marikina City is one of the 29 MDG resource cities under UN Habitat’s MDG Localization programme.
Who Can Join?
Universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, primary and secondary public schools and other key MDG partners representing the youth sector can join the Festival.
How To Be Counted?
Throughout the festival, the audience shall be counted by standing up all at the same time during key performances within the day. News bits, greetings and official counts from the other Stand Up events around the country will also be flashed from time to time in the Festival venue.
Stand Up Moment and Pledge
All organizations enrolled in the Stand Up Philippines campaign are encouraged to hold a 10-minute Stand Up moment at the beginning of their event in order to be counted as part of the Guinness Record. The 10-minutes will have three steps:
I. Present the Stand Up concept, rationale and objectives - 5 minutes;
II. Recite the Stand Up Pledge - 2 minutes; and
III. Play the MDG video or community singing - 3 minutes.
Differently-abled people will be counted as long as they are present at the Stand Up moment and can perform an appropriate action of their choice.
What to Wear
In the tradition of white bands symbolizing the global fight against poverty and hunger (MDG#1), participants are encouraged, where possible, to wear white tee-shirts and/or white bands during the Stand Up event you are joining either on October 15 or 16, 2006.
Logo
As part of the local campaign, a Filipinized logo version was developed. This logo is prescribed to be used by all MDG partners. Soft copy of the logo may be downloaded at the website www.millenniumcampaign.ph.
The Filipino translation, “Tumayo Tayo Labanan ang Kahirapan. Tuparin ang MDGs”, conveys the desire to stand and work together, as well as putting a sense of urgency, which is reinforced in the phrase “Tuparin ang MDGs”.
Participating in the global event answers the Filipinos’ need to connect to people and to be part of something big, something greater than the individual – something noble. The central Stand Up event in Metro Manila, with parallel events in other parts of the country, plays on the Filipinos’ penchant for gathering together as a community and is the best avenue for a bandwagon effect to increase the number of people who will be counted for the Guinness Record and raise awareness desired for the MDGs.
Slogan
Organizations may also use the slogan “Stand Up...” or “Tumayo Tayo...” as part of the their event’s title. For instance, Stand Up for Peace. Stand Up for a Better World is being used by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the UN week celebration.
This will deliver a unified theme and a synchronized list of activities among MDG partners.
Guinness Guidelines & Requirements
§ All Stand Up actions will be counted between 6 p.m. (EST) Sunday, 15 October to 6 p.m. (EST) Monday, 16 October 2006.
§ People should intentionally stand up from a seated position first (Differently-abled people will be counted as long as they are present at the Stand Up moment and can perform an appropriate action of their choice);
§ All Stand Up actions must be monitored, counted and registered according to the below process that have been verified by Guinness;
§ There should be no duplications in the counting process;
§ Where possible, images and video of the action should be captured and sent with submission;
§ Where non-web forms are used, i.e. fax, to submit information, one independent witness should sign and verify the number of event participants;
§ For participants who are unable to stand at an organized event an alternative virtual stand up can be arranged via text message; and
§ A Guinness adjudicator will be present at the New York office of the Millennium Campaign to oversee the count worldwide.
Images and video of the action, where possible, should be captured and sent to the official website or text to MDG 2948 for Globe and Sun and 3940 for SMART
World AIDS Day: 01 December: Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
Photos in Upi shared by Alih Anso, dxUP-FM Maguindanao
