Art of Living joins hands with UNMC for 'Stand Up' campaign

Ahmedabad, Oct 13 (UNI) The Art of Living and United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) have launched a joint initiative that will see the former mobilise over four million people across the globe to support UMNC's ''Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty'' campaign and for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Art of Living on October 17 will organise several public events in over 100 countries in support of eradication of extreme poverty and to ensure the achievement of MDGs by the world community.

The Gujarat state coordinator of the campaign Mr Lavkesh Chaudhary said, ''Several mass programmes have been organised in different cities as well as towns in Gujarat. In around 25 cities of Gujarat, more than 125 events have been organised in which approximately five lakh people are expected to join the campaign and will take pledge for the MGDs.'' ''The idea behind the ''Stand Up'' campaign is to remind the world leaders of their promise of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and urge them to show the necessary political will. The participants will stand up and urge the rich countries to keep their promises, better and more aid, debt cancellation and fair trade, and the poorer countries to make it their first responsibility to save the lives of the poorest citizens and achieve real transparency and accountability in how resources are deployed&spent,'' said Mr Minar Pimple, Deputy Director, Asia, UNMC.

''The Stand Up events will be held all over the world, from the busiest square in the world, New York's Times Square to the smallest school in the tsunami-struck Ache province in Indonesia,'' said Richa Chopra, from the Art of Living International Centre who is co-ordinating the event globally.

In his message, exhorting people to join the campaign to eradicate poverty, Art of Living founder Ravi Shankar said, ''All the nations of the world have come together and have set up eight Millennium Development Goals, and it will remain just a dream if you don't stand up and participate. We all have to join together to eradicate poverty, to bring primary education, health, hygiene, care for the environment and make this world a more beautiful place to be in.'' UNI