[Indonesia] One hundred million to stand up against poverty worldwide in October action

from the Jakarta Post

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Organizars hope a million Indonesians will join some one hundred million people worldwide in standing up on Oct. 15 and 16 to urge governments to reduce poverty.

The campaign, which will be recorded in the book Guinness World Records, is part of a global movement to pressure governments to meet their pledge of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

"We hope that at least 1 million people in Indonesia will stand up in their workplaces, schools, and homes to remind our government to keep its promise to achieve the MDGs by 2015," UN Special Ambassador for MDGs in Asia and the Pacific Erna Witoelar told a press briefing.

In 2000, 189 members of the United Nations pledged to achieve the goals within 15 years. They include reducing by half the percentage of people living on less than a dollar a day; ensuring that all children complete elementary school; eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education; reducing the mortality rate among children under age 5 by two-thirds; reducing the maternal mortality rate by three-quarters; and halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

UN deputy director for the Asia Millennium Campaign Minar Pimple said the participation of Southeast Asia was crucial to accomplishing the goal of 100 million people standing worldwide.

"Last year, around 35 million people joined the campaign to remind political leaders to accomplish the MDGs. Now, we want as many people as possible to be involved in the campaign. Without Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region, we will never achieve our goal," he said.

Pimple said the movement aimed to persuade wealthier countries to grant debt cancellation to 64 developing countries so that the money could be used to achieve the MDGs.

The campaign also urges developed countries to set a clear time frame to begin contributing 0.7 percent of their GDP to developing countries. In addition, it is attempting to raise awareness of the importance of international fair-trade systems in helping developing countries prosper.

In Indonesia, the stand-up campaign will run from 5 p.m. on Oct. 15 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 16, with thousands of people gathering at the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta to mark its launch.

"Several organizations have expressed their willingness to join the activities. Muhammadiyah, for instance, will call on Muslims to stand up right before breaking the fast on Oct. 15. The total number of stand-up participants will be recorded and added to the global tally," Ratna said.

Despite its success in bringing down child mortality rates and improving education and literacy, Indonesia has seen its number of impoverished citizens increase to 39 million in 2006, compared to 35 million in 2005.

Many analysts claim the real number of poor people is much higher. The Economist magazine pointed out that the government's definition of poverty is an income of Rp 152,847 or less per month, well below the more widely used benchmark of $1 a day. Using the latter standard, it is estimated that more than 80 million Indonesians are living in poverty.