The numbers say it all: this year’s Stand Up Take Action campaign was a success. Passionate kiwis around the country took the message to John Key and members of Parliament that we want our country to “walk the walk” over our promise to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The final New Zealand count was 21,233, which exceeded all of our expectations.

Globally 173,045,325 citizens gathered at over 3,000 events in more than 120 countries, demanding that governments take action to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. "Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now!", has been certified by Guinness World Records as the a new world record and remains the largest mobilization of human beings in recorded history. The people from the Millennium Campaign say "Thank you for Standing with us!"

Last year the total was 116 million people, so this year was a significant increase even on that number.  This year Kiwis from Invercargill to Whangarei added their faces to the global event in bigger numbers than ever before. There were events in schools, universities, churches and public places.

Why are thousands of Kiwis taking a stand against global poverty when there is a recession in New Zealand? “New Zealanders pride ourselves on being good global citizens.” says Bridget Pipe-Fowler, coordinator of Stand Up, Take Action New Zealand. There is no lack of resources to end world poverty, just a lack of political will. “We have the resources to meet the MDGs,  just look at the US $18 trillion found last year to bail out banks and financial institutions − nine times what developing countries have received in aid since 1960.  We need world leaders who will use these resources to address global poverty – the source of many of humanity’s greatest problems.” That is the message that Stand Up Kiwis wanted to send to all world leaders.

Micah Challenge, through our promotion of Micah Sunday, was a part of this both in New Zealand and globally. Micah Challenge organisations around the world urged Christians to take part. We prepared resources for churches to support a biblical understanding of poverty, and of the need to support the Millennium Goals. These eight goals cover the key areas of global poverty and set a pathway for achieving change. Of course the MDGs won't achieve anything unless we as individuals and as a nation get behind them and ensure that the international community takes action. It is not enough just to stand up in a public event. We must ensure that our individual and community lifestyles support what we are saying, and then we will have the moral base to put pressure on our government.

Global poverty is not just a political or economic issue. It is a spiritual issue for those of us in the wealthy part of the world who claim to be followers of Jesus, the One who began his ministry with the words from Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind;
to set free the oppressed
and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. (Luke 4:18-19 GNB)

Stand Up, Take Action is coordinated globally by the United Nations Millennium Campaign. For more information visit www.standagainstpoverty.org and look for New Zealand events on the Stand Up world map.