The Montreal Millennium Summit invites everyone to join the planet-wide Stand
up and take action against poverty movement, October 16 to 18, 2009

MONTREAL , Oct. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - Last year, 116 million people worldwide stood up and took concrete action in solidarity with the poorest inhabitants of this planet. This campaign was intended to send a clear message to our leaders so that they honour their commitments to eradicate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. With only five years to go, the need for action is urgent.

More than 22,000 students in the Marie-Victorin school board will answer the Montreal Millennium Summit's call. Follow their lead this October 16 to 18, stand up and choose your activity: join a march, donate to an NGO, become a volunteer, support a humanitarian cause, adopt more responsible consumption habits, get a group together to discuss the issue of poverty and concrete solutions to reduce it, start a petition calling on your government to honour its commitment to spend 0.7% of the GDP to help developing countries, etc. Then, post your event on the UN Millennium Campaign website at www.standagainstpoverty.org.

In 2000, 189 countries made a commitment to fight extreme poverty through their unanimous adoption of the eight Millennium Development Goals: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce mortality rates for children under the age of five; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental stability; and implement a global partnership for development.

Although progress has been made on several of these objectives, the UN's 2009 report unfortunately anticipates that some of them-which were close to attainment in 2007-are now at a standstill or even losing ground. Factors that have had an impact on slowing the march to fulfill the MDGs include the effect of climate change on the most vulnerable populations and the world economic crisis, which precipitated a drop in humanitarian aid from developed countries.

The Montreal Millennium Summit, which will mount its fourth edition in the spring of 2010, is a high-level international event that brings together key players in the field of social advocacy, representing governments, civil society, the academic community and leading humanitarian organizations. It was launched by Daniel Germain , founder of the Club des petits déjeuners du Québec and Breakfast Clubs of Canada .

Let's give voice to an unequivocal message: 2015 is drawing near-no more excuses!

Visit www.millenniumsummit.ca for more details.

For further information: Media contact: Isabelle Longtin, [email protected], Roy & Turner communications, [phone]; Communications: Lydia Côté, [email protected]