People power to end poverty

As I sit here at my computer in New York, as part of a team of people tasked with verifying millions of people who have joined the annual Stand Up and Take Action Mobilization, I am struck with with an overwhelming sense of hope, seeing powerful images of people uniting. Men, women, children, rich, poor, young and old from all walks of life coming together. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet or registrations on an online database, but real people, stepping out of their daily struggle to demonstrate their commitment to something bigger than each of them. It may seem at first that the notion of a few people ‘standing up’ is too simple, to easy, to far from what many believe is required to bring about the systemic changes needed to end poverty. But what I am seeing, millions upon millions of people, thousands of events, all at the same time, it tells a profound story. It fills me with a sense that change is possible. Never before has our world been as connected as it is today. I see people who can see beyond their own hopes and dreams, people who understand that all of our hopes and all of our dreams are connected to those of others. It feels like a just world order is rising, people no longer willing to stand idly by as people and planet burn. Today, 24 hours into this mobilisation already over 5000 events have been held by people in over 100 countries….is this the start of a new economic, social and cultural revolution, people demanding change and calling their leaders to account….END POVERTY NOW……