MAKE A STAND AGAINST POVERTY...
Guinness World Records' Editor-in-Chief gets off his backside and does something to
combat world poverty...
When it comes to record breaking, half the battle is just getting up off your backside, so there
can be no simpler a record to set than the Largest Stand Up. Yes, as simple as it sounds, Guinness
World Records - in association with the United Nations' Millennium Campaign - agreed to ratify a
record just standing up... in the hope that literally millions of people around the world would
take part and raise awareness of global poverty. And during the 24 hours between 10 am on October
15 and 16 this year, the planet literally took to its feet in the world's largest Stand Up Against
Poverty.
The UN's Millennium Campaign - in partnership with the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and
timed to correspond with the International Day for Povety Eradication on October 17 - worked
closely with Guinness World Records to create a worldwide event from which no-one could excuse
themselves. The record chosen - the largest stand up at multiple venues - was so simple that anyone
could take part... even those who couldn't stand were allowed to submit a virtual stand by sending
a symbolic text message. With such easy-to-follow rules, and a global PR campaign behind it, the
record couldn't fail!
And indeed, fail it did not - it proved to be largest mobilisation of people in the history of
Guinness World Record Breaking! A staggering 23,542,614 people from 11,646 events submitted their
evidence, setting a fantastic world record that will be undoubtely stand for a long time (excuse
the pun!)
Eight million people in India alone took part - half of them amassed by yoga teacher Swami
Ramdev. In Asia, over 18 million got to their feet, while in Africa, an awe-inspiring 3.6 million
stood up against poverty. This sheer mass of people cannot be ignored - which is the aim of the
campaign: to pledge solidarity with the poorest countries, and demand that governments take urgent
action to end poverty and meet (and exceed) the promises laid out in the Millennium Development
Goals.
I did my part in the event by awarding organizers in the UK their official GWR certificate
during an event in London's Trafalgar Square. Joining me were Oxfam volunteers who literally
spelled out the record-breaking figure for the world to see. If you took part, then thank you and
let's hope that our simple action of standing up translates into a global movement, a worldwide
Mexican wave, that leads to our governments making the changes they promised at the turn of the
millennium.
Craig Glenday
27 October 2006