On July 24, the Millennium Development Goals were honored at the inaugural “Save the World” Awards in Austria, as a bold promise to end poverty in our generation.

The “Save the World” awards, founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev, recognized personalities and organizations working toward a sustainable and livable future for our planet and its people. More than 2,000 guests attended the show at the site of an inactive atomic power plant in Zwentendorf, Lower Austria, and millions more watched on television around the world.

“It is only a suitcase, but its contents means the world. The piece with inscription “Poverty can pack” was handed to German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul on 18 September before the backdrop of the airport in Berlin by an action alliance of development campaigns. The suitcase contains eight articles, that symobolize the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations – and a shadow report with recommendations on how to reach them…” find out more

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including farmers, workers, women’s, faith-based and students’ groups and organizations, have issued a statement declaring that it is clear more than ever, that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are Europe’s means of locking-in the fundamentally unequal relationships between Africa and Europe. Viewed from Africa, this is nothing less than, “re-colonisation.”

Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or
childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another
10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or
disabilities.

“No woman should die giving life,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
“To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers.”

In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow.
In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years.

From December 7th to 9th, more than 70 European and African leaders met in Lisbon, Portugal, to attend the EU-Africa Summit. Seven years after the Cairo summit, the Lisbon event ended with an ambitious action plan and a promise to meet again in 2010, but wasn’t able to tackle key issues such as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and human rights.

The United Nations Millennium Gates have been displayed in front of the Reichstag in Berlin. The exposition at the famous German Parliament Building from November 26 to November 29 was the grand finale for the Gates’ tour through 33 German cities. Numerous representatives of the German Bundestag took part in the opening ceremony. They interpreted their walk through the alley of the Gates as a sign of willingness to take political action on cutting poverty and accomplishing the Millennium Development Goals.

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Over 43.7 million people, in 127 countries have broken the Guinness World Record – set last year at 23.5 million – for the largest number of people to “STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY” in 24 hours. Read Full Press Release »

From all parts of the world, millions stood and spoke out to demand a more urgent political response to the growing crisis of global poverty and inequality. They called on their world leaders to keep their commitments made in the Millennium Development Goals.