Over 4,000 people gathered in Denpasar, Bali to pledge to end poverty as part of the Stand Up and Take Action (SUTA) campaign. The large turnout exceeded expectations and available rubber bands for counting. Various events were held, including music performances, poster exhibitions, and discussions on achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The rally aimed to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest mass mobilization in support of ending poverty. It was coordinated locally by the Alase Bali organization with support from the UNDP and Denpasar municipal government.
Over 4,000 people gathered in Denpasar, Bali to pledge to end poverty as part of the Stand Up and Take Action (SUTA) campaign. The large turnout exceeded expectations and available rubber bands for counting. Various events were held, including music performances, poster exhibitions, and discussions on achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The rally aimed to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest mass mobilization in support of ending poverty. It was coordinated locally by the Alase Bali organization with support from the UNDP and Denpasar municipal government.
Over 4,000 people gathered in Denpasar, Bali to pledge to end poverty as part of the Stand Up and Take Action (SUTA) campaign. The large turnout exceeded expectations and available rubber bands for counting. Various events were held, including music performances, poster exhibitions, and discussions on achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The rally aimed to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest mass mobilization in support of ending poverty. It was coordinated locally by the Alase Bali organization with support from the UNDP and Denpasar municipal government.
Denpasar, 18 October 2009 – From the early estimation of 500, this afternoon at 5:30 P.M. at Lapangan Puputan Badung, about more than 4000 people gathered, stood‐up in the reading of the pledge to end poverty in Stand‐up and Take Action – SUTA Campaign. Apart from the civil society of all classes, the Vice Major of Denpasar, the Regional Secretary of Bali Province dan representative of the Provincial Legislative Assembly, too, mingled and showed their enthusiasm in this activity.
The 2000 white rubber bands supply used to count the number of people were not enough, even about the same amount of people did not wear any. Nevertheless, the spirit was still on fire and the people seemed to enjoy the night of music by Bali’s indie bands. Tonight, report on the number of people standing‐up has been sent to later be counted all over the world, to find out whether this year, SUTA can break the Guinness World Record for the biggest mass mobilization, breaking its own record last year, that was 116 million.
The poster exhibition which was earlier planned to be held on 16 October, has to be cancelled and moved to the front part of Bali Museum instead, together with the rest, including an additional event, MDGs discussion taking the theme of poverty with one of the speakers from the Provincial Legislative Assembly, Sumiati. Tents of MDGs services, subsidized food market, free healthcare services, cartoon exhibition, as well as street art – which seemed to interest the children the most, since they could express themselves freely – colored the driveway. This event, which was coordinated by Alase Bali working together with several organizations and the community elements in Bali, supported by the UNDP and the Government of Denpasar Municipality, has been successfully conducted. From here, it is expected that the world leaders can see and be reminded of their promises to achieve MDGs by 2015.
Media Contact:
PW Rudolf forrest club, Jl. Cok Agung Tresna 118, Renon, Denpasar Telp.: 0361‐9271748 or 08191 626 3007 e‐mail: pwrudolf@bicsworld.com