Northwestern students have the chance to participate in a global – and potentially record-breaking – stand against poverty this week.
Members of NU’s Rotaract Club are bringing the Stand Up, Speak Out Against Poverty Campaign to campus. This global project was created to be the voice for the world’s impoverished and speak out against the United Nation’s lack of action in carrying out the first of their Millennium Development Goals, which was cutting the number of people living on a dollar a day in half by the year 2015.
With a large banner displaying their campaign title in red and white, students wearing shirts inscribed with the slogan “25 million lives and counting…” sat at a booth yesterday in the Norris University Center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The students encouraged others to sign the banner and come to tonight’s closing ceremonies. Many students participated and signed the banner, adding phrases like “C’mon U.N.,” “Poverty Sucks!” and “NO MORE.”
“It’s really good to be united that way,” said Weinberg sophomore and Rotaract member Nicki Kravis. “People are coming together all around the world at exactly the same time.”
NU’s Rotaract, an organization dedicated to community and international service, and professional development with members of the Rotary Club, is the lead sponsor of the campaign. Though GlobeMed and the Student Movement for Real Change also assisted Rotaract, it was the members of Rotaract who took part in painting The Rock on Monday, created the banner for yesterday and today and brought together a group of speakers for tonight’s closing ceremonies.
“Rotaract’s theme this year is poverty,” said Carrie Lam, a Communication junior and co-president of Rotaract. “What better way is there to bring awareness to this campus than by engaging in a global campaign against poverty?”
Not only is the campaign for a worthy cause, but it is also a chance for students to break a Guinness World Record.
Last year, approximately 23.5 million people took a stand against poverty, said Weinberg senior Karampreet Sachathep, co-president of Rotaract and co-chair of the event. This year, activists around the world are attempting to involve more people.
“Everyone wants to break a world record,” Lam said. “Here’s the perfect opportunity.”
Today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rotaract members will be at The Rock with the banner and a list. Students who wish to participate can sign both the banner and list. The list will then be sent to the global organization leading the campaign so they can count the number of people on the list toward the world record.
After the demonstration at The Rock, closing ceremonies will take place at University Hall Room 102 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Three speakers will address the audience, including an advocate from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and speakers from Housing Opportunities for Women and The Art of Living Institute.
“Poverty is something everyone can relate to and something everyone should relate to,” Sachathep said. “Northwestern is now a part of this global campaign.”
Toward the end of the closing ceremony, everyone in the audience will stand up and an official count of the individuals present will occur. This count will also go toward the breaking of the Guinness World Record. For more information, visit www.standagainstpoverty.org.
Reach Heidi Kim at [email protected].
