UNBSJ students participate in a demonstration against global poverty

By Andre Rochon

“All over the world,” said former UNBSJ professor Fern Bennett, “people are standing in solidarity to demand that government creates better policies so that we can eliminate poverty.”

Bennet was speaker at the “Stand Up Against Poverty” event at Kings Square on Friday October 16th 2009. Over 100 people gathered in the brisk autumn cold to emphasize the millennium development goals created by the United Nations to end poverty by 2015.Attendees included UNBSJ students, union members, high school students and other Saint John residents.

The purpose of this event was to gain awareness of poverty around the world, within Canada and Saint John. The following pledge was read allowed to all attendees as they stood in a symbolic show of support:

“We are standing now with millions of people around the world on this historic day, to show our commitment to the fight against extreme poverty and inequality. We only have six years left to the 2015 deadline to realize the Millennium Development Goals.

“Today, we Stand Up together to say to our leaders: Act now to achieve and exceed the Millennium Development Goals. Commit to bold leadership at the G8/G20, to combat extreme poverty, transform global economic and financial systems, tackle the impact of climate change on poor countries and eliminate poverty in Canada.

“We will continue to Stand Up, not just today but every day, to say: No more Excuses, End Poverty and Inequality Now!”

Afterward, there was a demonstration when students from St. Malachy’s High School were poked by someone in a grim reaper costume in coordination with drum-beats symbolizing someone in the world dying from extreme poverty. As was explained: “all around the world, every three seconds somebody dies due to poverty related issues.”

Anti-poverty activist Reverend Marian Lucas Jeffrey spoke next, and told a story of her trip to South Africa. While working she was helping a single mother who was diagnosed with AIDS, unable to feed her hungry child and grandmother. She gave a care package and after they left they received a call asking how they knew what their prayers were.

“A billion people are hungry everyday and it’s too common,” said Jeffrey. “It is common here too. Back in Canada, in an institution listening, to two men speak, one said to the other: ‘do not eat too much while you’re here, here your stomach may stretch and then when next week when you’re out of here you’ll be hungry and it will hurt.’”

“That’s the face of poverty in this country and around the world. And we must end hunger now!”

UNBSJ student Dauda Mansaray, an executive with World University Service of Canada, talked about the significance of the event.

“We have so many international agreements on different issues, one is the 1948 Geneva convention on the prevention and punishment on the crime of Genocide and the Refugee convention of 1951 about the status of refugees have all been defaulted.”

Mansaray explained the purpose of this event: “We are saying here to our governments in office that the agreements should be backed up with concrete actions and that actions can be achieved. That is what the millennium development goals are about, is the cooperation of all governments to work on these goals, achievable goals. If governments cooperate and be committed they can be achieved.”

Andre Rochon is volunteer writer with the Baron.