Released on: October 18, 2007, 3:25 am

Press Release Author: Art of Living

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: Ahmedabad, OCTOBER 18, 2007: Millions of people all walks of
life yesterday raised their voice against poverty and took a pledge to eradicate it.
As part of a joint initiative between the Art of Living and United Nations
Millennium Campaign (UNMC), the former mobilised over 7 million people across the
globe to support UMNC's Stand Up & Speak Out against poverty and for the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

Press Release Body: Ahmedabad, OCTOBER 18, 2007: Millions of people all walks of
life yesterday raised their voice against poverty and took a pledge to eradicate it.
As part of a joint initiative between the Art of Living and United Nations
Millennium Campaign (UNMC), the former mobilised over 7 million people across the
globe to support UMNC's Stand Up & Speak Out against poverty and for the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

The international NGO founded by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar organised several
public events in over 100 countries for people to come together and take a pledge in
support of the eradication of extreme poverty and to ensure the achievement of MDGs
by the world community.

Sri Sri himself led a huge gathering at the Art of Living International Centre in
taking a pledge to eradicate poverty. In his address, Sri Sri Ravi urged those
present to be a source of light to those in darkness and help them stand on their
own feet. In the ancient ideals of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family
and if one member of the family is not
happy, it will affect the whole family. If we all stand together, we don't have to
wait till 2015 to realise MDGs, he said.

To eradicate poverty, we need two things: instil self esteem in people and bring
sincerity on the part of the government. Both need to go together, he added.

Lauding the commitment of the Art of Living against poverty, Minar Pimple, Deputy
Director-Asia, UNMC, said he was inspired by the Art of Living efforts to mobilise
people against poverty even in faraway places. I am drawn to Sri Sri because he
inspires people to serve with a sense of happiness. We don't want social workers
with long faces, he said.

Similar Stand Up events were being held all over the world, from the busiest square
in the world, New York's Times Square to the smallest school in the tsunami-struck
Ache province in Indonesia.

In New Delhi, the Art of Living organised a gathering on the Parliament Street where
over 40,000 people took the pledge. It also facilitated another unique event where
over 10,000 inmates of Tihar Jail raised their voice against poverty.

Gujarat state coordinator of the campaign Mr. Lavkesh Chaudhary mentioned, "In line
of this we have organized several mass programs in different cities as well as towns
in Gujarat. In around 25 cities of Gujarat, more than 750 events have been organized
in which 14,28,597 people took pledge for the MDGs."

Major events across Gujarat:

In Ahmedabad at 72 different events more than 1,32,666 people participated at took a
pledge.
(1) 61,000 people at 18 Garaba Grounds (2) 47,475 students and teachers from 51
schools (3) 3000 people in Durga pooja celebration
In a rally organized by the The Art Of Living Ahmedabad Centre approximately 250
people participated. The rally took place from Sabaramati to Vadaj.

In Vadodara at 25 different events 1,16,000 people participated and took pledge.
Which include (1) 15,000 students and teachers from 20 different schools (2) 1 lac
people at 3 different Garaba Grounds (3) Arround 500 students, university and govt
officials took pledge at M.S. University.

In Surat in at 240 different programs approx 2,70,032 lac people took a pledge. (1)
Gathering organized by the ART of Living in presence of Hon Mayor Sri Kanubhai
Mavani (2) At the Indoor stadium Garba Program in presence of the Hon Chief Justice
(3) Garba Program at the Destiny Fun Club in presence of famous Music Director
Ismail Darbar (4) Rock music concert at Iscon Mall (5) students of 250 different
schools joined the event

In Rajkot in more than 200 programs around 1,37,900 people took pledge. (1) In the
Akila Poineer Garaba at Virani School Ground in the presence of Hon Mayor
Dhansukhbhai Bhanderi (2) in 80 different municipal corporation schools students
took pledge.

In Surendranagar 22,355; Bhavnagar 1,25,700; Bharuch 25,050; Keshod 14,200; Mahuva
26,488; Jamnagar 43,150; Bilimora 8,100; Bardoli 16,570 and Dang area 12,536 people
took pledge.


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Contact Details: Krishna Shah
2019, Ashapuri, Astodia,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
+91 997 4242 800