The moment has finally arrived. The Stand Up Take Action global event has officially begun. One by one, country by country, millions of citizens across the globe attempt to break another Guinness World Record by showing their governments they won't stand for broken promises to the world's poor.

The Stand Up Event begins in Australia and New Zealand

People across the world have begun to take action for this global weekend to stand as one world to eradicate poverty from our lives. Citizens from Australia and New Zealand are beginning to stand up from cities like Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Wellington and beyond. Search the map and discover events in your area: http://standagainstpoverty.org/map

Online activism connecting millions around the globe. This year, for the first time, the UN Millennium Campaign has partnered with Skype and Ustream, a unique partnership that will bridge technologies in order to connect the world in conversation about the most important issues facing our generation. We have gathered an interesting array of high profile speakers to participating in a 30 minute conversation with ordinary citizens around the world to discuss poverty and its root causes. So far we have had Angelique Kidjo speaking with youth in Uganda about education, Femi Kuti talking with school children in Kenya about poverty, Nigerian Speaker of the House of Representatives discussing with Italian Parliamentarian Mario Barbi high level relief strategies, and Mary Robinson speaking with Dalit youth in India about the MDGs as human rights. These talks have been inspiring to say the least and have helped identify ways we as a global society can all work together to end poverty.

Tomorrow ordinary New Yorkers will speak to Kenyan school children from G-STAR's store in New York City, and the actor Tyson Beckford will be there. Viewers are encouraged to start their own conversations about poverty and its root causes on these powerful social networking platforms.

For more details and to watch and participate in the conversations live visit http://facebook.com/mcampaign. Media wishing to view or embed the live conversations can visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stand-up-against-poverty and media wishing to download and broadcast the clips after the conversations have occurred should use http://ustream.tv/UNcampaign. Both links will be active on October 13.

Citizens can also visit http://standagainstpoverty.org beginning on October 16 to Stand Up virtually and be counted towards what organizers hope will be a new Guinness World Record.

Carl Lewis supports Stand Up!

Carl Lewis, the legendary athlete who won 9 gold Olympic medals and who is also a FAO goodwill ambassador, has decided to support the Stand Up! mobilization. Mr. Lewis will read the Stand Up! pledge during the Red Carpet event organized by the Rome Film Festival and the FAO on Friday, Oct. 16, asking the audience to stand up for the MDGs with these very clear words:

"I have decided to take and honor the Stand Up! pledge against poverty to show my personal commitment to the fight against extreme  hunger, poverty and inequality. Today and every day I will stand up, speak out and take action for the Millennium Development Goals. The call to our leaders is simple:  end  hunger, poverty and inequality now! Keep your commitments to achieve the MDGs!".

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has become an official partner of the Stand Up! in Italy

Last Thursday Oct. 8, Marta Guglielmetti, UN Millennium Campaign Coordinator for Italy, and Mr. Petrucci, President of CONI, kicked off the official partnership between the Italian UN Millennium Campaign and CONI.

As one of the first results of the partnership, Italy's most important sport leagues will take part to the 2009 Stand Up!. This includes the football premiership, the basketball and the volleyball leagues, as well as leagues in many other sports (dance, canoe, fencing, athletic, judo, gymnastic and many other minor sports).

During the 3-day Stand Up! Mobilization, the CONI sport leagues will organize and run a series of high-profile events expected to mobilize over 350,000 between athletes and supporters around Italy.