ACT:FAST against global poverty 2010
Micah Challenge Canada is inviting Christian communities to ACT:FAST in 2010 to end global poverty. The ACT:FAST campaign involves prayer, fasting, advocacy and action, all toward the ultimate goal of seeing poverty halved by 2015, and a church united in its pledge to walk with the poor. ACT:FAST is also part of the Micah
Challenge International 2010 initiative, to mobilize 10 million
Christians on October 10th, 2010 (“10.10.10”) in prayer for the poor,
recommitting to action, signaling to governments that Christians
around the world are serious about meaningful action on global poverty.
The ACT:FAST campaign will mobilize Christians across Canada
for action in advance of three meetings or days of action that are of
global importance . These three key dates/events are:
• the G8 Summit (June 25-27, 2010)
• the UN Special Summit on the Millennium Development Goals
(September 20-22, 2010)
• the Micah Challenge Global Day of Advocacy and Prayer “10.10.10”
(October 10th, 2010)
On each of these days, Christians across the country will come together as local community groups to pray, fast for one meal, send a Letter to the Editor to their local paper, and let their MP know that they are participating in the ACT:FAST campaign. The ACT:FAST tool kit will be available soon - stay tuned!
Signing the Micah Call - a Crucial Action
More than 24 million people signed the Jubilee 2000 Debt campaign petition! It was a powerful tool in the success of the campaign. It has been estimated that for each signature more than £4,000 of debt was cancelled. Social spending across all Highly Indebted Poor Countries is estimated to have risen by about 20%. Mozambique was able to introduce a free immunisation programme for children and primary school fees were abolished in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi.
Our aim is to make the Micah Call an equally powerful expression of support for achievement of the MDGs and the halving of poverty by 2015. We hope to collect signatures representing more than 25 million individuals and more than a million local churches.
You can play a vital role, by inviting your church, your friends and your networks to sign the Micah Call. If you are also a leader or a member of a Christian organisation, network or denomination, you can help by asking your organisation to formally sign the Micah Call.
How to sign the call Copy and paste the Micah Call, below, into an email, and send it to info@micahchallenge.ca, along with your name, the name of your church, and your postal code.
The Micah Call
This is a moment in history of unique potential, when the stated intentions of world leaders echo something of the mind of the Biblical prophets and the teachings of Jesus concerning the poor, and when we have the means to dramatically reduce poverty.
We commit ourselves, as followers of Jesus, to work together for the holistic transformation of our communities, to pursue justice, be passionate about kindness and to walk humbly with God.
We call on international and national decision-makers of both rich and poor nations, to fulfil their public promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and so halve absolute global poverty by 2015.
We call on Christians everywhere to be agents of hope for and with the poor, and to work with others to hold our national and global leaders accountable in securing a more just and merciful world.
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