Dear friends and colleagues,

As 1% of the world’s people stand up to take action against poverty this week, hope is fast waning that their voices will make any difference to world leaders whose attention is focused entirely on stemming the erosion of financial assets. The risk that the current crisis in financial markets will permit leaders of every stripe to bale out from their long overdue and meagre commitments to the world’s poor, and to the planet itself, looms very large.  

Civil society and the people whose voices we seek to amplify are being presented with yet another fait accompli. Resign yourselves, we are being told in no uncertain terms, to cutbacks in development assistance, to postponements in poverty reduction programmes and to delays in progress on climate justice. Content yourselves to competing for such scraps as may be offered. The ‘bottom billion,’ whose numbers swell each day, are once again falling off the map.  

We need an urgent response; one that is coordinated, comprehensive and strategic and with every coalition, alliance, partnership and group that stands for the world’s poor and marginalised and for the planet’s very survival. To resist the fait accompli with one voice. To demand justice for those whose existence is under increasing threat. To ensure that this time around we do not settle for some deal negotiated by the few, for the few, that protects the interests of only the few.  

As many have now pointed out, this crisis may well be our best opportunity yet to completely redesign the architecture of global governance. Not just with regard to the management of financial markets but to all aspects of global governance. To finally create institutions that aim, not merely to ensure stability and preserve the status quo, but achieve genuine democratic participation by, and an equitable voice for, every citizen of the world.  

Today 67 million of those citizens will stand up. If their voices are not silenced or ignored, civil society too must take a stand.

For this week's e-CIVICUS 411 column, I have asked my collegue Irfan Mufti,Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) Campaign Manager, to write on civil society participation in the Stand Up and Take Action campaign on 17 October. To read her article, click here.

With gratitude, faith and solidarity,

Ingrid Srinath,

To send your comments, suggestions or contributions of articles to e-CIVICUS, e-mail editor@civicus.org.

For previous articles from the Secretary General, see details below: 

. Civil society at the heart of global democracy hypocrisy

. Financial meltdown or tipping point? 

. A study in contrast: Reporting from the UN High Level Event on the MDGs

. Civil Society Challenges: 60 years on

. Human rights education at the UN DPI NGO conference in paris

. Citizens must be at the centre of effective aid

. Disabling by Design? - The Ethiopian Charities and Societies Proclamation

. China: Double double talk

. View from civil society: Key political challenges for social justice in Africa

. What now, Mr. Lamy?

. "If CIVICUS didn’t exist, we’d have to invent it"

. Beyond G-8: At the table? On the table? Whose table?

. Beyond G-8: Civil society challenges

. Recalling the Day of the African child

. CIVICUS 2008 World Assembly, a unique opportunity to effect real change

. CIVICUS new Secretary General appointed. 

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