Students in Poland show their support for the "Stand Up" campaign in Poland

To highlight the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, from 16-18 October 2009, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Warsaw partnered with the Art of Living foundation to promote the "Stand Up Against Poverty" campaign. The promotion of the campaign took place in 13 cities throughout the country, with over 70 schools participated.

Events included concerts, debates, lectures, informational campaigns, sport matches, theatre performances, tree plantings, video presentations and the donating of blood. In total, over 17,000 people took part in the events.

One of the main events took place on 17 October, in which UNIC Warsaw in cooperation with the UN Millennium campaign sent letters to radio stations throughout Europe to play the famous Bob Marley song, “Get Up, Stand Up” to enhance support for the "Stand Up Against Poverty" campaign. The song was played by three radio stations, after which the stations informed listeners of the campaign.

UNIC Warsaw supports and joins nationwide initiatives to improve life of the people in need in developing countries.  We gave an honourable patronage over a “Resources for Water” program initiated by the Ecologic Foundation “Arka” in cooperation with the Polish Humanitarian Action.  The aim of the programme is to raise awareness of school pupils and teachers on such issues as poverty and lack of water that lead to death - the problems that children and youth of the students' age deal with every day in Africa.  The programme mobilizes school students to collect used material and waste, and sell it at recycling centres.  The funds are donated to the Polish Humanitarian Action, a non-government organization that will use them to build wells in Sudan.

“Resources for Water” program will be launched on World Water Day 2008 (22 March) and last until December.  It is an activity organized to observe the International Year of Sanitation.

A panel discussion on "UN in Poland, Poland at the UN" with experts on sustainable development, MDGs and peacekeeping, and a reception for key Government officials, NGO leaders and academics, was organized by UNIC and the UN Country Team.