In Johannesburg and in Montreal, the CIVICUS World Assembly team has all but forgotten what their families and friends look like, but as the clock ticks down to the global event, its attendance list reads like a who’s who of the civil society “world.”

It’s official. It’s now exactly one month until an expected 900 plus civil society enthusiasts descend on the cobbled streets of Montreal for the CIVICUS World Assembly. Specialised workshop sessions have risen to 48, nearly double the number the event has held before. Accommodation in the Canadian city has been all but booked up under names like Google, Al Jazeera, the World Bank, UNDP, Oxfam and ActionAid among many others.In a live interview with Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International and one of the key note speakers at the Assembly the question was asked: Why is the World Assembly important? His response was simple: civil society needs to realise that the planet is already taking prisoners – people are facing starvation due to drought, rising food insecurity and the influx of climate refugees. “We must unite at the World Assembly.”

Under a similar pretense, the director of the Millennium Development Goal Beyond 2015 team, Leo Williams, who along with peers at CONCORD and the Global Campaign Against Poverty is hosting a three-day workshop during the World Assembly to coordinate a framework for civil society to act past MDG deadline of 2015, summed up why he is making sure anyone who is anyone will be in Montreal. “What is clear at this stage is that the UN General Assembly WILL discuss this (MDG post 2015 deadline) in September at its 66th session. What is also clear is that civil society needs to be speaking to their governments about this in advance of this session in order to influence their thinking.”

For the Open Forum and Better Aid teams who are working to coordinate the civil society voice for the Fourth High Level Forum meeting on Aid Effectiveness in Busan later this year, the World Assembly is the final key mobilisation moment. All are encouraged to make their voice heard during the discussions.

Meanwhile, this year as the Arab Spring continues to dominate the headlines, the technology that has helped mobilise mass action will be under the spotlight at the World Assembly during “connecting people through technology” sessions. Fittingly, heading a panel is Mohammed Ziyaad Hassen, Al Jazeera’s Senior Planner for Social　Media. When propositioned to attend, he said simply, of course. Bringing with him a throng of live footage from the Arab uprises, Mohammed said he is looking forward to discussing with civil society representatives how Al Jazeera can work better with them to communicate the needs of the people on the street.

As delegates to the assembly start to diaritise the sessions they wish to attend (http://www.civicusassembly.org/Programme.php), many may like to know that on the evening of 10 September a special film night will screen top global climate documentaries showcasing the voice of the indigenous people too often the silent victims of environmental and social injustice. The producer of leading oil exploration documentary, H2Oil, is set to be in attendance leading a Q&A discussion. This film night will extend from a protest earlier that day that demands attention is given to the plight of citizens to get their voices heard by decision-makers for more social and climate justice, starting with indigenous people facing land eviction by greedy oil companies.

As the CIVICUS World Assembly fights to keep its title as being the largest global gathering of civil society, the issues it will discuss become increasingly urgent. Thus leaving the question: are you ready for Montreal?

Find out more about the 2011 CIVICUS World Assembly here.