World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty

Top facts and quotes about World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty

• The theme for World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty in 2021 was Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet.
• Preventable diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia kill 2 million children a year who could not afford treatment; or did not have access to universal healthcare. https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-global-poverty
• The Gini coefficient measures the inequality of a society by looking at the income distribution of a data set. A Gini coefficient of zero expresses perfect equality whilst a coefficient of one hundred means maximum inequality. France has a Gini of 33.1, Germany 30.1, the UK 32.6 and the US 41.1
• This year’s observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty falls as the world embarks on a bold new path towards a future of dignity for all guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Message for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
• Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty. – Joseph Wresinski (1917–1988) founder of ATD Fourth World

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World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty Top Things to Do

• Poverty is economic, social, political and cultural in nature so instead of donating food and clothing, donate something that can help the social and cultural aspect of poverty in your community. Go through your things and donate old toys, books, sports equipment and household items to a local charity.
• Learn about economics, a social science that studies the way that people choose to use their resources. Understanding the basics of economics can help you further understand world poverty and what you can do to help.Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang is a good introduction to the different schools of thought.
• Watch a film or documentary which covers inequality across the spectrum - the very rich, the very poor and those in the middle. Our favourite picks: Living on One Dollar (2013), The Big Short (2015), Slumdog Millionaire (2008) or Give Us The Money. (2012).
• Reflect on your daily life. Take time to appreciate food, water, shelter, clothing, education, your computer/phone, social activities and sports. Remember that nearly half of the world's population live on less than $2.50 a day.
• Research relative poverty in your city or country to find out what your government has determined to be an average level of life for you and your fellow citizens. Relative poverty, which is determined by a person's average economic surroundings, differs from country to country and changes over time.

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