October 17, is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The observance of this day can be tracked back to 1987 when over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.
The General Assembly has therefore designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries, particularly in developing countries - a need that has become a development priority.
Poverty can be defined as a condition in which a person or community is deprived of, or lacks the essentials for a minimum standard of well-being and life.
The theme for this year is "People living in poverty as agents of change: 20th Anniversary of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.” The theme encourages participation of the poor so they contribute to the eradication of poverty.
Millennium Development Goal Number One also seeks to reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day, which is a lot of people in this region, and also to reduce by half the people who suffer from hunger.
Issues journalists can address
Enlighten and make people aware of this day and explain how it came to be as well as its significance.
Explore the links between HIV and poverty. Countries with high poverty levels have been found to have the highest HIV statistics, pointing to a vicious link between poverty and HIV. HIV in the home directly affects that home’s ability to feed itself and to work.
By eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, nations will effectively reduce their populations’ vulnerability to HIV infection. Many people indulge in risky behaviour in order to sustain their living. Journalists can also highlight the plight and struggle of people living with HIV and give them a chance to speak out. For example, lack of access to antiretroviral drugs or the blood tests needed to monitor treatment due to inadequate funds, or inability to afford the cost of transport to fetch supplies from the clinics that supply them.
Explore the relationship between gender imbalances and HIV. This can include the vulnerability of both women and the girl children to transactional sex, who are forced into relations of convenience so that they can put a meal on the table.
A good standard of living and good health are human rights. What can be done to ensure that these rights are enjoyed by everyone? Are these rights absolute? What can be done if they are violated?
Find out events happening in your own country. For more information about the events, get more information on http://www.whiteband.org/Action/calendar/GcapSpecials/anti-poverty-day/
SOURCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_for_the_Eradication_of_Poverty
http://www.whiteband.org/Action/calendar/GcapSpecials/anti-poverty-day/
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/intldays/IntlDay/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty
|
