You Can END Extreme Poverty
_______________________________________ Make (it) Happen: Challenge yourself to learn more and do more to eradicate extreme poverty -- We can help! _______________________________________   Everyone working at The Global Poverty Project is passionate about equipping everyday people with the tools to make a real difference in the fight against extreme poverty. Their focus is on connecting people to the organizations, issues, and causes that demonstrate great promise in making big impacts.We've seen the statistic: 1.4 billion people are living on US$1.50 or less per day. But where did this number come from? The World Bank sets the extreme poverty standard. Since 2005, this living standard has been set at US$1.25 per day (adjusted to US$1.50 to account for inflation). This standard forms the extreme poverty line, an invisible boundary marking an area that 1.4 billion people occupy.  Global Poverty Project runs the "Live Below the Line" initiative because developing an understanding of extreme poverty is one of the first and most important steps in fighting it. Some of the best charities in the country, including CARE, have partnered with GPP to raise funds and awareness of this issue and its solutions.Tens of thousands of people in the United States, Australia and the UK will join in and take the "Live Below the Line" challenge to live on $1.50 a day for a week from May 16-20. Maybe you've already signed up -- or maybe you'll be doing it during a different week. But if that challenge is not right for you, there are many other ways to get behind this effort. Remember, The Global Poverty Project focuses on three main types of solutions to stop and reverse the cycles of poverty: > CREATE EFFECTIVE AID > ENCOURAGE FAIR TRADE > FIGHT CORRUPTION You can make a difference in so many ways!  |
You can find dozens of ways to get involved on the Global Poverty Project website, but here are a few highlights to get you started. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOPIC: Grab a friend and attend a 1.4 Billion Reasons event (See trailer left). You can always go to globalpovertyproject.com and get informed at their info bank. There are plenty of books on the topic too! SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW: Make a commitment to tell five friends about GPP and LBL. Follow the blogs and jump in and share your thoughts. LIVE WHAT YOU LEARN: Buy certified Fairtrade products and campaign in your community to encourage more Fairtrade. SHARE WHAT YOU HAVE: Share your time or money by volunteering for or donating to successful programs. Click here for some great guidelines on what to look for when donating. SPEAK UP! Write a letter to the editor, organize your own event, or use your social networks to spread the word today! GPP even has a page where you can upload your Creative Commitment -- upload a video, song, artwork, poetry or other creative statement that captures your commitment to ending extreme poverty. Get inspired by other people's entries now! You and your friends can get loaded up with more ideas from the full GPP HOW TO GUIDE HERE. WHAT ARE THE EIGHT MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS? You'll hear a lot about them as you explore these issues. Adopted by 189 world leaders in 2000 when they signed onto the Millennium Declaration, and set to be achieved by 2015, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. The MDGs also provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy. See the eight goals and their quantifiable targets here. According to the United Nations Millennium Campaign, success is achievable because: > They represent a compact between all the world's major economic players. > The world today is more prosperous than it has ever been. > Performance against the goals is being monitored. > The Goals are clearly achievable. Some have even argued that they are not in fact "millennium", but "minimum" development goals. Help set the bar higher! |
JOIN THE CHALLENGE
 From May 16-20, 2011, thousands of people will be eating and drinking only as much per day as can be purchased for $1.50. But what do you cook? What about that coffee? They've even made a step by step survival guide to get you through the process, because it can seem daunting. Make this the year YOU take action!
Hugh Jackman Wants To Know:
FOLLOW THE LBL TOUR
On March 16, 2011, a group of dedicated end-extreme-poverty campaigners decided that conversations over Facebook, emails, and blogs about 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty were not enough. They decided to get out and meet people, to find out what Americans believe about extreme poverty, foreign aid, trade laws, and humanity. They are delivering a powerful presentation nationwide to educate their fellow citizens about the truth - the truth that this generation is the first that has the power to change the way things are to they way things could be. See their first episode of "Tour TV" above and follow their journey here. |
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