the Fight to End Extreme Poverty

He sings. He dances. He snarls.

Hugh Jackman, Tony Award recipient for Best Leading Actor in a musical in 2004, and best known as "Wolverine" from the "X-Men" movie franchise, is looking for people who are up for a challenge. When he's not getting in shape for his next film, Jackman works and speaks on behalf of The Global Poverty Project, an organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty within a generation.

To raise awareness and funds for this issue, The GPP created

the "Live Below the Line" campaign, and Jackman and his wife, Australian actress Deborra-Lee Furness, were quick to lend their support. You can listen to Jackman's answers to key (it) magazine questions from an interview with him at the 2011 launch in London in this video clip at left.

ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE?
With a food budget of only $1.50 per day for five days, the "Live Below

the Line" challenge is designed to be a tangible way for people to experience a modicum of extreme poverty for themselves -- something 1.4 billion people on the planet must do fully every day. The goal is to create an experience that leads to deeper understanding for everyone who participates -- then to share that knowledge with others and fundraise in support of effective solutions. That's where the Global Poverty Project comes in, by activating people to help make a difference right now.

The Global Poverty Project focuses on three main types of solutions
to stop and reverse the cycles that lead to extreme poverty:

1) create quality aid programs,
2) encourage businesses to adopt fair trade practices,
3) implement anti-corruption measures at the government level.

Jackman's passion to help in this area was ignited by his work with the Global Poverty Project and now he wants to get you fired up too. There are so many ways to get involved! One easy way is to buy Fair Trade items. Is that Hershey's bar helping or hurting the cause? How about your morning coffee habit? Those are great questions to ask. Can you influence big companies to make a change? Yes! It's already happening because of steady pressure from the GPP and help from concerned citizens like you. Through the work done in support of the Millennium Development Goals, the world has experienced a reduction in the number of those living in extreme poverty from half of the world's population in 1982 to 25% today. Obviously, when the global community puts its focus on a target, we can be quite effective. As Hugh says in his interview here, "In numbers, there is great power." Make Wolverine proud. Join the movement today!

MAKE (it) HAPPEN: Learn more in our full story or go directly to our Call to Action page for a great variety of action steps to take right now.

Live Below the Line

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!

WATCH Gillian Zinser Take the Challenge!

Gillian Zinser from the popular TV Show "90210" is living on $1.50 A Day for 5 Days, as part of the "Live Below the Line Campaign" to end extreme poverty. Follow her experience in this video and see what she's learning as she takes the challenge.