When is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty?
Oct 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
What is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty?
At the Trocadéro, across the river from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, one hundred thousand people gathered to honor people living in extreme poverty. It was 1987, and they declared poverty a violation of human rights. This was the first International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Since then, organizations and governments and individuals have used this day to broadcast the message. Poverty assaults human dignity, eroding our perceptions of impoverished people and their perceptions of themselves. Here is a day to resist that destructive attitude in solidarity with the poor.
It is the poor who struggle on the frontlines against poverty. They suffer while many disregard them. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is a chance to join them in their fight.
Facts about International Day for the Eradication of Poverty!
Over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day (about $1,000 per year), and 1.3 billion of them live on less than half that amount.
UNICEF says that poverty kills 22,000 children around the world every day.
More than 2 million impoverished children die every year from diarrhea and pneumonia—very preventable diseases, unless you’re poor.
The Trocadéro in Paris is where the UN General Assembly signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights back in 1948.
How to celebrate International Day for the Eradication of Poverty:
Donate to organizations that battle extreme poverty around the world. You could volunteer your time, use your gifts and abilities, and even orchestrate your career to support the fight.
What’s the hashtag for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty?
Use #EradicationOfPoverty on social media to spread the word.