The UN developed a plan to end Extreme Poverty in the world by 2015, helping 1.1 billion people.
In September of 2000, 23 of the richest countries agreed to contribute 0.7% of their income to the initiative per year (equivalent to 6 days of global military spending).
Speak up to your government. Tell them to meet their promises and donate 0.7% of their annual income to the UN initiative.
Give them a call, send them a letter, ask your friends to call or write them. It'll take you 20 minutes and you don't have to leave your home
Do you have 20 minutes right now to help 1.1 Billion People?
What is poverty exactly? Extreme Poverty: The most severe state of poverty. Living on less than USD $1.50 per day. It affects 1.1 billion people.
"If you don't give us a shove, if you don't give the system a push, it's just not going to change and you're going to be the ones who end up suffering the consequences.
"But if you are behind it. If you put the same energy and imagination that you put into Facebook into the political process I guarantee you, there's nothing we can't solve. All right?"
Does it feel frustrating knowing that there is so much suffering in the world? I've felt that way. Like there is nothing that I can do to end extreme poverty. Like it's a problem that even my great-grand children will see. What can you do? How do you find the time between your job, spending time with your family/friends and just living life to do anything to really end extreme poverty? Have you felt guilty that you're not doing enough to end poverty?
My Story
After years of frustration, I started searching for ways to solve the problem in my lifetime. Although I wanted to do my part to help, I didn't want to change my whole career path, leave my family and friends and everything that I knew. I want to help, but I didn't want to quit my job and join UNICEF on the other part of the world.
I asked myself how can I make a difference without dedicating my life to the cause. What I found was incredible.
How do we end poverty? Well, as you read these words, extreme poverty is being eliminated. It’s happening right now. The United Nations and 189 countries have agreed to eliminate poverty by 2015.
What I found was that I didn't need to carry the entire burden of extreme poverty on my shoulders, because many of the leaders of the world have agreed to help. They've made progress over the last 10 years, but they needed my help for the rest. They need me to speak up to my public officials.
Does it Sound Impossible?
Centuries ago, we lived in a world where it seemed impossible women would be allowed to vote or that the world would ever abolish slavery. Ending extreme poverty in the world may seem impossible now, but we’re almost there.
Our children will live in a world without extreme poverty. You can tell them that you helped end it. This can be your legacy to the next generation.
"Politicians really do pay attention to their mail! Especially the volume of mail. As letters mount up on an issue, it will achieve greater importance.
"At the national level, one letter is considered to represent thousands of people's opinions."
-- Elizabeth May Executive Director, Activist Sierra Club of Canada
Imagine that you are an employee for a company. For this week, you have 6 tasks you need to finish before the end of the week and you're not sure if you can do all 6 in time.
You're boss walks to your cubicle and asks if you're close to finishing 5 tasks by the end of the week (your boss doesn't ask about the 6th task). Since you're so busy, chances are you will complete all tasks EXCEPT the 6th task that the boss didn’t ask about.
In this example, your national government is the employee and you are the boss! As the boss, you have to speak up to your employees and tell them what you need.
The Millennium Development Goals are the 6th task. Don't let them fall through the cracks. You have to ask your employee to complete the 6th task and meet their obligations as they said they were going to do. Otherwise, it might be forgotten. Don't let your government forget.
"Politicians are still just people. They are mostly honest, mostly over-worked, and often wrong. If you can help them do the right thing, why not try?"
--Elizabeth May Executive Director, Activist Sierra Club of Canada
A call can be shorter than writing out a letter and more powerful. Call and leave a message. Remember to leave a call back number so that they can follow-up with you
Suggestion2: Review and Re-type the letters.
If you have a few minutes, re-write the letters in your own words. The more you make the letters unique to you and your desires, the more attention it will get.
This is the most important part. Your family and friends need to know that they can make a difference, just like you just learnt.
What if you had the cure for cancer, but you didn't tell anyone about it? You could save millions of lives by taking 5 minutes to spread the word, but you choose not to share it with the world.
Instead, imagine that you told 85 people about the cure, who then told 85 people the next day, who told 85 the day after that, who told 85 people. If you do the math, after 4 days, you've reached 52 Million people. That’s the population of England, all from you sending a single e-mail.
What would happen if 52 million letters flooded public officials all over the world?
Now, imagine that you told 195 people, who told 195 people the next day, and so on. After 4 days, you've reached 1.5 Billion people. That’s the total number of people in the world who have internet access.
You have the power to reach the entire globe within days.
In January of 2011, word of an uprising started (mainly through the internet, especially Twitter) in protest against poverty, government corruption and the rule of president Hosni Mubarak. In less than one month, more than 2 million protesters took to the streets. After a month of violent resistance from the government, the president finally resigned.
Following these 3 steps is the best thing you can do to end extreme poverty in the world. And it only takes 20 minutes. Do you have 20 minutes right now to end extreme poverty?
Congratulations! You Are Now Apart of the Solution
Thank you for taking a big step to end extreme poverty! You used something more powerful than your money, you used your voice and 20 minutes of your time.
Feel free of any guilt that you're not doing your part to make the world a better place for the next generation. You've used the power of democracy and social media to start a wild fire. You are now apart of the solution!
"Although many rich countries are suffering from economic hardships, poorer nations are being hit doubly hard.
This is small change for the rich world, but a lifeline for millions
Rich nations have barely increased aid and are lining up big cuts for the next few years- cuts that will cost lives"
--Max Lason Head of Development Finance and Public Services Oxfam
Your government official is voted in by you. If the government chooses to ignore 100s of thousands of letters from the voting public, they risk alienating themselves and losing your votes come the next election.
Your government official is voted in by you. If the government chooses to ignore 100s of thousands of letters from the voting public, they risk alienating themselves and losing your votes come the next election. Just like it’s an employee’s responsibility to listen to their boss or risk being fired.
4 What if my Life is too Busy to get Involved?
If you can make 20 minutes today, you can make this difference in the world.
