Poverty is an unending cycle that humanity has been trying to break for centuries. In 1948, at Trocadéro in Paris, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. It was proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and it is important for all people to come together to ensure basic human rights are upheld. On 17th October 1987, over a hundred thousand people gathered once again at this venue to declare the day as the “Day for the Eradication of Poverty”. Every year on this day, people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, races and beliefs renew their commitment and show solidarity in the fight against poverty on this day.
On 22 December 1992, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 47/196 and officially declared 17th October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Every year, the United Nations announces a theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty to focus on specific issues and work towards them with a keen approach. The theme for 2024 is, “Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment Acting together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies”.
As per the UN website, this year’s theme highlights a “hidden dimension of poverty which is the social and institutional maltreatment experienced by people living in poverty, and considers ways to act together on Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.”
Poor people face negative attitudes such as discrimination, social stigma, and judgement based on appearance, accents and disrespect. Social maltreatment extends to institutional maltreatment which leads to the creation of discriminatory and controlling policies and practices. Some rampant violations of fundamental human rights are denying access to safe working conditions, healthcare, reasonable working hours and even legal identity.
The social and institutional maltreatment is amplified with other forms of prejudice and discrimination on grounds of discrimination, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
The 21st-century world is characterised by unprecedented levels of technological development and economic growth opportunities. Ironically, millions of people are living in extreme poverty. Poverty is not just an economic issue, but a multidimensional phenomenon which is compounded by a lack of income and capability to live in dignity.
Some commonly perpetuated indignity and affront to basic rights of individuals in institutions and society are -
Unsafe housing
Dangerous work conditions
Lack of political power
Lack of nutritious food
Unequal access to justice
Limited access to health care
Consultation on the theme of October 17, Forum for Overcoming Poverty (March 2024)
Different forms of violence and domination interact and impact people in poverty. Everyday experiences of injustice dehumanise and undermine self-esteem, destroy personal agency and deny people of dignified opportunities to get out of poverty. Social and institutional maltreatment leads to loss of human potential which is detrimental to the progress of the entire society.
Source: How poverty affects people's decision-making processes
As individuals, we all are accountable for the society and the people of this world. Poverty has far-reaching impact not just on people, but even environment, social structures and animal rights. Lately, there is news of some countries in Africa such as Nambia and Zimbawe allowing its people to eat wild animals. Legal permits have been given for slaughtering elephants and hippopotamus to feed the citizens.
Some ways in which as individuals we can contribute to the international eradication of poverty are -
Make meaningful contributions to charities that support the campaign and collect money, clothes, food, toys, books and other essentials for victims of emergencies and poor people in different parts of society.
Keep yourself informed about issues that affect poor and disadvantaged persons in the society via regional and international news and social media.
Engage with and state your opinions on enw policies that will hold policy-makers accountable.
Support education for all and contribute to organisations that promote education such as schools, organisations and other NGOs that work at the grassroots.
Support environmental programmes that are invested in poverty eradication.
Support causes that empower women and girls.
Support initiatives that ensure access to healthcare to the poorest.
Support access to safe housing, infrastructure and clean drinking water.
You can do more than make donations and raise your voice by volunteering in different capacities. You can opt for career in fields where you can be a policymaker or influence their decisions. Careers in media, administrative services or even non-government organisations are rewarding. A new trend on socially-conscious businesses involves the lowest denominations of the society and give them an opportunity to dignified earning opportunities. There is much that we can do as a group with empathy and social consciousness.
