Make poverty history

2005 is almost ending. Yet, the story of poverty seems to be without end. Is it possible to make poverty history within this millennium?

That is the challenge posed by the 2005 Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme.

In 2000, the world's leaders adopted the following Millennium Declaration: " We have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level. As leaders, we have a duty therefore to all the world's people, especially the most vulnerable and, in particular, the children of the world, to whom the future belongs."

If promises and commitments remain only in paper, and real change not manifested in terms of practice, the UNDP report warned, that " there is real danger that the next 10 years, like the last 15 years, will deliver far less for human development than has been promised."

According to the same report, if the present world proceeds without genuine commitment and action to change, consider these following consequences for the developing countries by 2015:

1) more than 41 million children will die before their 5th birthday, from the most readily curable of all diseases- poverty;

2) there will be an additional 380 million people living on less than $1 ( or about P53) per day; and

3) about 47 million children will still be out of school.

And while the present and future appear bleak for those in the developing countries, "the world's richest 500 individuals have a combined income greater than that of the poorest 416 million!"

The reality of the present world is not a thing of beauty to behold. If inequity is not addressed throughout the world, the picture of the future can even be worse than the present. And fatal for millions. Especially for the children throughout the world.

To avoid the death of millions, to put millions more in school, can the world work to make poverty history within the next 10 years?

The UNDP report notes that inequality will have to be resolved, and soon.

It notes, " championing globalization while turning a blind eye to global equity concerns is increasingly anachronistic." "The world's highest trade barriers erected against some of its poorest countries" will have to be restructured to benefit millions rather than a few.

Trade justice is one core demand of the Make Poverty History campaign. More and better aid as well as drop the debt are additional demands of the campaigners that include groups like Christian Aid, FORGE, and the Trade Justice Movement Coalition.

Everyone is enjoined to do their share and join the campaign for Global Trade Justice " to make trade work for all and make poverty history."

For more details, you can call the Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors Inc. ( FORGE) at 412-6862 or 412-6328 or email at [email protected].

In 1937, then US President Franklin Roosevelt, delivered the following in his second inaugural address: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

How much longer will those who have so little or nothing in this world wait for their much-awaited change? Won't you share your time and commitment now to make this world a better place especially for the children?