In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 17th as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The declaration was inspired by French citizens and human rights advocates who have, since 1987, gathered on October 17th to “express their refusal of extreme poverty.”
The Day seeks to promote increased awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and serves to remind all people that sustained and concerted effort is vital to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015.
According to the UN,
Most anti-poverty programs lift out of poverty only those that are just below the poverty line, leaving the poorest of the poor even further behind;
Building a partnership with the most disadvantaged which takes into account their efforts and aspirations is the only possible way to eradicate poverty;
Because extreme poverty separates parents and children from each other, the efforts of families to reunite and stay together must be at the centre of political action against poverty.
Join others worldwide in raising awareness of poverty and the UN’s goals: a variety of printable posters, brochures, and other materials can be downloaded here.