International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

€œOvercoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.

/Nelson Mandela/

Today, poverty remains one of the worst injustices against humanity. Within civilized societies, where the equality of rights is highly sought after, it is frustrating that today, not everyone is afforded their basic human rights. A large portion of society, still struggles to attain a spoonful of food, let alone a modest shelter to rest.

Acknowledging the threat that poverty poses to the future of society,the United Nations has decided to observe 17th October as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is designated to promote awareness on the need to eradicate destitution, as a violation of basic human rights. It is also presents an opportunity to formulate a newly effective strategies towards thoroughly eliminating poverty.

In line with the above, the theme for this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) has been realized by the United Nations as "Working together towards a world without discrimination:Building on the experience and knowledge of people in extreme poverty."

In order to achieve the aspirations for the theme, it is essential to advance a new set of programmes and policies that are soundly effective and efficient.

We, at the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), believe that these initiatives have to address the needs of people living in poverty as they are the ones being directly affected. Thus, the involvement and action of the youth is pivotal towards addressing the plight of our impoverished peers, and advancing their economic status within society.

As such, we recognize that the contribution of the impoverished population, particularly their experiences, remain valuable assets in formulating, implementing and evaluating both policies and programmes related to stakeholders'€™ efforts in eradicating poverty. Overlooking and ignoring such assets is a great loss in advancing our societies and is one of the main reasons behind several futile attempts at eradicating poverty.

Therefore, we reiterate our encouragement of mutual cooperation between the marginalized people living in poverty and the proactive youth population in order to voice out their plight and draw the attention of concerned stakeholders. Together, with mutual cooperation and a united effort, a world without poverty is a step closer!