Today is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty! This day celebrates the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Signed in 1948, on October 17 1987 over 100,000 people gathered in Paris to celebrate the important document. It proclaims that poverty is a violation of human rights and expresses the need for the international community to ensure that these most basic rights are protected. In 1992, the UN General Assembly declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The date is intended to be an opportunity for member states and other organizations to organize activities which will promote the eradication of poverty and destitution. Since it's inception, the participation of the poor within the celebrations has been central.
This year's theme is "From Poverty to Decent Work: Bridging the Gap." Join with The Borgen Project and others in your community to celebrate this day. Commit yourselves to the essential task of eradicating poverty.
"The campaign to make poverty history- a central moral challenge of our age- cannot remain a task for the few, it must become a calling for the many. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I urge everyone to join this struggle. Together, we can make real and sufficient progress towards the end of poverty."
-Kofi Annan, an excerpt from his speech given on October 17, 2006
-Erica Stetz
SOURCE: UN
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