Poverty

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on Monday, October 17. This commemoration began in 1993, and was sanctioned by the United Nations (UN). The observance can actually be traced back to October 17, 1987.

On that day, more than a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948 to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence, and hunger. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year, to renew their commitment to and show their solidarity with the poor. This special occasion is to promote people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution globally. The theme of the 2011 observance is “From Poverty to Sustainability: People at the Centre of Inclusive Development”. So October 17 presented an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognise that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty.

People living in poverty face increasingly difficult challenges, such as climate change, environmental degradation, and rising food prices. These all threaten their livelihoods and survival. So the path to sustainable development must ensure that people living in poverty be included in decision-making processes, and that concrete action be taken to respond to their needs and demands.

In this light, a host of non-government organisations and community charities support the Day for the Eradication of Poverty by actively calling for country leaders and governments to make the fight against poverty a central part of foreign policy.

Other activities may include signing “Call to action” petitions, organising concerts and cultural events, and holding interfaith gatherings.

For this occasion, the UN Postal Administration previously issued six commemorative stamps and a souvenir card on the theme “We Can End Poverty”. These tokens feature drawings or paintings of people, particularly children, working together in the fight against poverty. Many of these images used strong colours and contrasts. These stamps are the result of an art competition in which six designs were selected from the submissions of more than 12,000 children from 124 countries. However, much more must be done. Eradication of poverty is not just in the mind and literature. People need to get practical.

For example, the group Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organisation for children. It works to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Save the Children works to bring about a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. The approach is to collaborate actively with communities and national governments to bring lasting changes for the most marginalised peoples of the world. This group has been doing quite a lot of things recently: providing immunisation and nutrition; ensuring formal schooling; exposing and preventing exploitative child labour practices and running prevention programmes; attending to emergency supplies, as well as ensuring that the poverty stricken is protected in safe places and continue their schooling.

From a national perspective, Guyana seems quite protected against descending into poverty. The modus operandi seems to be ‘preventative’ routes. One subcategory illustrates this. Take a look at water, a priceless commodity that must always be guarded. Guyana’s water sector has improved greatly, as government remains focused on meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of providing treated water by the year 2015. Through the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), under the direction of the Housing and Water Ministry, the drive to meet this goal has seen the execution of multi-billion-dollar programmes that led to a massive infrastructural transformation in virtually every community across the country. Central to the realisation of universal access to potable water is the GWI’s Turnaround Plan 2009-2013.

Reflective of significant strides over the past five years, the percentage of persons with access to potable water has increased across the country, resulting in the promotion of healthier lives and improvement in economic activities.

A look back reveals how far Guyana has come. In 2006, 27 per cent of the population had access to potable water, and 71 per cent, to treated water. In 2010, that 27 per cent has become 45 per cent, and the 71 per cent has climbed to 98 per cent. This is truly a remarkable achievement and a great position to be in. So, Guyana, in many ways, is truly a far way removed from poverty.