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However, there are many solutions that can help to alleviate poverty and create a more equitable society. These can range from providing basic education and healthcare to building infrastructure and promoting economic growth.
The key to ending poverty is setting practical goals regarding poverty reduction. It is not enough to have a vague sense of purpose and direction. With concrete objectives aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals like decent work and economic growth, the most well-meaning intentions can be realized. The challenge for those working to combat poverty is to find meaningful metrics to measure progress and create achievable steps that will bring about real change. Setting specific, time-bound goals for reducing income inequality, increasing access to education and healthcare, and promoting inclusive economic growth allows for targeted policies and programs. With careful planning and commitment to equitable opportunity and decent work for all, poverty reduction goals can be translated into actionable strategies that uplift people out of poverty. Tracking progress based on clear goals and data fosters accountability and gives direction to guide efforts to end poverty.
Eradicating extreme poverty rates for all by 2030 is a primary ambition of the Sustainable Development Agenda. In the three years between 2015 to 2018, global poverty decreased from 10.1 percent to 8.6 percent. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted a sharp blow to these efforts, leading to an alarming surge in extreme poverty - with 9.2 percent recorded this past year.
In fact, due to rising inflation and the effects of the armed conflict in Ukraine, we can anticipate around 75 - 95 million people to be pushed into poverty. The combined force of all these disasters strikes a devastating yet telling blow – undoing 25 years of progress in one fell swoop.
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1. Eliminating Poverty Through Equity
For those living in poverty, the key to eliminating it is through equity: considering the root causes of poverty and striving towards creating a society where everyone has an equal chance of thriving. Making this possible requires looking at social and economic disparities, ensuring access to education and work opportunities, and offering essential services such as healthcare and housing.
The strategies for reducing poverty and advancing fairness are clear-cut:
- Investing in educational programs.
- Promoting economic expansion and job prospects.
- Providing access to affordable healthcare.
- Dealing with discrimination due to any difference.
- Augmenting social safety nets.
- Boosting the availability of affordable housing.
All these measures, when taken together, help create a more equitable state by lessening the burden of poverty on those who find themselves without sufficient means to support themselves.
2. Reducing Poverty With Resilience
Poverty reduction through resilience necessitates cultivating the capacity of people, communities, and systems to withstand and bounce back from shock and strain. This includes a variety of initiatives, such as:
Enhancing social protection: Programs like jobless benefits in rural areas, food aid, and accommodation assistance help give people in poverty a cushion and diminish fiscal disparity.
Raising community resilience: Teams can work together to refine fortitude by forming local resources and networks to assist one another during tough times.
Publicizing economic multiplicity: Encouraging the maturation of an array of economic activities can minimize the susceptibility of communities to financial chaos.
Upgrading Foundation: Investing in infrastructures, such as itineraries, educational institutions, and health facilities, can boost the hardiness of communities.
Increasing natural resource authority: Ensuring that natural and economic resources are overseen sustainably can reduce the vulnerability of communities to climatic catastrophes and other environmental crises.
Advancing fiscal awareness and savings: Encouraging people to save money and oversee their accounts adequately can augment their strength against financial pressures and ameliorate poverty.
For generations, the Democratic Republic of Congo, a county in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been entrenched in a volatile conflict since declaring independence from Belgium in 1960. This long-standing strife has left millions of Congolese exposed and impoverished, whether living in hostile regions or huddled away in overcrowded refugee camps. When another disaster strikes, like the Ebola epidemic of 2019 or the Nyiragongo volcano erupting in 2021, those suffering cannot cope with the additional strain on their limited resources.
The need for resilience is greater now than ever before. We must assist the most destitute and at-risk communities in preparing for any impending calamities - be it human-caused or natural disasters. As the definition of resilience continues to evolve, it requires us in the humanitarian aid and development sector to take concrete steps in anticipating such disruptions.
3. Committing to Climate Change Solutions and Justice
Taking decisive action to combat climate change and guarantee equitable outcomes necessitates a multifaceted approach. We can start by reducing our contributions to greenhouse gases, transitioning the power grid to renewable energy sources, facilitating efficiency in energy usage, and curtailing deforestation and other land-use practices that emit toxic gasses.
To better equip vulnerable populations against the adverse effects of global warming, we must also guide them in preparing for extreme weather events and rising ocean levels.
We must advocate for robust climate control laws, both on national and international stages, that take into account the excessive strain placed on already disadvantaged communities. Additionally, and most importantly, we must prioritize and empower community-driven solutions designed to mitigate climate issues and their impacts.
Climate change is a daunting challenge that demands decisive action, especially on the part of affluent nations whose emissions far outstrip poorer countries most affected by its changing landscape.
According to the World Bank, climate change could thrust an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty in the next ten years without urgent steps in the right direction. Making good on a commitment to climate justice is not just a humanitarian question but a duty that needs to be undertaken to stand a chance of conquering these global goals.
4. Poverty Eradication Through Education
Eradicating poverty through education can be achieved by giving everyone, especially those living in poverty, quality learning opportunities. In addition, education provides people with the tools to develop their economic prospects and provide equal rights to alleviate poverty.
We can drastically reduce poverty by enacting several strategies, such as expanding access to primary and secondary education, enrolling and retaining disadvantaged groups; investing in teacher training, resources, and school facilities; enabling lifelong learning; and creating specific programs for at-risk populations like women and girls.
Education is a potent force that can break the shackles of poverty and level the playing field. By opening access to quality learning opportunities to all, particularly those living in poverty, we can unearth their boundless potential, allowing them to pursue greater economic prospects. By equipping teachers with proper training and resources, creating pathways for lifelong learners, and targeting interventions to disadvantaged populations, we can lift up entire communities and usher in a brighter future for everyone.
UNESCO's research reveals a powerful truth: the power of education to help break the cycle of poverty. With essential reading and writing skills, an estimated 171 million people in low-income countries could lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
