Poverty a global issue — and a local one, too

Opinion

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on recognizing poverty and finding ways to eliminate it.

Commemorated annually on Oct. 17, this day brings together global communities through events, summits and campaigns. This year’s theme is “ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families.” The United Nations says that the day focuses on ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families, with a clear goal — to “put the furthest behind first and build institutions that help families stay together, thrive and shape their own futures.”

However, global initiatives around poverty are centred on developed countries, a bias influenced by historical imbalances, economic power and control over resources. The media tends to prioritize politically relevant issues rather than the complexities of global poverty, often portraying it as a tragedy leading people to believe nothing can be done. While poverty may never truly be eliminated, its existence can be significantly reduced.

In developing nations, extreme poverty is prevalent, due to the large populations. Yet, the day holds relevance for developed nations for many reasons, where inequality and the wide gap between social classes continue to perpetuate hardships. The observance of this day not only focuses on poverty that relates to income but also health care, education, justice and political power. (Source: “The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty,” UFCW Canada, n.d.)

In developing countries, poverty is a major global issue caused by a lack of income, basic resources and opportunity. Discussions on this topic overlook or emphasize the global dimensions that follow it, often blaming the mass poverty on bad governance or infrastructure. While these factors play into the role, they are not the entire cause. Addressing these issues requires a shift from sympathy to systematic action.

Even in developed nations like Canada, cities such as Brandon face barriers in providing community and employment supports, social inclusion and equitable access to housing and basic services, demonstrating that poverty is not a distant issue — it exists in our own backyard.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty should not only highlight issues in developed countries, but it should also amplify the voices of small communities and developing nations. Rather than assuming poverty comes from bad governance, we must dig deeper to find what can be done to create a long-lasting change. This day should inspire us to replace ignorance with understanding. Poverty may look different across the world, but poverty exists everywhere, in some places more than others.

» Chidinma Emeka-Ogumka is a Grade 10 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.