Poverty is violence. It violates the Human rights. It humbles, locks in silence and destroys lives, but it is not inevitable. Those who suffer from it are choosing to resist. Our world needs their intelligence to meet the challenges it faces. We reject the misery and human waste that the poverty represents, as we reject slavery.
We must constantly clarify and concretize the meaning of “leave no one behind”, which is the motto of the Sustainable Development Goals. We seek to promote among all decision-makers and managers an increased understanding of poverty as a violation of human rights and, as a consequence, an approach to actions undertaken to address poverty that is informed by access to human rights.
This requires all of us, politicians, NGOs, ordinary citizens, to join with people living in poverty.
When families are going through a difficult time, often what they need is someone to listen to them. If you don’t listen, you don’t find out the truth of what’s going on and this makes it difficult for people to get the help that they need. If you don’t listen, you don’t learn, and we are all supposed to be learning every day of our lives, just like scientists trying to solve problems!
When people are listened to, and their ideas are taken on board, you can often come up with better answers and the solutions work out. Broaden the scope and examine the drivers of income mobility, including the role of markets and the broader forces of economic transformation. We are living in the middle of a human capital crisis and need to do everything we can to create a world where children everywhere have the opportunity to become whatever they want.
Investments in learning and better-quality education as a pathway out of poverty. It is critical to incorporate behavioral insights into policies and programs, to better reach those who have been left behind in the development process.
Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, investing in human capital and by measuring progress – we can get the rest of the way.
Wherever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure those rights be respected is our solemn duty.
THOSE BORN INTO POVERTY SHOULDN'T BE DESTINED TO REMAIN THAT WAY.