International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2024: Theme, History, Significance, and Celebration Ideas

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated every year on October 17 throughout the world. The day tries to promote dialogue and understanding about poverty within governments and policymakers.

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty 2024: Theme

The 2024 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty theme is — ‘Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment Acting together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies’.

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty 2024: History

The day’s history traces back to 1987 when over 100,000 people assembled at the Trocadero in Paris to commemorate victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear. The event was concluded by the founder of the International Movement ATD Fourth World, Joseph Wresinski, unveiling a memorial stone in which he said poverty is a violation of human rights.

In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly, by resolution 47/196, designated October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. It invited all States to devote the day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regards to the eradication of poverty and destitution.

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty 2024: Significance

The day is an opportunity for those living in poverty and who make up the rest of society to come together and build on the understanding of the hardships faced by impoverished communities. It serves as a platform to show recognition for the struggles endured by people living in poverty and their determination to be heard.

The observance underscores that poverty is not just an economic issue but also a violation of human rights. Impoverished people are deprived of healthy living, water, food, education, equal human rights and dignity along with poverty.

It also highlights the need to ensure the participation of people living in poverty, as agents of change, in all discussions and decision-making processes that impact their lives. The International Committee for October 17 further involves people living in poverty in the choice of themes for the annual celebrations, thereby ensuring that this is a participatory campaign.

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty: Facts

1. As per the World Bank, approximately more than 712 million people or about 9% of the global population live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 per day.
2. Almost 22,000 children die each day due to poverty and a billion children worldwide live in impoverished conditions, reported Borgen Project.
3. There are five countries – Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Nigeria, which represent three-fifths of the world’s extreme poor.
4. The pandemic of COVID-19 has reversed years of progress. As many as 23 million people are poorer than they were in 2019.
5. Only 12% of the world’s population uses 85% of the Earth’s water, revealing an alarming inequality between the populations that have access to resources and those that do not.

How To Celebrate International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty

1. Conduct Educational WorkshopsHost workshops or seminars to make people aware of the causes and consequences of the poverty trap. Stress the importance of education to come out of the poverty cycle.
2. Community DiscussionsSet up forums or discussion groups where people in the community can talk about and share their experiences or ideas about poverty alleviation.
3. Volunteer ActivitiesGet involved with or create a local volunteer committee, and participate in activities such as food drives, clothing drives or community clean-up with a focus on supporting impoverished areas.
4. Social Media CampaignsUtilise Facebook, Instagram, X and other platforms to share poverty facts, personal stories and calls to action. Amplify the message using appropriate tags.