Today Is The International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty

EIGHT per cent of the world’s population live in extreme poverty.

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that date, more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. Since that moment, individuals and organizations worldwide observed October 17 as a day to renew their commitment in collaborating towards eradicating poverty. In December, 1992, the UN General Assembly officially declared October 17 as the date for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

A day to promote people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries. It’s a global observance and not a public holiday.

Various non-government organizations 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. 

The commemoration of October 17 each year demonstrates how greater participation can be achieved by enabling people from all walks of life to come together to respect the human rights and dignity of people living in poverty. The participation of children and young people has always been encouraged. Recognising the important roles children can play by sharing and applying the valuable knowledge they have acquired from their personal daily struggle to overcome poverty.

Join the #EndPoverty global campaign

Everyone can join the campaign on social media by using hashtag #EndPoverty and promoting the call to action to connect with people from around the world who have joined the fight to overcome poverty. The online community can use #EndPoverty to share messages about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty via social media.