To paraphrase Wikipedia, poverty is the deprivation of common necessities which determine the quality of life. In our age of Nintendo Wii’s, online banking, flat-screen TV’s, and more, poverty is still a huge problem in our world. Poverty affects about half of the world’s population.
Here are some of the main causes of poverty:
- Environmental factors: This includes erosion, desertification and overgrazing, deforestation, drought, and lack of natural resources included fresh water and fertile land.
- Economic factors: Unemployment; food prices; capital flight; unfair property laws; and unfair trade.
- Health factors: Inadequate access to health care, poor nutrition, disease, and substance abuse.
- Government factors: Lack of democracy; weak rule of law; poor resource management; corruption.
- Demographic and social factors: Overpopulation; crime; cultural causes; war; discrimination.
About half of the world population suffers from poverty!
What can we do?
Kiva.org is an organization that provides micro-lending to the working poor. In impoverished nations it’s very difficult to get loans. Kiva helps by giving small loans so people can improve their livelihoods.
End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign – In 2000 189 world leaders made a promise to meet the eight-point development goals to help end poverty by 2015. Check out the goals and what you can do to help achieve them.
This post is part of Blog Action Day 2008. Blogs from all walks of life are getting together to discuss poverty and what can be done to end it. Go check out the Blog Action Day site and the participating sites.
Poverty can be wiped out if we want it to. It’s up to us to push that goal!
photo credit: jamesfischer
