Global Poverty Project

The Global Poverty Project is an international education and advocacy organisation working to catalyse the movement to end extreme poverty. The Project was founded by Hugh Evans and Simon Moss[1][2][3][4][5] and aims to increase the number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty.[6]

Vision

The Global Poverty Project’s vision is a world without extreme poverty, within a generation. To reach this end the Project utilises the power of education, communications, advocacy, campaigning and the media to try and advance the movement to end extreme poverty.

They focus on building a global movement for change: mobilising people to make a difference now, and changing the systems and policies that keep people in poverty.[7]

They do this in two ways:

• Campaigning for government, business and consumer action that will create important systemic change for the world’s extreme poor,[8] and

• Building a movement that engages and educates people, and supports them to take simple but effective individual actions for change.[9]

History

Since launching in 2008 the Project has:

• Developed 1.4 Billion Reasons – a multimedia presentation that explains the issues that contribute to extreme poverty, and what everyday people can do about them,[10]

• Spoken to more than 100,000 people on three continents about the simple actions they can take to help tackle extreme poverty,[11][12]

• Helped launch the international advocacy and fundraising campaign Live Below the Line – engaging more than 24,000 people with the lack of choice inherent in extreme poverty, and raising more than $5 million for anti-poverty initiatives.[13]

• Grown political support for polio eradication and raised more than $118 million for critical vaccination programs through The End of Polio campaign.[14][15]

• Launched the Global Citizen platform - a tool to help people take action to fight extreme poverty.

• Held the Global Citizen Festival - a massive advocacy concert held in Central Park, New York to coincide with the 2011 General Assembly. The event brought together 60,000 change makers, and artists like Neil Young with Crazy Horse, the Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, John Legend, Band of Horses and K’NAAN. Run in partnership with top charities, the event helped secure $1.3 billion in commitments for projects helping fight extreme poverty.[16][17][18]

Activities

1.4 Billion Reasons

1.4 Billion Reasons presentation is a live multimedia presentation designed to explain why an end to extreme poverty is possible, and the simple actions that every person can take to help bring it about.

Designed in consultation with development and economics advisors, the presentation explores:

• What it means to live in extreme poverty,

• Why the world can end extreme poverty,

• The barriers to overcoming extreme poverty,

• Practical actions any person can take to help tackle extreme poverty.

[19]

Patterned after Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth,[20][21] the Presentation is delivered by volunteer presenters across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.[22]

Live Below the Line

Further information: Live Below the Line

Live Below the Line is an awareness and fundraising campaign that challenges people to feed themselves with the equivalent of the extreme poverty line. It aims to give participants personal insights into the lack of opportunity and choice available to people living in extreme poverty, and to open a window onto the challenges faced by those living in extreme poverty.[23][24]

The Global Poverty Project launched the campaign with partner The Oaktree Foundation in Australia in 2010, and have since taken the campaign to the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand – partnering with international development organisations to raise funds for a variety of poverty tackling initiatives.[25]

The campaign has involved more than 24,000 participants, has ‘started more than 400,000 conversations’ and raised more than $5 million for partner organisations working to fight poverty.[26] Hugh Jackman signed on as a Global Advisor to the Global Poverty Project,[27][28] and is a public face for the Live Below the Line campaign.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

The End of Polio

Since July 2011, the Global Poverty Project has worked with partners to run The End of Polio campaign. This campaign focuses on sharing the story of progress towards polio eradication, while aiming to build public support and momentum required to close the funding gap that is limiting global eradication efforts.

Since launch the campaign has gained signatures from more than 25,000 people and secured an additional $118 million in pledges for polio eradication.[35]

In October 2011 the campaign brought 4,000 people together at The End of Polio campaign in Perth, where artists, local celebrities, polio survivors and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke about the importance of polio eradication. The next day 4 Governments and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed an additional $118 million to global polio eradication efforts.

Global Citizen

Global Citizen is a website and mobile application designed to help interested members of the general public find effective and relevant ways to take action on extreme poverty. It is designed as a platform to learn more about the issues that trap people in extreme poverty, to support organizations working to create change on the ground, and to campaign for systemic, lasting change.

It was launched in 2012, alongside the Global Citizen Festival, and was the tool through which interested people had to earn tickets to this event.[36]

Global Citizen Festival

In September 2014, as the world’s leaders gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly, the 3rd annual Global Citizen Festival brought top artists and 60,000 change makers together on the Great Lawn of Central Park to urge leaders and citizens to do more to help end extreme poverty. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi gave a seven-minute speech on the global citizen festival stage, ending his speech by saying "May the force be with you".[37] Beyoncé also made a surprise appearance during husband Jay Z's performance.

The Festival celebrated the progress already made in fighting extreme poverty, secured financial commitments for tackling extreme poverty and disease, totaling 1.3 billion USD, and called on thousands of ambassadors to take action for change.

The 2012 event featured Neil Young with Crazy Horse,Tiesto, Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Band of Horses and K'Naan - with a special appearance by John Legend.[38][39][40]

On September 26, 2015 the Global Citizen Festival will be hosted by Stephen Colbert, Hugh Jackman and popular YouTube personalities Matthew Santoro and AsapScience.[41][42] It will feature performances from Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay, among others.

References

  1. ↑ Australia to launch global anti-poverty campaign, West Australian, May 18, 2009.
  2. ↑ Obeng-Odoom, Franklin 2010. "Promoting Human Development Through the Global Poverty Project", Development, Volume 53(1):120-126.
  3. ↑ Australia to launch anti-poverty push, The Age, May 18, 2009.
  4. ↑ Global Poverty Project Launches, The Tab, February 27, 2010
  5. ↑ Gen Y-not tackles world poverty, ABC News (Australia), June 25, 2009.
  6. ↑ Tumby group to live on $2 a day, Port Lincoln Times, May 10, 2011.
  7. ↑ Smith, Steve (27 September 2012). "Extreme-poverty warrior Hugh Evans brings the rock to Central Park". Time Out, New York. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Global Poverty Project: About". The Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "The Global Poverty Project: About". The Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Australia to launch global anti-poverty campaign". The West Australian. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Ulbricht, Julie (28 September 2012). ""Like" if you want to end global poverty". The Global Mail. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  12. ↑ Evans, Hugh. "Global Poverty Project Annual Review 2011". Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Global Poverty Project: What we've achieved". Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. ↑ "Closing the gap on polio". Girl with a Satchel. Retrieved 24 October 2012. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  15. ↑ "$50m pledge to stamp out polio". The Age. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2012. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  16. ↑ Smith, Steve (27 September 2012). "Extreme-poverty warrior Hugh Evans brings the rock to Central Park". Time Out, New York. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  17. ↑ "Neil Young, Foo Fighters Concert Nets $1.3 Billion in Pledges". Rolling Stone. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  18. ↑ McKinley, James (22 August 2012). "Pop stars join growing effort to aid the poor". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  19. ↑ "1.4 Billion Reasons - The Presentation". The Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  20. ↑ Edinburgh to launch UK's role in world poverty project, The Guardian, September 30, 2010.
  21. ↑ Young and ready to change world, The Australian, September 17, 2008.
  22. ↑ Join former young Australian of the Year Hugh Evans' fight against poverty, The Daily Telegraph, December 2, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Live Below the Line". Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  24. ↑ Griffin, Michelle. "Eat for $2 a day? You don't have to be lentil as anything to make a meal of it". The Age. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Dando, Charlotte (27 April 2012). "Live Below the Line: An Interfaith Approach to Tackling Extreme Poverty and Malaria". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  26. ↑ "The Global Poverty Project: What we've achieved". The Global Poverty Project. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  27. ↑ Hugh Jackman goes to UN to join fight against poverty, Herald Sun, July 2, 2009.
  28. ↑ Australian-made campaign urges global action on poverty, ABC News Radio, July 7, 2009.
  29. ↑ Jackman Fronts 'Live On £1 A Day' Campaign, Sky News, April 24, 2011.
  30. ↑ Hugh Jackman urges UK to live off £1 a day, TNT (magazine), April 27, 2011.
  31. ↑ Hugh Jackman flexes his muscle, Television New Zealand, April 21, 2011.
  32. ↑ The Global Poverty Project Presents "1.4 Billion Reasons", LIFE, December 14, 2009.
  33. ↑ Can you eat for £1 a day? X-Men actor Hugh Jackman calls on Brits to take on the challenge and raise poverty awareness, Daily Mirror, 4/5/2011.
  34. ↑ Eating for £1 a day, The Guardian, April 28, 2011.
  35. ↑ "$50m pledge to stamp out polio". The Age. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  36. ↑ "Thousands attend NYC concert highlighting poverty". CBS News. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  37. ↑ http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/how-are-you-doing-new-york-says-pm-narendra-modi-at-central-park-598883?curl=1411972282
  38. ↑ Pareles, Jon (30 September 2012). "Turning up the volume on Global Poverty". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  39. ↑ "Neil Young, Black Keys and Foo Fighters rock the Global Citizen Festival". Rolling Stone Music. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  40. ↑ "Neil Young and Crazy Horse throttle Central Park crowd in free concert also featuring Foo Fighters, Black Keys". Fox News. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  41. ↑ "Huge Global citizens Announcement!". August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Stephen Colbert, Hugh Jackman to Host 2015 Global Citizen Festival". August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.

External links

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