LAHORE (Staff report) – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is being observed on Saturday (October 17), in a bid to promotes people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
According to World Bank more than 5 crore Pakistanis are living below poverty line and are unable to eat meals two time a day.
The day presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty.
The commemoration of Oct 17 also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty.
This year the theme is “Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination”.
The day first observed as an international event on 17 October 1987 when over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris , where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger.
They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day.
