Initiative to end global poverty comes to OSU
The Global Poverty Project Team will be presenting 1.4 Billion Reasons in LaSells
Joce DeWitt
Issue date: 4/6/11 Section: News
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Every day, 1.4 billion people world wide live on less than $1.25.
This fact translates into something even more alarming: one-fourth of the world's population is living in extreme poverty.
The nationally recognized Global Poverty Project Team is making its way to the Oregon State University campus 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in LaSells Stewart Center to encourage student involvement in the fight against extreme poverty.
The Global Poverty Project Team, along with their United Nations-recognized presentation called "1.4 billion reasons," established itself in five different countries outside of the United States after its 2009 premier in Australia.
"It's a really respected campaign by the UN," said student Molly Jones, who got involved as the OSU campaign manager when the Global Poverty Project agreed to bring their presentation to campus. "The point of the project is to educate and increase efficiency of people who are willing to take action."
The overall purpose of the project since its start in Melbourne, according to the official Global poverty Project website, is "a world without extreme poverty within a generation."
The presentation suggests there is enough food to feed the planet one-and-a-half times over. Therefore, it is now possible for a generation to completely eliminate extreme poverty.
The presentation will seek to answer basic questions about the world's current status on extreme poverty and what can be done to help.
"The presentation addresses five different questions: What is poverty: the definition; what can people do in their own lives to stop poverty, which is not just by donating money," said OSU student Sarah Creedican, who is also involved in bringing the project to campus. "What are the barriers to ending extreme poverty; what can we do ourselves; and why should we care."
One of the ways to make a difference is through the purchase of fair-trade products at grocery stores. Another is through a campus-wide challenge that will be posed to the audience at the presentation.
This fact translates into something even more alarming: one-fourth of the world's population is living in extreme poverty.
The nationally recognized Global Poverty Project Team is making its way to the Oregon State University campus 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in LaSells Stewart Center to encourage student involvement in the fight against extreme poverty.
The Global Poverty Project Team, along with their United Nations-recognized presentation called "1.4 billion reasons," established itself in five different countries outside of the United States after its 2009 premier in Australia.
"It's a really respected campaign by the UN," said student Molly Jones, who got involved as the OSU campaign manager when the Global Poverty Project agreed to bring their presentation to campus. "The point of the project is to educate and increase efficiency of people who are willing to take action."
The overall purpose of the project since its start in Melbourne, according to the official Global poverty Project website, is "a world without extreme poverty within a generation."
The presentation suggests there is enough food to feed the planet one-and-a-half times over. Therefore, it is now possible for a generation to completely eliminate extreme poverty.
The presentation will seek to answer basic questions about the world's current status on extreme poverty and what can be done to help.
"The presentation addresses five different questions: What is poverty: the definition; what can people do in their own lives to stop poverty, which is not just by donating money," said OSU student Sarah Creedican, who is also involved in bringing the project to campus. "What are the barriers to ending extreme poverty; what can we do ourselves; and why should we care."
One of the ways to make a difference is through the purchase of fair-trade products at grocery stores. Another is through a campus-wide challenge that will be posed to the audience at the presentation.
"This thing called Living Below the Line is a challenge for people to try and live below $1.25. The specific days are May 16th through May 20th," Creedican said. "You can do it on your own or create a team to create awareness."
The 45- to 90-minute presentation at La Sells, which will be delivered by expert presenters and customized for a student audience, will be divided into these five separate sections.
The project also strives to connect large audiences with leading global organizations that are already effectively combating extreme poverty.
It is becoming increasingly possible for anyone to contribute to the cause, even if there is no option for monetary support.
"The main thing is that even though we can't contribute to it financially as college students, we all have the power to make the difference," Jones said. "It tells us what change we can make as individuals and the lifestyle changes that translate into bigger effects for people living in extreme poverty."
Backed by numerous internationally recognized celebrities and launched as a United Nations High Level Event, the project and its ambassadors are highly qualified, and have already made substantial impact on the countries they have already toured.
"They've raised a lot of awareness," Creedican said.
As the website states, the presentation has been delivered to more than 20,000 people at more than 100 events. It has activated more than 5,500 people to make a commitment to take action to end extreme poverty. It has also reached more than 15,000,000 people through media coverage in three countries.
At the presentation, students will have an opportunity to join over 22,000 others world wide who have made personal commitments to aiding the cause in their own ways.
"It's about making a commitment to buying fair trade projects, or telling people about this or learning what we can do," Jones said. "The presentation is supposed to help us understand what the root causes are, what obstacles there are and what power we have."
Joce DeWitt, staff writer
737-2231 news@dailybarometer.com
The 45- to 90-minute presentation at La Sells, which will be delivered by expert presenters and customized for a student audience, will be divided into these five separate sections.
The project also strives to connect large audiences with leading global organizations that are already effectively combating extreme poverty.
It is becoming increasingly possible for anyone to contribute to the cause, even if there is no option for monetary support.
"The main thing is that even though we can't contribute to it financially as college students, we all have the power to make the difference," Jones said. "It tells us what change we can make as individuals and the lifestyle changes that translate into bigger effects for people living in extreme poverty."
Backed by numerous internationally recognized celebrities and launched as a United Nations High Level Event, the project and its ambassadors are highly qualified, and have already made substantial impact on the countries they have already toured.
"They've raised a lot of awareness," Creedican said.
As the website states, the presentation has been delivered to more than 20,000 people at more than 100 events. It has activated more than 5,500 people to make a commitment to take action to end extreme poverty. It has also reached more than 15,000,000 people through media coverage in three countries.
At the presentation, students will have an opportunity to join over 22,000 others world wide who have made personal commitments to aiding the cause in their own ways.
"It's about making a commitment to buying fair trade projects, or telling people about this or learning what we can do," Jones said. "The presentation is supposed to help us understand what the root causes are, what obstacles there are and what power we have."
Joce DeWitt, staff writer
737-2231 news@dailybarometer.com
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