In the fight to end world poverty, part of the battle is promoting the cause and campaigning for change. With so much competing for media and political attention, it’s difficult to win hearts and minds for a problem that seems so big.
You can make a difference.
World Vision and individuals everywhere are working hard to raise awareness of and funds for people living in poverty.
Long-term change requires analysis and improvement of the systems and structures that cause poverty. Research, lobbying and the creation of effective policy are vital steps in this process.
People in positions of power need to know what concerns you. We can influence policy locally and internationally and see that justice is done for the billions of people who go through the day without enough food or clean water.
When around 20 percent of the world’s people in the richest countries use 86 percent of the world’s resources and the poorest 20 percent use only 1.3 percent: the inequality is painfully obvious.
The Millennium Development Goals were developed to address the problems that underpin this disadvantage. Signed by 191 member countries of the UN including Australia, their pursuit aims to halve world poverty by 2015. We can lend our support, exert pressure and ensure this commitment is fulfilled.
Campaigns
Don’t Trade Lives is World Vision’s first ever stand-alone advocacy campaign. It seeks to unite Australians against human trafficking and slavery; lobby our government to strengthen anti-trafficking policies; and petition industries to make changes that will help eradicate child labour.
The Make Poverty History coalition is an international network. In Australia alone, supporters number in the thousands: it's an alliance of 60 NGOs, religious and community groups advocating change.
World Vision supports Micah Challenge, a global Christian campaign.
The Micah Challenge sets out to develop and strengthen the commitment to an integrated Gospel, one that both proclaims and demonstrates the love of Jesus to a world in need. It aims to be a prophetic voice, influencing global leaders to uphold the rights of the poor and oppressed. The campaign urges world leaders to fulfil their promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Why we campaign and advocate change
When the world seems saturated with bad news, frustration can generate apathy. World Vision campaigns to keep real issues – and real solutions – in the public eye.
Ultimately we aim to raise awareness and secure aid and donations for impoverished communities.
Money alone hasn’t helped create sustaining change. To break the cycle of poverty, loans and spiralling debt, self-sufficient and smarter programs need to be adopted.
Long-term substantial change, like improvements in education, can have a ripple effect through a community’s standard of health, level of HIV and AIDS and income generation.
For the Millennium Development Goals to be realised, governments must ensure substantial and suitable aid and fair trade. Only then will the eight goals be achieved, and today’s tragic worldwide disparity between standards of living be relieved.
Get involved
Your lifestyle choices and passion can be an inspiration. You can support a cause by making small changes:
- Use less electricity. Don’t overfill the kettle. Use energy saving light globes. Avoid throw-away coffee cups. Print on both sides of the paper. Recycle print cartridges. Bargain fairly while travelling. Purchase fair trade items at home.
- Wear a white band – the symbol of the campaign against poverty. Invest ethically and encourage your employer to be a socially responsible corporate player.
- Email your politicians. Phone talkback radio. Hold elected representatives accountable; they are in effect ‘our employees’ – don’t let them forget it. Be brief, be polite, put your concern in your own words, and ask that action be taken.
- Sign up to Don’t Trade Lives, the campaign to raise awareness about human trafficking and slavery.
- Attend the One Just World forums. Taking place across Australia, these forums on global poverty and justice have been convened in partnership with AusAID and the International Women’s Development Agency.
- Encourage your friends, neighbours, colleagues or congregation to get involved too.
Together, we can all help raise awareness and influence decision-makers.
Resources
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Pocket Guide to Campaigning
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The Pocket Guide to Campaigning is full of tips and tools for action on global poverty issues that you're passionate about. Click the download link to download your copy.
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Download
And finally....
Great movements always start with the individual. It’s easy to feel powerless when society, government and giant corporations hold so much influence. But if you break it down, their unit members are people too. Individuals like you.
Ideas can unite us in conversation and common goals mobilise us for action.
When grouped together for other reasons – a shared electorate, workplace, geographic location, hobby or religion – a small change of attitude can achieve major change. So your idea, your personal contribution, when shared, can spark something big.
At World Vision we know every individual effort counts. Our solutions only work when concerned and committed individuals give their support.