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=Background= = = = = Poverty is a huge global issue because it affects people all over the world, and has been happening throughout all of history. The eradication of poverty is vital because it offers people better opportunities in life, gives people the education they deserve, and will save thousands of lives while still having the entire world work together to help stop it. Nearly 3 billion people today live in extreme poverty, which is defined as living on less than one dollar a day. Of those 3 billion people, 1 billion are children (Shah). These children may be orphans without access to safe drinking water or medical equipment, have one meal a day, and have never used a computer in their life. By offering people better opportunities, they would have a chance to get good jobs with a proper salary. With a proper salary, they will be able to get necessities, which include food, safe drinking water, clothes, shelter, and medical supplies. Some families could even try to get an electronic device, though it is improbable. In a small village in Malawi, about half of the people in a 200 person room had never used a telephone before, and only a small handful of people had ever been in a truck or car (Sachs). With enough money, families might be able to enroll their children in schools to get an education. Nearly a billion people went into the 21st century without being able to read or write just their name. (Shah) Receiving a good education is important because without it people wouldn't be able to learn, educate others, learn how to control diseases, and eventually get a good job. Getting a good education could also save thousands of lives because people would be able to provide the basic needs for their family and avoid starvation. Poverty is such an enormous issue, and it will take the entire world's cooperation to stop it. Although it may seem hard, stopping poverty can be done if we all work together.

__Bibliography__
Sachs, Jeffrey D.."The End of Poverty."06 Mar. 2005 23 Jan. 2008 <[|http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1034738,00.html>.]

Shah, Anup. "Poverty Facts and Stats." 24 Nov. 2006 23 Jan. 2008 <[|http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp>.]


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= = =Effects= Poverty has made a huge impact on the world and it is affecting it in a magnitude of ways. Poverty has changed countless lives and also has taken many of them away. In several countries, people in poverty are suffering from deadly epidemics, living in substandard housing, facing terrorism, and not getting the education that they deserve. Poverty has also kept certain countries from developing. Another effect of poverty is keeping people from accessing technology. With out technology, a country may not be able to develop as well or quickly as it would have. Poverty has also spread many diseases, which has killed many people since most of them cannot afford the health treatment they need. Poverty has made people live in houses without heating, electricity, or proper plumbing. Many countries in poverty have to face terrorism, or war. Since the countries feel like they have nothing to lose, they create more conflicts with each other and start wars. The fact that adults and children are not getting the education they deserve is another affect of poverty. About one billion people entered the 21st century not knowing how to read or write just their names. There are many terrible effects from poverty that have made numerous lives suffer.
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= = = = =What is being done= = = Poverty is a vast issue, and many organizations, programs, and countries, are doing everything in their power to try and put an end to it. The United Nations released eight goals that they want to achieve by 2015, called their [|UN Millennium Development Goals]. Their first goal? To eradicate poverty and extreme hunger. In addition to this, the United Nations has many sectors that focus on poverty and helping people, such as [|OCHA], [|UNICEF] and the [|UNDP]. These two programs are helping countries with medical supplies and other basic needs. They also offer assistance to cities that have been affected by bombings or natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes. [|The World Bank] has many programs that are geared towards the eradication of poverty, which includes the Poverty Alleviation Fund in Pakistan, and many other rural development programs for countries like Ethiopia, China, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. [|Oxfam International] is an organization that works with poor people and “Tries to influence powerful people”. Oxfam does a lot of work in the Horn of Africa as well as Eastern and Southern Asia. They help people get an education and start businesses, and also offer relief to people who have been affected by droughts. Although there have obviously been many efforts to help put a stop to poverty, there is still so much that can be done. It all starts with one person wanting to make a difference. = = = =