"Exhibiting You" - Story

End Poverty with CARE


Participate in our National Day of Action


By: CARE
Submitted: 09/24/2008

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honor 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.

Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor.

CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, joins in this effort by hosting our annual National Day of Action. We are part of a global movement to empower women in the fight against poverty. Around the world, CARE works to address underlying causes of poverty through projects that advance education, improve health, increase economic opportunity, and meet emergency needs during and after disasters.

We believe that the status of women in the developing world is key to fighting and ending global poverty. With education, skills and basic resources, they can become catalysts for change. While CARE works around the world to give people the tools to change their lives, the CARE Action Network (CAN) provides Americans with the opportunity to speak out and let their legislators know that these issues matter to them.

Last year, CARE supporters around the country gathered in living rooms, Starbucks stores, schools, and libraries to take action. At each event, participants wrote to their Senators and Representatives to urge their support for the Education for All Act. This bill would establish the United States as a leader in securing universal basic education by allocating funds for basic and girls’ education and requiring the U.S. State Department to make education a foreign policy priority.

This year, supporters will gather to send a strong message to the next president of the United States that Americans care deeply about the plight of the world's poor. They will sign a letter that urges the next administration to re-engage with the world, re-establish moral leadership and, once again, lead by the power of example rather than the example of power.

These events will provide individuals with an opportunity to stand up and speak out against global poverty. Guests can begin creating immediate results by joining CARE in the movement to end poverty, raising money for CARE's programs and signing a letter to the President-elect encouraging him to prioritize fighting poverty as a key element of U.S. foreign policy.

To learn how you can host your own event, view a listing of events already scheduled around the country or take action online, visit our website at www.care.org/dayofaction.

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