Social Justice Dialogue: Eradicating Poverty

Work at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) is undertaken with the goal to help inform change makers, amend attitudes, and to help shape a more just world for women, girls, their communities, and families. The interdisciplinary team of scholars, administrators, and advisors who ensure that WCW’s mission moves forward are informed by their own and others’ work, as well as their lived experiences. The Women Change Worlds blog allows us to share our expertise and perspectives, and for our community to engage with us. Responding to critical issues in the world and creating teachable moments, our Social Justice Dialogues can broaden all our perspectives.

Beginning next week and throughout October, I will share blog articles written by WCW scholars, focused on our current Social Justice Dialogue: Eradicating Poverty. I invite you to share in the Comments box links to one or two news stories, essays, or other resources that you believe may contribute to a productive dialogue on Eradicating Poverty.

The link I will share today focuses on the United Nations Millennium Campaign. Started in 2002, this Campaign "supports and inspires people from around the world to take action in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The current eight goals form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest." Goal One is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

The UN lists the ambitious targets for this goal:

• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1.25 a day
• Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people
• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

More information about this Millennium Development Goal is available online: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty

We will share articles that address innovative and practical steps to help eradicate poverty written by some of our scholars throughout October. What articles, news stories, essays, or other resources do you think may contribute to a productive dialogue about Eradicating Poverty? Please share in the Comment box below.

Donna Tambascio is the Deputy Director for Communications and External Relations at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College. WCW has nongovernmental organization (NGO) status at the United Nations which facilitates our participation in this international work. We are committed to continuing and deepening our research and policy-focused programs in order to better understand and offer solutions to the challenges facing women and girls.