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COMMUNITY
STANDS ALONE
Campaign to End POVERTY
“Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty:
A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies”
As part of Hamilton Urban Core’s commitment to the poverty elimination, we are holding today’s event in recognition United Nations 25th observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski—which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty—and the recognition by the United Nations of the day as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The theme for this year’s commemoration reminds us of the importance of the values of dignity, solidarity and voice underscored in the Call to Action to fight to end poverty everywhere.
The importance of public awareness, voice and the active participation of people living in extreme poverty is recognized both in the Agenda itself and in the process of consultations led by the United Nations that ensured the concerns and priorities of millions of people, especially those living in extreme poverty, were included and heard. The active participation of those living in extreme poverty will be critical to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Highlights of the
Community Roundtable Discussions
Urban Crisis
The untold story of poverty in Hamilton
As an inner city health centre Hamilton Urban Core works closely with individuals, families and communities in the core as a trusted health service provider and strong advocate. Over the course of many months, and in some cases years, people have graciously shared their lives and experiences with us – experiences of living in poverty, of isolation and exclusion, and most importantly, of not being heard.
In response Hamilton Urban Core made a promise to listen, to raise awareness and to help to bring these voices to the places and spaces where decisions about poverty are being made. This is the motivation for this presentation.
This presentation was thoughtfully prepared by Hamilton Urban Core’s own staff. We hope after watching it you have a renewed commitment to the fight against poverty.