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Irish activists launch anti-poverty campaign

Two of Ireland’s leading social justice campaigners are set to launch an international...
Newstalk
Newstalk

21.09 11 Feb 2017


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Irish activists launch anti-po...

Irish activists launch anti-poverty campaign

Newstalk
Newstalk

21.09 11 Feb 2017


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Two of Ireland’s leading social justice campaigners are set to launch an international call to action aimed at ending poverty worldwide.

The petition is part of an international mobilisation to “build a peaceful world where no one is left behind.”

With events on three continents, the global “Stop Poverty” campaign aims to highlight the fact that poverty is not inevitable.

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The campaign highlights people living in extreme poverty as full partners in the efforts to overcome it.

The year-long campaign will emphasise that the world can put a stop to poverty if people in all areas of society work together with the intention of leaving no one behind.

International call to action

Homelessness campaigner Father Peter McVerry and Focus Ireland founder Sister Stanislaus Kennedy will join a host of other activists in signing the call to action at the Human Rights and Poverty Stone in Dublin tomorrow.

The stone is located near the Famine Statues on Custom House Quay in the city.

Writing about the launch Fr. McVerry said: "When some are treated as less than human, we all become less than human. Poverty and marginalisation are an affront to the dignity of human beings and demean, not only those who are poor and excluded, but the rest of humanity also."

Sr. Stan said listening to those less fortunate than ourselves can teach us about how society can change.

"When we listen to people who are poor, we hear their strength, pain, and wisdom and we learn their great potential to change,” she said.

“They teach us about ourselves, about society, how it operates against people who are poor and how it can change."

All together in dignity

Anti-poverty activists Anastasia Crickley, Hugh Frazer, Jillian Van Turnout, Fergus McCabe, Fintan Farrell will also be on hand to sign the petition.

Launched by international human rights organisation, All Together in Dignity, the introduction to the call to action reads:

“Poverty is a form of violence. It leads to humiliation and it silences people. It destroys lives. But poverty is not inevitable. Like slavery or discrimination, it can be overcome. Those who endure poverty resist its injustice in countless ways. If we are to confront the challenges facing the world today, we need their intelligence and courage. Today, people who feel outcast are making themselves heard and are taking action. Others are joining them to build a peaceful world where no one is left behind.”

You can sign it at www.poverty-stop.org.


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