“Widespread use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and state-of-the-art drugs has succeeded in cutting malaria deaths in half in two countries most heavily affected by the disease, the World Health Organization is reporting today.” Nets and New Drug Make Inroads Against Malaria “The report was one of the most hopeful signs in the long battle against a disease that is estimated to kill a million children a year in poor tropical countries.”

In response to an organized campaign by groups like ONE, presidential candidates have gone on record with their views on global poverty issues. Here’s an exerpt from Josh Peck from the ONE campaign;

The On the Record site features each of the candidates’ personal video responses to ONE members and short summaries of their plans on:

Reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis
Eradicating malaria
Improving child and maternal health
Achieving universal primary education
Cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food

For the first time ever, the entire presidential field is debating these issues and coming up with plans that recognize the challenge and the opportunity we have to build a better future for the world’s most vulnerable people. The result is a huge victory for you, our members and for the millions of people around the world living in extreme poverty.

The candidates’ detailed responses to our questions show that they are tuned into these issues like never before.

Check out what the candidates are saying:

http://www.onevote08.org/ontherecord?id=164-2761034-a6cJ.t&t=3

Through On the Record, we have the chance to make a more informed choice than ever before. This year, we’ll go into the primary season with more knowledge and more confidence that extreme poverty and global disease will be central to the 2008 election.

Thank you to all those who participated in Escondido’s Stand Up to end poverty event. Three events were held in Escondido. Students at Calvin Christian School held Stand Up events during the High School lunch hour and Junior High chapel. 225 students participated in those events. Another 61 adults and children stepped out of their comfort zone and stood outside Escondido City Hall to urge world leaders to fulfill their promises to fund and support the Millennium Development Goals. Holding signs that spelled out the words, “STAND UP TO END POVERTY” the group was filmed by local news reporters and received honks of support from passing motorists. The primary goal of the event was to draw attention both to the needs of those dying from poverty and the need of US citizens to hold our government to its promise to participate in the Millennium Development Goal’s plan to halve poverty by 2015. The Escondido events were part of a world wide record breaking action. 38.8 million people around the world stood up to indicate their desire to eradicate poverty, and urge leaders to fulfill their promises in support of the Millennium Development Goals. That was big increase from the 2006 event when 23 million people participated.

“For the first time since record keeping began in 1960, the number of deaths of young children around the world has fallen below 10 million a year, according to figures from the United Nations Children’s Fund being released today.” Under-5 Mortality Drops to Record Low “The new figure, based on surveys in more than 50 countries, represents a substantial decrease from the 20 million deaths in 1960, especially considering that the world’s population has more than doubled to 6.6 billion people since then.” Child mortality at record low, UN says “The drop has been attributed to increased vaccinations, greater use of mosquito nets and vitamin supplements and more women breastfeeding rather than mixing formula with dirty water.”

This is a good indication that the global efforts to impact poverty can make a difference. Each one of us can contribute to the fight to overcome poverty. We hope you will feel heartened by this news, and encouraged to continue to be or become involved in the effort to prevent youngsters from dying from poverty.If you would like ideas on how to get involved please click here.

At Christians Ending Poverty we believe there is a biblical basis for a Christian response to poverty. God’s word has and always will call Christians to stand with and amongst the poor, but why are we calling your attention to extreme global poverty now?

It is Feasible
There is overwhelming evidence that now, in our generation, and for the first time in history, it is feasible to reduce poverty. Experts in poverty reduction are absolutely baffled by why more people who hold strong moral values – of any religious faith or none – are not feeling compassion for the plight of the poor and acting energetically to address it, because it is possible to do so. Harvard economist and World Bank specialist, Andrew Sachs explains in his book, “The End of Poverty,”

“…extreme poverty can be ended not in the time of our grandchildren but in our time. The wealth of the rich world, the power of today’s vast storehouses of knowledge, and the declining fraction of the world that needs help to escape poverty all make the end of poverty a realistic possibility by the year 2025.”

There is a Model
Surprisingly, experts on the left and right of the political spectrum, experts from faith-based NGO’s, national governments, and missionaries in the field agree on the actions that are necessary to tackle extreme poverty. A whole, or integral approach to poverty reduction that includes addressing hunger, health, education, aids relief, and fair trade practices is necessary to achieve the task in hand.

There is, in fact, little reason for presuming that the terrible problems of hunger and starvation around the world cannot be changed by Spirit lead human action. Experts around the world, from different disciplines and political viewpoints, are chiming in with the same insight: human action could end poverty in our generation. So can Christians play a part?

Ronald Sider writes,

“If at this moment in history a few million generous Christians blessed with material abundance dare to join hands with the poor around the world, we will decisively influence the course of world history.”

There are 6 billion people on earth. Two billion identify themselves as Christians. The potential for constructive change if we invest our minds, hands, hearts and resources in responding to extreme poverty and align our efforts with other groups, is tremendous.

Vanquishing extreme poverty is within our grasp. Will we be known as the first generation to have turned our backs on the poor? Or will we approach the throne of grace having heeded God’s call to stand with the poor?

Adapted from “What can One Person do? –Faith to Heal a Broken World” by Sabina Alkire and Edmund Newell. .Church Publishing, New York, 2005

A Great message.

Thank you to our speaker Pastor George Johnson who gave an insightful bible study on Luke 19:1-9 as an introduction to his Sept 16 talk. The story is familiar to most, so you’ll know that Zacchaeus sought out and personally encountered Jesus. Pastor Johnson urged participants to consider what Jesus might have said to Zacchaeus during their meeting that elicited Zacchaeus’ wildly generous response. We might not all respond as Zacchaeus did by donating half of everything we own to the poor and repaying four fold everything we have ever cheated out of people, but George did give us some suggestions of how we can grow as disciples of Christ, and respond to the world’s poor.

What you can do I

In response to extreme poverty, George urged a Zacchaeus 3-5-1 reaction:-

3 – Choose 3 countries of the world now suffering from extreme poverty, one in Africa, one in Asia and one in Latin America. Study them, raise awareness in your congregation or among your friends and share information about the root causes of poverty, poverty statistics and poverty-related assistance programs in the area. Pray specifically and purposefully for the needs in those areas.

5 – Encourage at least 5% of your congregation or group to join Bread for the World, a Christian citizen’s movement focusing on advocacy for the hungry and increased awareness of root causes of hunger. You can find Bread for the World at www.bread.org.

1 – Give an additional 1% of your income to poverty related aid through any organization of your choice. This is intended to be in addition to your regular tithing.

Move along the continuum.

Pastor Johnson clearly expressed the goal of Christians Ending Poverty by describing what we need to do with a visual image. The image of teaching a man to fish instead of just handing a man a fish is well-known. Pastor Johnson urged us to go further; we must move over in the pond to give the man opportunity to fish. This is what Christians Ending Poverty is about: encouraging and empowering Christians to “move over in the pond”.

Christians Ending Poverty will be focussing on how to “move over in the pond” at the next meeting when we hear from the experiences of David Costillo of World Relief. That meeting will be held Oct. 28th.