About International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a date that seeks to raise awareness about the situation of millions of people living in conditions of extreme poverty and violation of their human rights.
Poverty is not just a lack of income, but a multidimensional phenomenon that affects all areas of human life. The celebration of 17 October is an opportunity to listen to and value the voices and experiences of people living in poverty, as well as to recognize their role as agents of change to eradicate poverty.
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 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 honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. In a Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of the International Movement ATD Fourth World, they proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.
Through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution.
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