How Will the Next President Address Global Poverty?
- by: Trickle Up
- recipient: Tom Brokaw, Town Hall Presidential Debate Moderator
A native of Mali, Talam Maiga was working multiple jobs, but still could barely make enough to properly care for her six children. That all changed when Talam received a $100 seed capital grant, enabling her to open her own food stand in a local market, selling shish kabob, mangos, peanuts and plantains. Now a successful microentrepreneur, Talam says, "Selling in the market leads to being able to feed the kids, which makes it possible for them to go to school."
The success of microfinance has been demonstrated on an international level in hundreds of thousands of cases. But there is much work to be done. Nearly one-fifth of the world's population - more than 1 billion people - live in extreme poverty, earning less than $1 per person per day. Extreme poverty strikes women like Talam the hardest; 70 percent of the poor are women.
As a global leader, the next U.S. president will play an important role in helping poverty-stricken people around the world, but nominees John McCain and Barack Obama have been largely silent on their plans to alleviate global poverty. The second presidential debate, on October 7, is the perfect time for them to discuss their plans. Urge debate moderator Tom Brokaw to include the following question: How will your administration help the 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day?
Dear Mr. Brokaw,
I write to you today in your capacity as the moderator of the 2008 town hall presidential debate between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. I am specifically interested in hearing both candidates' views on how they plan to alleviate global poverty.
With more than 1 billion people in this world living on less than $1 per day per person, extreme global poverty is a very serious issue, and I have not heard either candidate give it much attention. The town hall debate is the perfect opportunity to include a question about the people - 70 percent of whom are women - who face this crisis every day.
Without help, extreme poverty gets passed along through generations, exacerbating problems in the future. Poverty goes hand in hand with conflict, meaning that our next president is not only morally obligated to address extreme poverty, but also obligated for reasons of global security.
Please ask the candidates: "How will your administration help the 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day?"
[Your comment here]
I look forward to hearing the candidates' answers to this question on October 7.
