The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) will be celebrated at three centres in the Northern Division this week.
The day which is celebrated to promote dialogue between those living in poverty and their communities, was first celebrated 25 years ago after the endorsement of the United Nations General Assembly.
Normally celebrated on the 17th of October, the local commemoration of the annual event has been staggered and this year moved to Vanua Levu. IDEP will be celebrated in the district of Kubulau in Bua on 19 October, on the island of Taveuni on 26 October and in Dreketi, Macuata on 2 November.
The Poverty Monitoring Unit director Mr Meleti Bainimarama said the change of dates was due to the provincial and tikina meetings which will also be taking place during the month of October and through to November.
“The initial dates set for the commemoration of the IDEP coincided with the dates set aside by the provincial administrators at the three Northern provinces for the provincial meetings hence the change in dates. However we have opted to have three centres to commemorate this important day to create more awareness on the poverty in our communities and what we can do to fight it in line with this year’s theme especially in the Northern Division,” he said.
This year’s celebrations focuses on the theme “Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty: Promoting Empowerment and Building Peace”.
This day is a call to everyone to gather with people living in poverty to share and exchange information, as equal partners, on initiatives that focus on the most vulnerable and excluded populations and their and their active participation in poverty eradication.
“We need to let people be aware that poverty is a form of violence that we must all unite to fight. Poverty violates the right of an individual to live peacefully,” said Mr Bainimarama.
“The important thing about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is for us to recognise the struggle of people living in poverty to come of out of it. It our responsibility reduce poverty to a negligible level and Government cannot do this alone,” he added.
In addition, Mr Bainimarama said that empowering people living in poverty was one of Government’s priority and in doing so, Government also recognised the role played by Non Government Organisations, faith-based groups and the vanua to help reduce poverty in the country.
“By empowering them, we are ensuring that they have sustainable sources of income. Various Government programmes covered under the Integrated Poverty Eradication Programme framework are designed to uplift or develop the general wellbeing of recipients especially those with little or no income generating capabilities,” he said.
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