9 November
Dear Antonio Guterres,
I am writing to express my concern about poverty. I think that it is a vital issue that we need to take immediate action for because it could save many people. I am Victoria Lazaridou, an English Literature student from the University of Roehampton, and stepping into my second year of studies, many thoughts come to my mind about my future. While I love my English department studies I have a deep affinity for politics especially the ones that deal with civil rights, activism in general, and equality of every form. Poverty is an issue that (especially now) gets overlooked by other global situations like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and multiple hate crimes against minorities. While these issues are equally important, poverty has to be revisited and we all need to act upon it drastically.
The latest events in our world have changed many realities we were familiar with, others positively, others negatively. But we need to persevere on an issue that might affect us all. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed approximately 110 million people into poverty. Things were already difficult for poor people, but many additional problems arise our attention to this issue. One of the most obvious things the average person can do is, donate to charities, give money and food, provide shelter, etc. But what if the problem is more profound and needs deeper solving?
It is vital to ensure that we all create an equitable international planet, where everyone can prosper and not a select few. We need collective actions that every president in every country will enable their citizens to do. Some points on how to eradicate poverty are: firstly, is to open discussion and educate people on this subject. Social media is a useful tool to use and can help spread the message across. People need to be aware of their community problems and the people living in them because this urges them to help. But before we take care of the whole, we need to rethink our value as human beings and act on our own by donating. It is nice to think that we have it all, but perspective in this situation urges us to help those in need. Another issue that creates poverty is gender equality. Teenage girls face greater poverty than boys, and it escalates worse when they grow up and become women. It is known that women get lower wages than men. This notion affects them deeply because they are working tirelessly(with no breaks).
This brings us to the next point that is to create jobs worldwide. Reasonable working hours and wages can help eradicate a big chunk of poverty. Job positions need to be filled in, and decent conditions need to be put in every working establishment. Then, a person will feel safe, and they will not worry that they are going to lose their job and end up homeless. Many poor people also have no access to proper sanitation and water. Homeless women struggle with providing themselves with sanitary products, and many of them get Toxic Shock Syndrome. It is a matter of dignity to provide them with a proper state in which they can stay healthy. Lastly, we need to educate everyone on the stigma that wealthy people create for poor people. There is an inherent bias that homeless people are not worth their time and need to find jobs no matter what. The issue is so much more complex and also it is not easy to find a job. But discrimination against poor people still exists. People still treat them like they are nothing because of a system that failed them. We need to ensure that no gap between rich and poor will expand.
Poverty is an issue that we frequently talk about it in our English class. From the 18th century, Europe starts a dramatic change of production. In other words, industrialization starts rapidly expanding. Industrialization is a reason we have a gap between the rich and poor. Poverty affects the arts too. Poets like William Blake were writing about these social issues. In the poem The Chimney Sweeper, Blake describes the labor that an orphan child goes through to survive. Art in every form makes you feel, and it is not a good experience to read about a child being tortured instead of enjoying life. Indeed it is true, child labor is an issue that forces young kids to forget about their childhood and fall into the arms of capitalistic greed. According to UNICEF, the number of children in child labor has risen to 160 million worldwide. If we consider the high risk that COVID-19 now imposes on the world, all of these children are working at a higher risk and danger of getting the virus. I cannot imagine what it feels for a small child to be stripped off of their rights and work non-stop.
I feel like poverty will affect my future too. Most of the students end up homeless in debt. In 2017-2018, 1.5 million students were homeless, a number that now because of our global situation must be double. Personally, anxiety arises when I think of the fact that I might stay in debt, an issue that most students worry about. Coming from an economically failed country(Greece), I know what it feels like to have no hope for your future. I know that when we ask for help, politicians turn their backs and do not provide basic aid.
The UN can easily change that. We can create more efficient jobs, donate, open conversations. We need the initiative and spark to light the fire back. I recognize, however, that this cannot be achieved that easily. That is why we need perseverance. We could also include the wealthiest people in the world to make some substantial change. I truly believe in the UN, to step up and act accordingly to help eradicate a percentage of poverty. It is urgent to have conversations between officials and presidents. Eventually, it is not revolutionary to talk about poverty and want it to end. It is a right of every human to have basic resources to keep them alive.
Thank you for your time, I look forward to your response on this matter.
Yours Sincerely
Victoria
Victoria