Issues Of Global Poverty?

[Peace-Phoenix]

I'm writing an article for a competition in the Observer. I have to write 500 words on an issue of global poverty that can be changed by youth activism. Now the obvious ones that spring to mind are sweat shops, national debt and unfair trade. Can anyone help me out? I'm looking for some less well known issues of global poverty, perhaps one that isn't very commonly talked about, but needs urgently addressing. I think the winning article gets published, so I could perhaps try to raise awareness for causes some of you may feel very passionately about? Also, do you have any personal experiences of activism? What kinds of things have you done? How do you think this may translate onto a larger scale youth movement that can actually make a difference? Any ideas you can give me would be a tremendous help. Cheers....

[Doball]

The Fair Trade Foundation (http://www.fairtrade.org.uk)

This may help with information about the trade part :).

[JOsie]

does mental poverty count?

and informational poverty...ie...not knowing about global poverty?

or is that far too pedantic?

[rainbow dew]

i like josie's idea about putting a twist on it. why not concentrate on the drug market or spiritual pverty or something of the like.

i have had experience in activism for the free tibet campaign but i don't think that comes under your heading but i will ellaberate if you want?
namaste
x x x

[DoktorAtomik]

How about information poverty? There's a good argument to be made that with the advent of the internet, the world will soon be divided into information "haves" and "have nots". Information is power, and a lack of information is disempowering. Keeping people in ignorance has long been a way of oppressing people, and ignorance in turn breeds lack of tolerance and understanding. Lack of information drives the peoples of the world apart, while a wealth of shared information helps to bring people together. Since access to technology is usually tied into economic circumstance, you could feasibly argue that existing poverty is feeding into a new breed of information poverty, thus exaggerating existing divisions.

[Peace-Phoenix]

These are all great ideas, and ones I would love to study, but the article is for Oxfam, and I think it's fairly obvious the kind of poverty they deal with....

[DoktorAtomik]

Yes, but it would appear a tad silly writing an article about a lack of oxo cubes, wouldn't it?

[Peace-Phoenix]

*Wonders what Dok's been smoking today*

[DoktorAtomik]

What, you mean graaaaaarrrrss?

[Alomiakoda]

500 words isn't very much :S Ah well

Have you got any more information on this anyway? I think one of my friends would love to enter

[Peace-Phoenix]

www.iyp.oxfam.org (http://www.iyp.oxfam.org) - there should be some info on it there. Best of luck to your friend... well ok, not the best of luck, maybe the second best of luck, there's only one winner afterall....

[BornInTheWrongGenera]

Aww! Wonderful topic, and I wish you the best of luck! :D I wish I could think of a great idea for you, but my brain is fried from cramming for this stupid Communication Theories exam I have tomorrow. :(