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At the start of the 21st century 1.2 billion people live in abject poverty, most of them women. More than 800 million people go to bed hungry and 50,000 people die every day from poverty-related causes. It doesn't have to be this way. If we choose - if we have the will to act - we can make poverty history.

Poverty is a violation of human rights on a massive scale. In 2000 all members of the United Nations committed to "spare no effort" in tackling poverty by adopting the Millennium Declaration. Governments also launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to meet minimum targets to reduce poverty, hunger, illiteracy, discrimination against women, and environmental degradation by 2015.

But the pace of action is too slow. If we hold the present course, we will fail to meet these targets. And the poor will pay the price.

The Asian tsunami and other natural disasters since then have shown that Canadians, including the Canadian government, care deeply and react generously when the world is faced with humanitarian disasters. But short-term relief is not enough. We need a shift in national and international policies to eliminate poverty.

It's time for real action. Campaigns to end poverty have been launched world wide. If everyone who wants to end poverty speaks at the same time, world leaders will be forced to listen.

Canada's campaign to end poverty, Make Poverty History, calls for urgent and meaningful policy change.

Who Is World Vision?
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

War Child Canada is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to war-affected children around the world. War Child Canada helps generate awareness, support and advocacy for children's rights everywhere.

At this moment, Greenpeace campaigners are working tirelessly around the globe, monitoring governments and industry, researching solutions, blocking dangerous practices, doing whatever it takes to protect our planet’s life-giving resources. In order to fulfill our mandate in Canada and around the world.

Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of "ordinary" people who work together to achieve extraordinary results.

Each day we stand in solidarity with - and help protect - individuals and communities around the world whose human rights are under attack.

We appeal for the violations to stop. We mobilize public pressure to prevent human rights abuses from taking place. And we support Amnesty's campaigns through our financial contributions.

Amnesty members come from many different cultures and backgrounds. What unites us is our determination to build a world where all people live in dignity, security and freedom.

WSPA is an animal welfare charity that works internationally and locally to end cruelty to animals through field work, campaigning, and education.
WSPA is the world‘s largest federation of humane societies and animal protection organizations; we represent over 850 member societies in more than 150 countries.
Our Vision is a world where animal welfare matters and animal cruelty ends.
Our Mission is to build a united global animal welfare movement.