My name is Elle Wisnicki, I am a sophomore at Columbia University, and I want to end extreme poverty by the year 2030. I know that sounds like a lofty goal, but I think it’s possible. Poverty for middle and high income countries fell by more than half since 1981 (The World Bank). With this kind of progress we can end extreme poverty by 2030. This is why I am working on the Live Below the Line campaign at Global Citizen this semester, because I want to be a part of this mission.
The “war on poverty” so to speak has been on the minds of American citizens for decades. The idea was first officially recognized by President Lyndon B. Johnson in his State of the Union address in 1964 when our national poverty rate was around 19 percent. Although we have made positive strides since then, 1.2 billion people still live below the poverty line, surviving on a mere $1.50 a day for all of their expenses. As a Human Rights major, I believe it is everyone’s right to have access to the nutrition they need to prosper. We are an interconnected world, and each person fits into that puzzle. Reducing poverty is at the core of achieving sustainability and conversely, without sustainability we cannot end global poverty.
The Live Below the Line campaign is a challenge to spend $1.50 a day on food and drink for five days from April 27-May 1. Similar to running a marathon, individuals take on the challenge and fundraise by reaching out to their personal networks to donate to their page. The campaign calls attention to the 1.2 billion people who live below the extreme poverty line and allows participants to translate awareness into impact by contributing directly to charity partner organizations including UNICEF, The Hunger Project, Water Collective and fifteen more. In 2014, the campaign raised $2,082,905 around the world. With your help we can do even better.
In the short two months that I have interned for Global Citizen, my mind has been opened to the incredible ways organizations are banding together to creatively say no to poverty. This is why I have taken it on as my mission as well. I truly feel part of something greater than myself and that I am making a real and lasting impact. As a Columbia student, working in a rigorous environment, we are lucky to be afforded opportunities to help our personal, academic, and career development. While it can of course be difficult to take precious time away from our studies and social lives, it is these types of campaigns that we should advocate for as students. We have the tools to make a difference and therefore we should be making a difference.
I am excited to say that multiple organizations on Columbia University’s campus are already taking on our campaign including Amnesty International, EcoReps, and Columbia Child Rights. If you’re reading this and you want to take action, we need your support! If you or an organization you participate in is interested in partnering with us and you want to share your ideas for mobilizing your community, please email LBLUS@globalpovertyproject.com. Individuals who want to take on the campaign can sign up directly at livebelowtheline.com/us.
Sign up. Pick an organization to support. Raise funds. Take on the challenge. Join with me and others around the world in living below the poverty line so that 1.2 billion others can rise above it.