What is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP)?

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is a global day of awareness, advocacy and action against poverty, marked every year on 17 October. This year, IDEP takes the theme: Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty.

The IDEP 2019 theme is anchored on commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which recognizesthat every child has the right to a standard of living adequate for thier physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.

As Arigatou International – End Child Poverty, IDEP presents us an opportunity to engage in our global campaign: Together We Can End Child Poverty Worldwide.

1. Promoting Awareness on child poverty, through online messaging, public forums and other such related events.
2. Promoting Advocacy and Lobbying, calling decision makers and policy makers and influencers to task, so that child poverty can be addressed as a priority concern at a community, national and global level.
3. Accompanying and supporting grassroots actions towards ending child poverty.

Why Take Part in the IDEP Campaign?

We believe that, together with you, we can end child poverty worldwide, we can end violence against children, and we can build a better world for all children.

The global multidimensional poverty index report of 2019 accounts that 1 in every 3 children is poor. This state of poverty robs children of their rights, dignity and overall well-being. Child poverty is also closely linked to violence against children.

By taking part in IDEP 2019 and joining our campaign, Together We Can End Child Poverty Worldwide, you too can be part of the global community addressing these important issues and making a positive difference.

How You Can Be Part of the IDEP 2019 Campaign

We invite you take part in marking IDEP 2019 by promoting awareness, advocacy and lobbying, and leading grassroots actions. Here are 5 creative ways:

1. Listen to Children

Create spaces to Listen to children with empathy and respect, welcome their wisdom and gifts, and continue to work side-by-side with children to address violence against them and end child poverty.

Ask children from your community what poverty means to them and how communities can work together to end child poverty and violence against children.

• Record and send these responses to your local leaders accompanied by an advocacy message demanding for action to end child poverty and violence against children.
• You can record the children’s responses through a video, in written form (as a letter, essay, poem) or as an audio message.
• Send us these children’s responses, to inspire many others.

Organize various ‘Listening to Children’ sessions with young people from your community, guided by the topic, Together We Can End Child Poverty Worldwide.

• You can use the Learning To Live Together (LTLT) methodology to organise these sessions.
• Focus on providing a safe space for children to express their views on child poverty and violence against children, as well as their ideas for community actions to address both.
• Use the responses given by the children to help you in planning your future End Child Poverty projects.

Partner with the school(s) in your community to organise and host an awareness activity around our IDEP campaign message, Together We Can End Child Poverty Worldwide.

• Invite students, teachers and parents to take part in your event.
• In this school activity, provide a platform for children to speak about how communities can end child poverty and violence against children.
• Also provide space for children to showcase their work in addressing child poverty.

Organize a children’s cultural event, such as a concert, sports, dance, music, games, acting, watching a film, taking part in a walk or creating expressive artwork.

• Partner with children or youth organisations such as religious groups, sports clubs, scouts and peace clubs, in order to host this event.

Before engaging the children in any of your IDEP activities, ensure to ask for permission and written consent from their parent(s) or guardian(s) beforehand.

2. Take Part in our 3^rd End Child Poverty IDEP Photo Contest

Take part in our 3^rd End Child Poverty IDEP Photo Contest, which will be launched on 17 October 2019.  Welcome young people from your community to actively take part in the photo contest, as a way to empower them and ensure their meanigful participation. Visit our IDEP Photo Contest page for more information. 

3. Share Your Story

Share Your Story and let us know how your community is tackling child poverty, so that many others can get inspired.

• Use the IDEP Activities Form and tell us what you have planned for the IDEP 2019 Campaign.
• Tell us about your work to end child poverty in your community.
• Invite children and other young people in your community to share their story on what they are doing to end child poverty.
• You can share these stories through our Facebook and Instagram, write us an E-mail and Contact Us through our website.
• Through the End Child Poverty IDEP Map we shall share your story with the rest of the world.
• Send us photos of all your IDEP 2019 Campaign activities.
• Share with us a brief report of your IDEP 2019 Campaign activities through E-mail or through our website.

4. Give

Involve children and other young people in identifying the needs of children affected by poverty in your community.

• Give resources – such as food stuff, clothing, shoes, books, learning material, medical kits – towards helping children affected by poverty and their families. Remember to ask the family or community what they require, before giving.
• Give a money donation to a local organization serving children affected by poverty. This could be your local faith community, a children’s home, a refugee host-centre, a school, or other such children’s welfare institution.
• Organize a fund-raising event towards ending child poverty in your community. Ensure to follow the necessary legal and ethical procedures.
• Volunteer your time to visit or serve children affected by poverty, during IDEP.
• Engage in any other humanitarian activity that is relevant to ending child poverty in your community.

5. Be part of the Conversation on Social Media

Use all your available social media channels to communicate facts about child poverty and violence against children, and what communities can do to eradicate child poverty and end violence against children.

• Connect with us on Facebook; Twitter and Instagram
• Look out for our IDEP 2019 Media Kit, which has social media assets and print banners which you can use to raise awareness.
• Use the hashtag #EndChildPoverty on all your relevant Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagram and YouTube other social media messages, during the month of October.
• Share the IDEP campaign message, “Together We Can End Child Poverty Worldwide” and tag us on your social media.
• ‘Donate’ your Facebook Cover photo and your Twitter Header photo – update it with the End Child Poverty IDEP photo, which will be available shortly on our website.
• Invite your friends and followers to connect with End Child Poverty on Facebook and Twitter.
• Retweet, Share, Like and Comment on the End Child Poverty posts. 

Remember that every action, big or small, counts. Take part in celebrating the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP), 17 October 2019, and make your action count.