Right now, it’s easy to feel hopeless. A global pandemic and a devastating war have taken the lives of millions, and sometimes it’s hard to know how to make positive changes when new crises are emerging left and right.
However, one phenomenon that isn’t new is the issue of global poverty; nearly 1 billion people in the world are starving. Unfortunately, instead of combatting this problem, poverty reduction rates are decreasing, and the United States is investing little funding in the global poverty crisis.
Yes, I’m talking about the United States: a global superpower that has the ability to end global poverty by redistributing government funds and advocating for voiceless individuals.
Sure, the United States has plenty of domestic things to worry about. But contrary to the narrative we’re often told, we’d benefit greatly from addressing global poverty: our economy would flourish from a surplus of new jobs and our global status would benefit by improving relationships with other nations. Global poverty affects us too.
We’re pretty divided as a nation and as a world, but one thing that most people can acknowledge is that everyone should have the right to a quality life. We all have the power to spread this message, and it all starts with a call to your member of Congress.
Thank you to Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for consistently prioritizing global aid and supporting the International Affairs Budget.
Benjamin Levin of Middletown is an intern of The Borgen Project Political Affairs Team.