On the day that marks International Day for the Eradication of Poverty sets one’s mind thinking – what is the link between entrepreneurship and eradication of poverty? Or for that matter the connect to job creation?
Promoting people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries is what comes to light today – the United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty that is observed every year on October 17 since 1993.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, for observing October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski, which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty — and the recognition by the United Nations.
Incidentally the theme for 2018 is coming together – to build an inclusive world of universal respect for human rights and dignity.
Various non-government organizations and community charities support the Day for the Eradication of Poverty by actively calling for country leaders and governments to make the fight against poverty a central part of foreign policy. Other action points on this day may include signing “Call to action” petitions, organizing concerts and cultural events, and holding interfaith gatherings that may include a moment of silence.
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that date, more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris, France, to honor the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. Since then, individuals and organizations worldwide observed October 17 as a day to renew their commitment in collaborating towards eradicating poverty. In December, 1992, the UN General Assembly officially declared October 17 as the date for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (resolution 47/196 of December 22, 1992).
So, eradication of poverty brings to the picture – the scene of everyone happily settled in jobs that promise to keep them comfortable and happy in life.
And, such action points or policies that encourage the growth of small businesses and the role of entrepreneurship in the market are considered to be healthy for the economy of a country.
And, for economy to thrive, there must be competition, growth and innovation. Successful entrepreneurs tend to be naturally competitive, think outside of the box, and see through many of the easy answers to see how an industry could benefit from a fresh take. In other words, they can very often disrupt the market.
But, what’s most important is that market disruption can cause new job fields to open. Netflix, for example, disrupted the video rental industry to the point that the neighborhood video store became basically a thing of the past!!
So, new businesses can throw up more job opportunities so that more and more people can find jobs. And, with everyone backed by decent jobs – all roads lead to poverty eradication! Welcome happiness!
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
