Zero Poverty

Today saw the launch of Zero Poverty, a Europe-wide campaign seeking to raise awareness of poverty across Europe and the rest of the world. The campaign has been launched by Caritas Europe to encourage public action during the European year against Poverty and Exclusion. The campaign is based around several ‘missions’ to be achieved by everyone who signs up, including signing a petition to tackle poverty in Europe, with the hope that by reaching over one million signatures they can push the European Parliament into action.

I have to admit, at a first glance it seems dubious that the campaign will really achieve anything; after all, the final policy decisions will be made by politicians in the European Union. However, there is much to be said for the power of the public voice, and if the petition is successful, it will raise some key issues to the forefront of European policy. The campaign also encourages those who register to engage in their ‘missions’, ranging from simply buying a copy of the Big Issue, to writing a blog post about it all (yes, I have been sucked in already!).

Whether this campaign will end up relegated to the list of utopian ideals such as the MAKE POVERTY HISTORY campaign, or if it has the potential to launch a wave of public support remains to be seen. Its success may lie in the coordination and collaboration of charities and organisations across Europe, and building a foundation for future policy changes. It is unlikely that we will see poverty eliminated, but every step towards that goal – even merely raising awareness of the problems that lie on our doorstep – will make a difference.