The Importance of Advocacy

You can be an advocate for the world's poor with the very device you're using to read this article. The United States, as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, is in a unique position to help developing countries fulfill their potential. If we along with other wealthy nations focus more of our annual spending on foreign aid, we can actually end global poverty. In fact, Jeffery Sachs, author of The End of Poverty, estimates that the cost of ending global poverty over the next 20 years would be $175 billion per year. This is not an impossible task. So, it is more important than ever to use our voices as voters in The United States. Using basic advocacy methods, you can let your voice be heard on the issue of global poverty.

Right now, there are several bills on Congress's floor waiting to be passed that would help our fight against global poverty immensely. In order to help these bills get passed, we have to let our congressional representatives know that they matter to us. The easiest way of communicating with your congressional representatives is by email. The Borgen Project has an email template for every global poverty and hunger bill waiting to be enacted, so all you have to do is fill out your personal information. Then, they send this email for you to your congressmen and congresswomen. It only takes 45 seconds to fill out, and when you fill out your information once, the website will remember it for the next bill about which you would like to email. If you want your voice to literally be heard, you can call your congressional representatives. You can find out your representatives' phone numbers on The Borgen Project website. When you call, you will be leaving a message on their voicemail so say your name, zip code, and your message about the bill you want to support. It takes less than 30 seconds, and it really does make an impact. Congressional leaders are given weekly reports about how many people call on particular issues. Sometimes just a handful of calls or emails can change a representative's mind.

Another important method of advocacy is spreading the word. This can be as simple as asking your roommate or parents to email their representatives about a bill or sharing this article. The more emails and calls congressional leaders receive about bills that would help end global poverty, the higher the likelihood that these bills will pass. However, it is imperative that you educate yourself about global poverty and hunger in order to have productive conversations with your friends, family, and neighbors. The Borgen Project believes in the importance of education about global poverty, so they have several articles on their site for you to learn the facts.

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