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1. No Poverty

New Vocabulary

  • poverty
  • eradicate
  • implement
  • vulnerable
  • impact
  • root cause
  • empower
  • goal
  • ensure
  • conflict
  • social protection
  • conquer

Practice the new vocabulary

Poverty vocabulary (text version)

Match the words to their definitions.

Words:

  • implement
  • goal
  • ensure
  • social protection
  • eradicate
  • vulnerable
  • poverty
  • root cause
  • conquer
  • impact
  • conflict

Definitions:

  1. the experience of having no money
  2. to get rid of something completely
  3. to take action or make changes that have officially been decided
  4. easy to hurt or injure
  5. the effect that something has on another
  6. the absolute reason why something happens
  7. to give someone control or strength to do something
  8. the target or aim to achieve in the future
  9. to make certain something will happen
  10. war
  11. a set of programs to help reduce poverty
  12. to get control over something that is difficult

Check your answers in footnote [1]

Activity source: Poverty vocabulary by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

Activity source: SDG 1: End Poverty – Vocabulary by Donna Naylor, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

End Poverty

 

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (n.d.) Goal 1 Infographic:

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals has an agenda to be achieved by the year 2030. The target to end poverty is one of the top concerns of the UN. From the statistics of the infographic, it states that if nothing is done by the year 2030, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty while only 1/3 of countries will have halved their national poverty levels. To add to this problem, in many low-income countries, the percentages of children, seniors and vulnerable people who receive social protection remain quite small.

What does this mean in the global perspective? Would it be possible to eradicate global poverty? The poverty crisis was starting to decline in 2017, however, and unfortunately, the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 reversed this trend. In fact the numbers of people living in extreme poverty set the goal back almost 4 years! As well, country conflicts and climate change have impacted the strides made to lessen development.

Some ways to conquer being poor and address the root causes may include:

  • implementing more social protection systems
  • educating children
  • ensuring basic health care and clean water
  • empowering females
  • improving childhood nutrition
  • supporting environmental programs
  • reaching children in conflict
  • preventing child marriages

Canadian Perspective

End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere by Statistics Canada (text version)

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

From 2019 to 2020 the poverty rate fell almost 40% to 6.4%.

Socio-economic impacts

Over 1 in 10 Indigenous persons aged 16 and older lived in poverty in 2020 – double the rate of non-Indigenous persons. People with disabilities aged 16 and older continue to be at higher risk, with a rate of 8.5% in 2020.

Population Poverty rate
Indigenous persons aged 16 and older 11.8
Persons with disabilities 8.5
Families and poverty

The child poverty rate was cut in half in 2020. Children in couple families experienced the lowest rates of poverty among all children (3%). Poverty for female lone-parent families decreased by 41% in 2020. However, they experienced more than double the poverty rates of male lone-parent families.

More than 1,400,000 lifted out of poverty since 2019 largely because of government transfers from COVID-19 relief programs.

Resilient Canadians

In 2019, 67% of Canadians had enough savings[2] to cover unexpected expenses or reduced income for 3 months. Only 41% of lone-parent families could do the same.

Resilient communities

In 2020, Canada implemented disaster risk reduction strategies:

  • Sendai Framework
  • Collaboration
  • Prevention
  • Building back better
Community spotlight: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)

ITK is the national representational organization protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada.

Percent Living in Low-Income Households in Inuit Nunangat in 2016
Table 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 2. The information is grouped by Population (appearing as row headers), Percentage (appearing as column headers).
Population Percentage
Inuit 22.5
Non-Indigenous Persons 3.1

ITK is working to capture the true depth of poverty for Inuit with Inuit-specific metrics of poverty. Their work on cost of living aims to measure costs of both modern & traditional economies. ITK will use this to develop an Inuit Poverty Reduction Strategy to target poverty in Inuit Nunangat.

Note: The Canadian Income Survey covers all individuals in Canada, excluding persons living on reserves and other Indigenous settlements in the provinces, the institutionalized population, and households in extremely remote areas with very low population density.

Source(s): Statistics Canada, Canadian Income Survey, 2019/2020. Statistics Canada, Survey of Financial Security, 2019. Statistics Canada, 2016 Census. Public Safety Canada. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

Source: Goal 1, No Poverty In Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Report, 2022 by Statistics Canada, used under Open License

Discussion Questions

Use the new vocabulary words in these discussion questions. Ask and answer in partners or small groups:

  1. Why is setting clear goals important when trying to tackle global issues like poverty or inequality?
  2. How does poverty impact different countries around the world?
  3. Do you think it’s possible to completely eradicate poverty? Why or why not?
  4. What challenges can arise when trying to implement new policies or programs in a country?
  5. Which groups in society are the most vulnerable, and why?
  6. What impact does education have on breaking the cycle of poverty?
  7. How does conflict contribute to poverty, and what are some ways to resolve conflicts to foster development?
  8. Why is it important to identify and address the root causes of social issues like poverty or conflict?
  9. How does social protection, such as unemployment benefits and healthcare, help reduce poverty?
  10. Do you think technology can help conquer issues like poverty and inequality? How?
  11. How can governments ensure that vulnerable populations are included in social protection programs?
  12. What are some ways governments and NGOs can empower women in developing countries?

Watch the video:

Watch Goal 1 – No Poverty (2 mins) on YouTube

Video source: UNStats. (2022, July 7). Goal 1 – No Poverty [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URS227ckd4Q

Goal 1 – No poverty video questions (text version)
  1. How many years of progress against poverty has been erased by COVID 19?
    1. 2
    2. 5
    3. 4
    4. 1
  2. What are other causes that have stalled the progress of eradicating poverty?
    1. National and local elections
    2. Rising inflation and impacts of war
    3. High taxes
    4. Global warming
  3. What is the current projection of people living in extreme poverty?
    1. 50 million
    2. 581 million
    3. 5 million
    4. 676 million
  4. How many more workers were pushed into poverty in 2020?
    1. 8,000
    2. 8,000,000
    3. 800,000
    4. 80,000
  5. Who got more benefits during the pandemic?
    1. low-income countries
    2. high-income countries

Check your answer in footnote[3]

Activity source: Video SDG1 (No Poverty) Quiz by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

What Can We Do in Our Day-to-Day Lives? 

Every one of us can do something to have a positive impact on this goal. Here are some suggestions:

Donate to thrift stores:

  • Do you have clothes, shoes, boots, coats, hats, or mitts that are still in good condition, but you no longer need or use? Donate these to a local thrift store.
  • These items can be sold at a fraction of their original cost to help clothe individuals and families in need.
  • As a bonus, this ‘recycling’ of clothing keeps hundreds of thousands of pounds of unwanted material goods out of our landfills – also helping to support SDG 6 and 13!
  • Many thrift stores also take dishes, small appliances, books and more, so make this your ‘go to’ stop for items you no longer need.
  • Thrift stores also provide employment opportunities, often for individuals with disabilities or who may have difficulty finding regular employment for other reasons.
  • Keeping a thrift store in business also keeps people working!

Buy Local:

  • Look around your community to find small stores or restaurants operated by local individuals or families. When you buy from these places, you not only get what you need, you help others in your community to earn a living and support themselves and their families.
  • The shovel you buy at the local hardware store might help the owner pay for his daughter’s necessary dental work; the flowers you buy from the local farmer’s market might be paying for someone’s music lessons. As the saying goes, ‘buy local, or bye-bye local.’
  • The owners of these local shops and restaurants are also often supporters of community programs, children’s sports teams and more. Supporting them also supports your community.

Organize or participate in a community goods exchange weekend:

  • It’s a simple idea with a big impact. The idea is that, on a designated day or weekend, everyone in the neighbourhood/community puts things on the curb that they no longer want or need, but that are still in good condition. Then, everyone is invited to travel the area and pick up items they can use themselves.
  • You clear out your unwanted items and they find a new home where they are needed (and you might find some great things too!)
  • Find a Goal 1 charity you want to support. Any donation, big or small, can make a difference!

Short of Money Yourself?

  • Learn how to budget.
  • It can be very difficult when you don’t have enough money to pay for all of your needs, but sometimes, this can be helped (or even solved), with planning for good money management.
  • Often, when students are living on their own for the first time, it’s easy to get into the habit of getting takeout for your meals, or going out with your friends to places that cost money. But, learning to take care of your most important needs first – things like rent, paying for your hydro, etc., and saving money by preparing meals at home, taking your lunch with you, cutting back on ‘extra’s like movie streaming programs can make a big difference.
  • Use some of the ideas above – shop at thrift stores and if you really have to, use a food bank.
  • Save money day-to-day by air drying your clothes; turning off lights or appliances that are not being used; biking, walking or taking public transportation for shorter trips to save on gas; and using a refillable water bottle instead of buying water.
  • Take Advantage of Student Practitioners:
    • Many professions such as dentists/dental hygienists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, beauticians, hair stylists, etc. require several hours of practical work to be done as part of their diploma or degree requirements. This means that students need people to be their clients or patients so they can learn, while under the supervision of teachers, mentors or other experts in the field.
    • Because they are not yet fully qualified, the services of these student practitioners cost less than the usual going rate.
    • Check out student practitioner services at a college or university near you for some great deals, while also helping someone learn a profession. You’ll also be supporting SDG 3, 4, 8 and 11 at the same time!

Key Targets for SDG 1

  • 1.1 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
  • 1.2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
  • 1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
  • 1.4 By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.
  • 1.5 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
Photo by cottonbro studio, Pexels license

Assignment/Homework:

Choose one of the ‘What we can do’ items and put it into action! Report back to the class to tell us about the experience, what you learned about yourself, and how it made you feel to do something good for the world.

You can read more about Goal #1 in The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 from the UN.:

For instructors, please visit York University’s The SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit for lesson ideas

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this page is created by Virginia McHardy, CC BY-NC 4.0

References

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Goal 1 [Infographic]. Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal1

  1. 1. poverty, 2. eradicate, 3. implement, 4. vulnerable, 5. impact, 6. root cause, 7 . empower, 8. goal 9. ensure, 10. conflict, 11. social protection, 12. conquer ↵
  2. Savings refers to liquid assets including bank accounts, term deposits, treasury bills, tax-free savings accounts, stocks and bonds (in mutual funds or not), and registered retirement savings plans. ↵
  3. 1. c, 2. b, 3. d, 4. b, 5. b  ↵
definition

License

DRAFT: SDGs for EAP Learners Copyright © by Donna Naylor and Virginia McHardy. All Rights Reserved.

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