By Sakshi Agarwal
“If through our wisdom we could secure elementary human needs, there would be no need for weapons of war.” — Mahatma Gandhi
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the UN General Assembly recognizing October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the 30th anniversary of the World Day for Overcoming Poverty. Every year this day is commemorated at the UN with a moment of reflection and solidarity around the Commemorative Stone in Honor of Victims of Extreme Poverty, located on the North Lawn of the UN Gardens [1]. As 2018 also marks the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the theme for this year’s celebration is “Coming together with those furthest behind to build an inclusive world of universal respect for human rights and dignity.” This theme emphasizes that extreme poverty and human rights are irrevocably connected, and people living in poverty are disproportionately affected by many human rights violations [2].
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