Church of Scotland: To make poverty history is the central moral challenge of our generation

One of the main aims of the day is to make the voice of the poor heard. It is their voice that will lead us to the change we all need to make so that poverty does become history.

The Reverend Ian Galloway, Convenor of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, recognizes the need for real action and has written to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown urging him to tackle childhood poverty in the UK and beyond, especially at this time of credit crunch.(See letter below).

Mr Galloway said: “To make poverty history is the central moral challenge of our generation. It is linked to climate change. It is linked to the credit crunch. It is linked to who we are as human beings. Are we willing to make sacrifices for people who we will never know? The eradication of poverty cannot remain a job for the powerful, but must become a calling for us all. I encourage everyone to join the struggle. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of those affected by poverty, and make progress towards making poverty history.”

Letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Rt Hon Gordon Brown
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Prime Minister

I write to call on you to show real leadership in taking on and ending childhood poverty. As you will be aware, this Saturday (October 17) is World Poverty Day and that this year, the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the focus of the day will be the hardships faced by children and their families affected by poverty, especially at this time of recession.

Prospects for today’s children and the world’s poor hinge upon our success of working towards ending poverty. The potential of too many young people is destroyed simply because of the poverty in which they grow up. To put it simply, eradicating poverty is the central moral challenge to our generation. With the challenges of climate change and the credit crunch echoing around us, more than ever we are discovering our interdependence as human beings. One person's suffering affects us all.

World Poverty Day provides us with an opportunity of reflection and taking positive action, since those whose voice has least force in the political world are exactly the ones who suffer most from the harmful effects of a crisis for which they do not bear responsibility. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has a long record of campaigning on behalf of the world's poorest peoples. With our partner churches we have first hand experience of their suffering and how, so often, they have been silenced. At this time of global recession, it is even more important that we do not forget the poorest in our world.

For this reason I urge you to hear the voice of the poor on World Poverty Day and take all measures necessary within your power to contribute to the ultimate eradication of poverty wherever it is found.

Yours sincerely
Revd Ian Galloway

nr/67/10/09

Thursday 15, October 2009

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news/nr671009.htm