Need global solution

Right now we are experiencing a turbulent time in our nation’s history. People are losing their jobs, college students are dealing with the reality that they may not return to campus this year, and the economy has already tanked. We are concerned about the well-being of our friends and family, which is warranted in such a crisis as this.

What if I told you that next year, over half a billion people around the world will drop below the international poverty line? This translates to an income of $1.90 per day, and the pandemic alone could erase decades of progress. You’re probably asking yourself, “Why should this matter to me?” The majority of the world’s consumers live outside of the U.S., and if people from developing areas like sub-Saharan Africa are unable to buy our products, then American businesses are losing out on potential revenue.

Investment in these impoverished communities can boost the economies of the developing countries and our own, as both areas are open to new trade and job opportunities. Whether you’re economically conservative and like to invest or you’re more passionate about the humanitarian side of fighting poverty, the benefits are undeniable.

If you want to make a change, contact your legislators and encourage them to support the International Affairs Budget and/or the Covid-19 Global Response. The International Affairs Budget provides billions of dollars of resources to growing countries (food, water, technology, medicine, etc.) and the Covid-19 Global Response gives $20 billion toward combating covid-19, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. If you have less time but enough disposable income, consider donating to The Borgen Project and other organizations that advocate on behalf of fighting poverty. This is a global problem, so it’s going to take a global solution with all hands on deck to help!

REILLY O’NEILL

Little Rock