What you can do
From Poverty to Power and The Urgency of Now set out clear ideas for changing the world to make it a sustainable place for us all to live. There are many ways you can use the power you have.
Understand and learn
It may seem obvious, but it’s hard to know how to act unless you know what’s really going on. These books explore the many forces that shape all our lives and help you think about how and whether things could be different. But don’t just trust us. Do your own research, listen to what’s going on in the world, and come to your own conclusions.
Talk
Get your friends and family to read the book(s) (use our handy ‘email a friend’ facility) and discuss what you’ve read. Getting people talking about poverty and inequality is important: a big part of the problem is that people in richer countries don’t see the connection between their lives and the lives of a billion poor people. Perhaps one positive outcome of some of today’s immediate challenges – the current global food crisis and rising price of oil – will be to help make this connection more firmly in many people’s minds.
Act
In our interconnected world, we in the rich world can influence things on a global level, especially when we work together and campaign alongside poor people struggling for their rights. It’s like the butterfly effect – where an insect flapping its wings somewhere can create a hurricane on the other side of the globe: a small action in one part of the world can lead to big changes elsewhere. Imagine the kind of world we would be living in now if slavery had never been abolished, or if women had never been given the right to vote. These changes were seen as impossible once – yet they happened and the world is better for them.
Nelson Mandela says that overcoming poverty and inequality is the next great challenge facing humankind. There’s a man who knows a bit about changing the world for the better.
It’s in all our interests to act now.
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