Last month, we asked if you think your government should do more to fight global poverty. Of the 725 of you that responded, a massive 94% said YES. 

You shared lots of reasons why you feel tackling extreme poverty should be more important to world leaders — from protecting national security to addressing colonial injustice. Many challenged the misconception that we need to solve the problems on our own doorstep before we can help others. Because it's not a question of looking after ourselves versus others. We can do both if our leaders make both a priority. Putting policies in place that prioritise humanity's collective good means we all have what we need to thrive. 💪🌍 

Here are three of our favourite responses you shared:

"We are part of a global community and poverty is preventable. When people can live with dignity and justice, the whole world does better economically and socially."

"Poverty denies opportunities, divides society and is grossly unfair and immoral wherever it occurs. We must do what we can to ensure we are all part of one world, one planet."

"My government should do more to fight global poverty because we are all human beings with equal rights to food, education, health care and everything else that the wealthier countries enjoy - often at the expense of the poorer countries."

Things we love:

💥Meet Carolyne: a passionate community health worker fighting HIV and gender-based violence in Kenya. “When I come home at the end of the day, I feel exhausted, that's for sure. And also, I feel at peace.”  

🌱In this TED talk, Zahra Biabani explains the need for hope in tackling the climate crisis. EcoTok is a collective of environmental educators and activists who empower younger generations to take action on climate change by creating Tik Tok content on science and activism. 

🥡The U.S. nonprofit Consumer Reports'campaign to ban the use of PFAS or "forever chemicals" in food packaging has educated the public, led some companies to adopt safer manufacturing methods, and is working with other groups to push for state and federal level action. The campaign is also gaining momentum in Europe.

📃"Though it’s flawed and not enough, this would still constitute the largest climate investment by any country in world history". As the U.S. passes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement shares the letter from youth leaders to Congress and reflects on how climate activists got us here.

Things you can do

🎭Almost half of Africa's youth are unemployed or underemployed. Terra Academy for The Arts equips young Nigerians with theater & business skills. Watch and share this video to support their work. 

✊"It was the lesson I learned from Harvey Milk … he had an extraordinary ability to meet somebody completely different from him and find something that they had in common". Hear from HIV activist Cleve Jones and others in our Activism vs AIDS talk. 

📣How does social change really happen? Learn from UK campaigning experts in this talk on Civil Society, Power & Creating Bolder, Braver Social Change from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. 

🗣Decolonising Futures is a four-part series of conversations with community organisers working towards a "just transition" world. From the economics of queerness, to disability justice, check out these fascinating discussions from Decolonising Economics.

🤔 Poll: Do you feel you have space to campaign safely on the issues you care about? 

For people to come together and drive social change for the collective good, they need safe spaces, free from all acts of intimidation, harassment and reprisals, whether online or offline. 

Tell us what you think and we'll share the poll results in next month's newsletter...

People Changing the World

Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Simon Peyda Moore. I'm 33 years old, I live in Sweden, and I've been a ONE activist for more than half of my life! 

In 2005, Band Aid 20 and Make Poverty History sparked my activism. I studied biomedicine at university. Then, inspired by my experience with ONE, I went back to school and earned a second master's degree in global health.

Can you tell us about the work you do? 

In my most recent role, I evaluated efforts to improve health care around Stockholm. For example, we met primary health care workers in areas where vaccine uptake is low and helped to assess and support their needs to improve coverage. 

Right now, a passion of mine is exploring the overlap of global public health and user experience design (UX). The pandemic increased demand for digital health solutions. It’s exciting to see where health care will go next! 

As a ONE activist, I take action on Twitter, write to my political representatives, and join events. During the last U2 tour in Sweden, I volunteered with ONE, and I interviewed my friend Saira to drum up interest in what we do at ONE. 

Why is ending extreme poverty important to you? 

“No Poverty” is  Sustainable Development Goal 1 for a reason. While the SDGs are all interlinked, it all starts with lifting people out of extreme poverty. Then children can go to school instead of helping out at home, girls won’t risk getting married early, and fathers and mothers can invest in their families. 

As a Swedish citizen, I'm concerned about threats to cut our foreign aid budget. For a country that our co-founder Bono says is world-leading, we must never take that position for granted. We should harness the power of our privilege and wield it with empathy, so more people can gain those same privileges tomorrow. Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live.

What motivates you in and outside of work?

The simple answer is people. People make the work happen. When people take action, more people are inspired to join in. The longer answer is people who can dream their version of our world into existence. My wife, Sarah, is American and lived part of her life in Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born. We visited all the King landmarks and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. That was the most emotional and inspiring exhibition I've visited in my life. 

My "love language" is quality time, so outside of work I enjoy being with my family, friends, and relatives. As an introvert, I also make time for meditation, music, and podcasts. Something and someone that always brings me joy is Ellen McGirt, who runs Fortune's “Race Ahead” newsletter. She is a fellow ONE activist and wrote a great piece on our co-founder back in 2016.

📺 Watch Simon's video on what activism means to him.

Did you like today's email?

Loved it

Mehhh

Hated it