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“I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make a better place
With my own two hands”

Ben Harper, With My Own Two Hands

  Friends, today is Blog Action Day and this year’s theme is poverty. This post is my small contribution and I’d like to share with you the idea that we can all help fight poverty through small and simple efforts. At the end of the post I give you a list of simple actions you could take today.

Poverty, like many other large issues in the world, is often seen as somebody else’s problem. It’s just too big for you and me, right? Wrong. I believe that we can make a difference by each taking a small action, no matter how tiny, to reduce poverty. If you have a hard time believing this, I think that the recent financial crisis is an excellent example that supports this idea.

What is this great financial crisis? Individuals and families, just like you or yours, simply didn’t pay back a loan they’d obtained from a bank. This is a pretty small thing at the individual level. But you have seen just how great an effect that action has when multiplied by many individuals. Many of the world’s mighty financial institutions are brought to their knees.

Do you still think your action is too small to count?

Before I give you some ideas for small actions you could take, I’d like to share one other thought with you. This one is not mine, but was given to us by Deb who eloquently pointed out that poverty is not just about money. Even if you are not in a position to give money you can still act to reduce many other kinds of poverty for free.

Now, here’s a short list of ideas you could implement with minimal time and effort. Feel free to use them or come up with your own. You can also find more suggestions of what one person can do on the Blog Action Day site.

Ideas to Fight Poverty

• Donate a small part of your income to an organization fighting poverty.
  Smile and say “hello” to a stranger, reduce the poverty of kindness in the world.
• Donate a little of your time, just a half a day a month, to help an organization fighting poverty.
• Ask your banker how your savings are used. Do they finance real projects, or the kind of speculation that is behind the current mess? If you don’t like the answer ask your bank to change, or change your bank.
• Take a stand on poverty. For example, write to your local or national representative and ask politely what they are doing about it. Write again next month, and the month after. Show that someone cares about the problem.

What action are you going to take, today, the next day and the day after that to relieve poverty? Help others relieve poverty by leaving your easy to do poverty fighting ideas in the comments.