FW: The Unheard Truth - Poverty and Human Rights

FYI!

 

THE TRUTH At least 963 million people go to bed hungry every night 1 billion people live in slums One woman dies every minute in pregnancy and childbirth 2.5 billion people have no access to adequate sanitation services 20,000 children a day die as a result. 'The Unheard Truth: poverty and human rights' a new book by Amnesty International's Secretary General, Irene Khan, tells these truths and more. It shares with us the voices of those living in poverty and shows that human rights must be at the centre of our efforts to end poverty. As you’ve expressed an interest in the work of Amnesty International we wanted to share with you these insights from the book in advance of its launch on 15 October 2009. More human rights= less poverty Change the debate on poverty. Join the Demand Dignity Campaign. Speak out www.theunheardtruth.org www.demanddignity.amnesty.org

DESPITE ECONOMIC GROWTH BILLIONS LIVE IN POVERTY Irene Khan claims that economic analyses do not provide a full picture and economic solutions alone cannot end the problems of poverty. In a bracing argument enriched with her personal experiences and case studies from around the world, Khan sees poverty as the world’s worst human rights crisis because it traps people in a vicious cycle of deprivation, insecurity, exclusion and voicelessness. She argues that the foremost challenge is the empowerment, not the enrichment, of poor people, and makes a passionate and urgent plea for action to uphold human rights in the fight to end against poverty. THE EXPERTS AGREE "Irene makes a convincing case for putting human rights at the center of the effort to end poverty ..." Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General in the Foreword "The Unheard Truth is a passionate and urgent plea for action. Poverty is the world's worst human rights crisis and this book makes a powerful statement about not only why but how we can turn the tide." Mary Robinson, President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002), President of Ireland (1990-1997) "The Unheard Truth-poverty and human rights is not just another book, but a manifesto for our time, a script that urgently needs to be heeded and performed by a growing critical mass ..." Professor Muhammad Yunus: Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank; Chairman of the Yunus Centre FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF Visit: www.theunheardtruth.org and buy the book (royalties come back to Amnesty to help our work). Keep an eye out for updates, videos and more information as the debate unfolds. This book is part of Amnesty International’s global campaign to Demand Dignity which calls for an end to the human rights violations that drive and deepen poverty. Currently too much talk focuses on the economic aspects of poverty. But economic growth alone is not a panacea. Human Rights violations both cause and consequence of poverty but you, as part of our global movement can help change this.

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