NEW YORK, New York–The 5-day “Live Below the Line” challenge aims to raise awareness and fundraise for a myriad of sponsored organizations that work toward fighting extreme poverty. Live Below the Line took place from April 28-May 2 this year, challenging thousands of individuals and communities from around the globe to eat and drink on less than $1.50 per day.
Participants fundraised for one of the partners of the Global Poverty Project, an organization dedicated to ending extreme global poverty by 2030.
The campaign helps people in developed countries better understand what living in poverty is truly like – it equips them with more awareness and compassion for the 1.2 billion people that are currently living in poverty.
Some of the 70 partners of the Global Poverty Project that participants will donate money to include: Heifer International, Kiva, Opportunity International, The Hunger Project and the World Food Program (WFP).
The Global Poverty Project website provides participants with a personal fundraising page (after choosing a charity of their choice) and tips and tools for succeeding in the challenge – including recipes, fundraising tips, etc. Participants also received regular email updates and could share their experience with other individuals across the globe.
Since its inception in 2010, the Live Below the Line campaign has engaged over 50,000 participants across more than 70 countries, fundraised $10 million for more than 90 charities, and reached 1.9 billion through media across more than 1,500 media outlets.
However, despite its good intentions, the campaign has also had its fair share of criticism. For instance, the campaign is only a short-term glimpse into how poor people survive, so one crucial question to ask is whether the participants remain self-aware or even change their behavior in the long-term, following campaign participation. Perhaps it would be ideal to research the after-effects of the campaign, rather than simply before and during.
Another criticism falls under the banner of “raising awareness.” Some have wondered whether it really takes such a campaign for people to become aware of the very real struggles people face on the daily in developing countries. What exactly does “raising awareness” accomplish? Is this the best way to tackle poverty? Despite these essential questions, we must not undermine the other critical element of the campaign which focuses on the tangible—raising money for credible organizations, like the ones listed above.
Another oft-missed criterion is gathering input from the locals that are actually living in poverty. What would they think of this campaign? The campaign falls under the rubric of standing in solidarity with the impoverished, yet it disregards the perspectives and opinions of these same individuals. This has been a consistent element in such feel-good campaigns. Could these individuals perhaps provide better solutions at tackling global poverty since they are the ones that are living it? Perhaps it would be best to work collaboratively, directly with these communities rather than working through multiple bureaucratic, disconnected organizations.
Two years ago when the campaign was relatively new, Julie Ulbricht recorded her own journey and shared it with the world in an online piece. Julie’s grocery items consisted of rolled oats, 2 pears, 2 carrots, 3 potatoes, soup pack, green tea bags, and a packet of red lentils totaling up to $8.61. While Ulbricht describes the load as being “mind-numbingly bland”, it should be noted that in many countries this is actually quite a big load to purchase all of these items for under $10.
To others, this food load does not scream poverty, but rather someone who lives modestly.
Ulbricht says of her experience, “Still, so far, my take out is this: it doesn’t make sense for anyone to suffer from hunger in 2012, and to be lacking in the basic choices and opportunities we have. Taking the Live Below the Line challenge presents a great opportunity to build empathy for the world’s poorest.”
“Rather, making poverty history can only be realized if our focus is to change the global systems, policies and structures that keep the poor, poor. Things like trade rules, our food production system and considering how better to spend our foreign aid.” This final note provides a glimpse as to where the significant reforms are needed in order to elevate individuals out of poverty.
Further, the campaign has the potential to oversimplify the underlying social and political complexities in developing countries that keep individuals in poverty.
It goes far beyond simply putting enough food on one’s plate.
Odette Hutchings, manager of Canada’s Live Below the Line campaign, says participants can channel funds raised toward one of eight partner organizations that sponsor programs ranging from the agriculture sector to health to advocacy and literacy. Last year, participating Canadians raised more than $110,000. This year’s target is $300,000.
Hutchings, who participated in the challenge this week, said “you end up thinking about food quite a bit, and seeing other people eating can be quite difficult.”
Regardless of one’s stance regarding the campaign, the Live Below the Line challenge has engaged thousands across the globe and raised millions of dollars for various charities worldwide. This in itself is perhaps the crucial first step needed to raise awareness and engage individuals in the long run. It is hard to argue against the goal of ending poverty, and this is one goal that we should all stand behind.
Sources: Huffington Post, Live Below the Line, Global Poverty Project, The Punch, Big Issue
Photo: UNICEF