Today is Blog Action Day, and bloggers around the world are uniting to discuss the issue of poverty. We live in a unique time in history- the need is massive but we have the resources to respond. Never before in history have we been in a position to make such huge inroads into needless human suffering.

An evidence of this fact is the creation of the Millennium Development Goals by the United Nations. The MDGs hope to radically reduce the amount of poverty and pointless suffering that happens worldwide by 2015. The goals are;

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality (by two-thirds).
5. Improve maternal health (reduce maternal mortality by three-fourths).
6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

These goals are very ambitious, but actually realistic. Realistic, that is, as long as we make a sustained commitment to combating these ills. The fact that we can reasonably expect to achieve these remarkable goals is a testimony to the unprecedented amount of resources and infrastructure we have in place to make a difference.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 ways we can use the Web to combat global poverty.

1.) Awareness

While ignorance may be bliss, it is no longer excusable. If you have the Internet at your fingertips, then you can easily and quickly learn about the extent and impact of poverty in the world. And the figures are pretty disturbing.

• 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty.
• Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities (malaria is easily preventable).
• Over 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day (less than a Starbucks latte).

Whether or not we are aware of the exact statistics, we are certainly more aware than ever about how bad the problem is. Make a commitment to staying informed about poverty. And, make a commitment to inform others too.

2.) Accountability

With greater awareness comes greater accountability- organizations can no longer easily sweep their moral failings under the rug. Using child labor? You may just get caught. And now, information can be spread quickly and broadly.

Accountability is not only important for corporations, but for nonprofits as well. Be sure to check out resources like Charity Navigator to ensure that you are committing your hard earned dollars to responsible charities that actually make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

Finally, accountability is important for government as well. It is time for us to call out politicians for their unfulfilled promises. Did you know that out of 22 countries who promised to contribute .7% of their annual income towards the Millennium Development Goals, only five are actually keeping their promises? My home country, the United States, is ranking at the bottom of the list, only managing to offer a meager .16% so far, with no scheduled plan to reach the promised amount.

3.) Advocacy

The power of the Web can be harnessed to advocate for the cause of the poor. Organizations like One can help us stay informed and communicate our concern to politicians. The fight to eliminate poverty depends to a great deal on the support of government. In order to succeed, we need to make sure politicians know there will be consequences if they fail to live up to their promises and they fail to fight against poverty. Take a stand against poverty today.

4.) New Ideas

The Web is the springboard for a lot of new ideas, including new ideas for fighting poverty. One of the most exciting developments is kiva.org, a site that gives you the chance to lend to entrepreneurs in the developing world. While lending to extremely poor individuals in developing countries may not sound like the wisest investment choice, in fact repayment rates in the best programs are very high. Kiva boasts a repayment rate well above 99%. Given the state of the stock market, this may actually look like a fairly wise place to put your money.

I’ve actually done independent research on microfinance, and studies show that these programs can be very effective. One measure of their success vs. other opportunities is the cost-benefit ratio, which measures the amount of cost to society compared to the benefit to clients. For the Grameen bank, a bank that offers a microfinance program akin to Kiva’s, studies indicated that the cost-benefit ratio for loans to women was .91 – much better than some alternatives like the World Food Program’s Food-for-Work scheme (ratio: 1.71). 1 The bottom line: Microfinance programs are a great way to combat poverty.

Moreover, these programs create many side-benefits. For example, these programs have been very successful in empowering women (the third Millennium Development Goal). The vast majority of applicants to microfinance programs (well over 90%) are women. These programs are giving women employment opportunities and independence in traditionally male-dominated cultures. And, microfinance programs have had measurable and positive impacts on maternal health (MDG 5) and child education (MDG 2). 2

The upshot: using the power of the Web, we all have the opportunity to support entrepreneurship, creativity, and independence for those in developing countries.

5.) Harnessing the Support of Individuals

When it comes to combating poverty, individuals really can make a difference. The power of the Web has opened our eyes to this fact. Using the Web, individual efforts can be congregated to produce something all the more powerful. In fact, this concept is the driving force behind organizations like kiva.org and one.org.

The Web also gives us the opportunity to gather together in communities with a broader scope than ever before. There are an explosion of facebook groups, blogs, and online communities where people all across the globe are joining together to discuss their passion for eliminating poverty.

Just Do It

All the tools and techniques in the world won’t make a whit of difference unless you make a personal commitment to do something. There are a million ways we can help. Why not forgo one restaurant visit a month in order to support a child? Instead of buying a new car, buy an ox for a family overseas. Instead of investing in the (plummeting) stock market, invest in the business opportunity of an entrepreneur at kiva.org.

True, these kinds of actions may cut into our paycheck. They may make our lives a little less luxurious. But it may make the difference between a child dying slowly of starvation and that same child living a long, productive life. That’s a difference that may be worth a few forgone lattes.

NOTES:

Morduch, Jonathan. “The Microfinance Promise.” Journal of Economic Literature 37.4 (1999): 1569-1614.

Littlefield, Elizabeth, Syed Hashemi, and Jonathan Morduch. “Is Microfinance and Effective Strategy to Reach the Millenium Development Goals?.” Focus Note 24 (2003): 1-12.