Ending poverty is one of the cross-cutting issues of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals because it is related to many other goals on the list such as decent jobs, quality education, and improving infrastructure and access to health care. It is also a cross-cutting issue in the sense that it concerns every country and every person, no matter rich or poor, young or old and any other differences in conditions of life. This is because poverty is not an isolated phenomenon; rather it is a state that anyone could all fall into if there is not a system to protect them. In this course, you will learn about the various forms that poverty can take, and how it can be battled, by the United Nations, governments, companies, humanitarian organizations, and last but not least, you.

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When was the last time you saw a homeless person sleeping on the street or skipped a YouTube ad about donating money to save hungry children? Poverty is more than having no food or money. It is about not having enough resources and that is a problem that concerns every country and every person - whether you are rich or poor, young or old. Even you may be affected by poverty at some point in your life if there isn’t a system in their community to protect you.

There is a reason why this is Goal #1. Poverty affects the other SDG’s on the list like jobs, education, housing and health. By now you may be wondering, how is that even possible? The following units explain this through REAL stories of how teenagers like you experience poverty everyday from the UK and Greece to Myanmar and Canada.

Yes, you should care. Yes, you can do something about it.

Unit 1 - What is Goal 1: No Poverty?

Unit 2 - No Poverty by 2030: What are the Targets?

Unit 3 - New Light on an Old Problem: Rethinking Poverty

Unit 4 - What Can I Do to Promote No Poverty?