I have chosen the SDG of Goal 1 to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The target that I think needs to be focused on the most is 1.2, which is “By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.” This goal and target of ending poverty stood out to me because I know that being raised in an impoverished environment can come with several challenges. These challenges can include and lead to a higher rate of violence/crime, substance abuse, absence or lament of lost family/friends, and poor living conditions. For example, instances occur where someone living in poor economic conditions finds a situation in which they feel a need to commit a crime, instead of being in a mental space where they have the ability to comfortably focus on education. On the other hand, I learned that progress has been made with global extreme poverty declining substantially over the last generation. While this is great, poverty is a complex problem as there are many different extents of poverty. The United States’ poverty line is $24.55 per day, while Ethiopia is below the international poverty line of $2.15, at $2.04. Also, there are continuous setbacks like natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed millions into extreme poverty. Even with these challenges, there has been significant progress made in countries like China, Guinea, Mali, and Indonesia. However, I do not believe an end to total poverty is possible before the end of the century. Multiple reasons for my opinion include the continuous misspread and unmanaged donations, uncontrollable/unpredictable tragic events, complexities of poverty levels, and lack of cross-cultural engagement. While that is my honest opinion on ending poverty, I do believe it is still important that we strive to reduce poverty day by day, even when it feels like it may never end.
