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Bridging the Gap Essay

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In a society where 85% of global wealth is held by a mere 10% of the population, we in developed countries, have the duty to take an active approach in bridging the gap between the social classes and working to end extreme poverty (“Pioneering Study”). Poverty is possibly the most serious issues we face on a global scale. A society is measured by the treatment of its vulnerable and many in our global community are struggling for basic human needs. Though eradicating poverty not only helps those less fortunate; but it helps us all, through a more equal distribution of wealth, bettering technologies, and access to more and better resources. Helping others is not only a moral accomplishment, but will raise the overall standard of living. …show more content…

However, The World Bank which originally conducted the global assessment, allowed for inflation, purchasing power, and regional economies to be adjusted to determine an accurate figure. According to the study, the income in third world countries classified as impoverished would be the same as those living in the US on about $450 a year (Singer 8). There are many causes of poverty. It could be caused by the downfall of an economy, political unrest, lack of resources, or over-population. However, even in the poorest of nations there are those who are extremely wealthy. The main cause of poverty is the global distribution of wealth. As of 2000, the wealthiest 2% of the adult population owned more than half of the world’s assets, while the poorest 50% held barely 1% combined (“Pioneering Study”). The world, on a general scale, has become a caste system where people are most likely going to die with the socio-economic standing they were born into. Take Haiti for example, just 600 miles from the United States, there is the true face of poverty. Along the streets of Haiti there those who are malnourished, diseased, and dying. In a nation who is a next-door neighbor to the United States, there are still women who make dried cakes of mud to feed to their children to

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