Global Citizen’s book of the month focuses on educating the public on issues surrounding global poverty, and it is of the utmost importance due to the fact that individuals can learn basic advocacy skills, which will allow and encourage citizens to communicate with their government to help end global poverty. Book clubs, such as the Global Citizen Book Club, handpick new books each month and offer participants a chance to discuss the books as they relate to ending extreme poverty. This educates and mobilizes individuals to learn the key causes of poverty, and how to advocate for those living on less than $1 per day.

Global Citizen’s Book of the Month for October 2021 is “The End of Bias: A Beginning” by Jessica Nordell. Global Citizen hosts a discussion each week in its “Global Citizen All-Access” Facebook Group in order to facilitate conversations surrounding major themes from the book and how they relate to global poverty.

Also, in the following month, Global Citizen will host a virtual discussion with the author, in which Global Citizen members will have the opportunity to engage with one another as well as ask the author questions. Global Citizen also sat down with the author, journalist Jessica Nordell, to discuss her book prior to the virtual discussion that will take place on November 9, 2021.

How to Start a Book Club

Individuals can start a UNICEF USA Book Club, which is a great way to bring family, friends and/or colleagues who love to read together to discuss important issues relevant to the work of UNICEF around the world. UNICEF offers a step-by-step guide on how to start a book club. The goal of starting a book club is to build a community of informed advocates who will act on behalf of those facing global poverty worldwide. The guide provides lists of recommended books, as well as questions to help guide discussions and key information about UNICEF and UNICEF USA.

Other Book Clubs

There are other book clubs that individuals can join as well. For instance, Opportunity International has its own book club, which offers book recommendations every month that feature works from international authors, people who are living in the countries in which Opportunity International works, or issues related to global poverty and development. This book club is a great way to learn and explore—right from the comfort of one’s couch. Opportunity International is a global nonprofit organization that creates opportunities and provides assistance “…for entrepreneurs to build their businesses, children to go to school, farmers to feed their communities, and families to end the cycle of generational poverty.” The organization has helped develop innovative programs to address challenges that living in poverty has brought to those around the world for nearly 50 years.

The Opportunity Book Club works by providing participants with book recommendations that cover a wide range of issues, such as poverty, development, philanthropy, generosity and global economics. The books that the Opportunity Book Club offers range in length, and span different genres and narrative styles to cater to different literary tastes. Members of the Opportunity Book Club can share their thoughts and opinions, and ask questions in the Opportunity International Facebook group, which provides a great way to connect with readers all over the world.

Concluding Thoughts

The benefit of Global Citizen’s Book of the Month and other book clubs is that they grant readers the opportunity to learn about important issues. The awareness that these book clubs raise could influence action regarding eradicating global poverty.

– Grace Watson
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