As part of the Moral Imperative, religious leaders from around the world joined the World Bank Group and other organizations in a call to end global poverty by 2030.

On April 9, 30 leaders and chiefs from religious and faith-based organizations came together to introduce their commitments in ending extreme poverty around the world. Religious institutions and faith-based organizations partnered in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and ultimately, help end global poverty.

Many religious leaders believe that there is a moral obligation to help lift the poor out of poverty, but more than that, they believe religious organizations should band together as part of a movement to change and influence the world. The Moral Imperative believes that joining the World Bank Group and others that posses mutual goals to end poverty is both imperative and inspiring. It brings organizations together in pursuit of a better world.

“The Moral Imperative statement seeks to generate the necessary social and political will by inspiring greater commitments from others to join in this cause, tapping into many of the shared convictions and beliefs that unify the world’s major religions around the call and responsibility to combat poverty,” says the World Bank Group in a recent press release.

The announcement was inspired by a previous meeting held between the World Bank Group’s president and religious leaders. The Faith Based and Religious Leaders Roundtable cultivated a setting where talks of endorsement regarding goals to end global poverty was made, resulting in the joint Moral Imperative statement.

As part of the Moral Imperative statement, the endorsers are dedicated to driving change on a global scale through actions made by the faith community. The World Bank Group along with the faith-based community believe that ending extreme poverty in a matter of 15 years is possible. The new 2015 Sustainable Development Goals are expected to build upon previous success and the shared belief that ending global poverty is an essential and urgent burden that must be achieved.

The actions of religious and faith-based leaders came at a crucial time where ending global poverty has become increasingly urgent. The partnership can further help hundreds of millions of impoverished people out of extreme poverty.

In the past 25 years alone, extreme poverty has been reduced by half and continues to decrease as a result of the support provided. At one time, two billion people were living in poverty, but today there are fewer than one billion people living in extreme conditions. Especially in recent years, there has been major progress in lowering global poverty rates. The idea of ending global poverty is no longer distant and impossible, but as progress becomes more evident, so does the possibility.

“Now, for the first time in human history there exists both the capacity and moral responsibility to ensure that no one has to live in extreme poverty’s grip,” says the World Bank Group in a recent press release.

Through commitments made, the possibility of ending extreme poverty has quickly become feasible. Advocates who continue to build this imperative in partnership with the World Group Bank can influence the movement and take it further, and at a much faster pace.

– Nada Sewidan

Sources: The Salvation Army, The World Bank

Photo: Flickr