Poverty, Equity, and Sustainable Development

Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe

This 224-page novel portrays late nineteenth century Nigeria, focusing on the tumultuous transition away from traditional tribal customs and ways of life.

New Internationalist

New Internationalist magazine reports on issues of world poverty and inequality, bringing to light people, ideas, and actions in the fight for global justice.

Credit Where Credit is Due
Ashley Bruce 

This 24-minute documentary recounts how taking out a loan revolutionized the lives of six Bangladeshi village women, not only increasing their incomes but also helping to improve their health and the health of their children.

The Debt Police
Steve Bradshaw 

This 24-minute documentary film is about Uganda's search for external debt relief and fight against internal corruption. In a country where corruption is rife, is debt relief really going to help the poor?

Life and Debt
Stephanie Black

This 80-minute documentary addresses the impact of international lending organizations and current globalization policies on the day-to-day lives of individual Jamaicans.

CARE

CARE aims to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. They also deliver emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters.

Global Partnerships

Global Partnerships is dedicated to expanding opportunity for people living in poverty by investing capital and management expertise in microfinance institutions (MFIs) which make financial and other services available to people in poverty.

Grameen Foundation

Grameen is a global nonprofit organization that combines microfinance, new technologies, and innovation to empower the world's poorest people to escape poverty. The website includes newsletters and success stories.

Heifer International

Heifer works with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth by donating animals to impoverished families so that they can support themselves and others. The website includes education resources for all ages, as well as ways to get involved.

International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 185 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. The website provides statistics on exchange rates and other economic and financial indicators, including an interactive data mapper.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
United Nations

The eight Millennium Development Goals range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015. This blueprint has been agreed to by all the world's countries and leading development institutions.

Oxfam America

Oxfam is an international development and relief agency promoting lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social justice. The website includes ways to take action, for example through Fast for a World Harvest events such as a Hunger Banquet.

World Bank

The World Bank is an international development organization made up of more than 180 countries, working to reduce poverty by lending money to the governments of poor countries. The website provides information on issues such as poverty, trade, globalization, and debt relief, as well as resources for teachers and students to explore the social, economic, and environmental issues affecting development in their countries and around the world. YouThink! is a site for young people to learn about global issues and the World Bank.

Trickle Up

Trickle Up's mission is to help the world's poorest people to take the first step out of poverty by providing conditional seed capital and business training essential to the launch of a small business. The website features portraits of Trickle Up participants around the world, telling th stories of how the Trickle Up grant is helping them to rise out of poverty.

China Blue
PBS

This documentary is about a 17-year-old girl and her friends in China who work in a blue jeans factory, revealing things that clothing companies may not not want consumers to know about their products.

TransFair USA

TransFair USA promotes sustainable development and community empowerment by certifying and promoting Fair Trade products, with the goal of cultivating a global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry, and the earth. The website features short films demonstrating how fair trade can make a difference in local communities.

Silent Killer: The Unfinished Campaign against Hunger
John de Graaf

This 57-minute video highlights promising attempts to end world hunger in Africa, and in South and Central America.

Small Fortunes: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty
Sterling van Wagenen

This 60-minute documentary describes the impact of microcredit through the stories of twelve microentrepreneurs living in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Peru, the Philippines, and the United States. Microcredit experts describe how microcredit is a powerful tool in fighting poverty and provide insights into the issues confronting the microcredit movement.

Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy

With a mission to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger, Food First provides programming and information on issues related to sustainable food systems, industrial agriculture, food sovereignty as a human right, and globalization. The website includes a number of publications, field reports, and fact sheets such as 12 Myths About Hunger.

Poverty Curriculum
United Nations

The UN Poverty Curriculum covers the topics of food, health, housing, education, and work and economic security. Each topic also includes community service suggestions and internet resources related to the topic.