The first recipients of the China Poverty
Eradication Award were named on Sunday at a ceremony marking the
12th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The awards
were inaugurated to encourage more citizens, private industry and
nongovernmental organizations to contribute to the fight against
poverty.
The international day was
established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to
promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and to remind
people of the continued need to achieve the Millennium Development
Goal of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015.
In China, the honors were given to 18 institutions and
individuals who have made outstanding contributions in this field.
They include the World
Bank, which has provided loans to China, and a businessman in
Zhejiang
Province who has donated more than 5 million yuan (US$604,000).
Ninety-year-old Bai Fangli, who helped poor university students
with his pension and the money he earned carrying passengers in his
pedicab, also won an award.
The awards will be presented every two years.
Many other countries have independent charity and welfare
institutions, but in China the government has traditionally been
responsible for the poverty-relief efforts.
From 1978 to 2003, China reduced the number of people living
below the poverty line from 250 million to 29 million. The ratio of
disadvantaged people to the total rural population dropped from
30.7 percent to 3.1 percent.
In recent years, nongovernmental agencies have been playing an
increasingly important role in fighting poverty. They operate such
programs as Project Hope, an educational assistance program; the
Glorious Cause, which assists people opening private businesses in
underdeveloped regions; and Project Happiness, which helps
poverty-stricken mothers.
Nevertheless, China still has 29 million people living in
extreme poverty, meaning they earned less than 625 yuan (US$75)
each year. If the standard is raised by just 200 yuan (US$24), the
number of people living in abject poverty more than triples to 90
million.
At the Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction in
Shanghai earlier this year, China's government expressed its
determination to fight poverty. In a written statement, it said
that China will consistently advance its poverty alleviation
policies. It will continue helping its underprivileged people to
live a relatively affluent life before 2020 and share the benefits
of the country's rapid social and economic growth.
China will also promote its national strategy of developing the
western and northeastern regions.
Also on Sunday, the State Council Leading Group Office of
Poverty Alleviation and Development, and All-China Federation of
Industry and Commerce signed an agreement to work together in
encouraging private enterprises to participate in the poverty
elimination campaign.
The two institutions will map out policies to encourage
private-sector enterprises to provide training or jobs for
underprivileged people. The first trial projects will be launched
in Bijie Prefecture, Guizhou
Province, and Nanchong Prefecture, Sichuan
Province.
(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2004)