Can we close the income gap and decrease poverty by fostering entrepreneurship?
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Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
In the developed world even living on less than a 1,000 dollars a month places in you in national poverty.
- More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where income differentials are widening.
- The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income.
- According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
We live in the world’s wealthiest nation. Yet 14.5 percent of U.S. households—nearly 49 million Americans, including 15.9 million children—struggle to put food on the table.
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Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. In the US poverty still touches our society like a disease, destroying our economy and fostering crime.
We live in the world’s wealthiest nation. Yet 14.5 percent of U.S. households—nearly 49 million Americans, including 15.9 million children—struggle to put food on the table.
In the United States, hunger is not caused by a scarcity of food, but rather the continued prevalence of poverty.
How can we solve our national worldwide problems with poverty and the social injustice of it? The short answer is building skills for our workforce one of these ways is through entrepreneurship. Even without business success, the process of building a business and the skills created are valuable to any employer in multiple industries.
Additionally the need for more programs assisting with entrepreneurship and skills building will foster less of an income gap, more small business creation, and a reduction in poverty. Do you feel Entrepreneurship should be a part of positive social change? Let me know in the comments below.
Originally Published on LinkedIn
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Photo: Flickr/Racchio
Hi Jason
Yes!