20151005国旗下演讲—国际消除贫困日

尊敬的老师、亲爱的同学们：

大家上午好！今天我班的演讲关于一个特殊的节日——国际消除贫困日。节日的氛围大多热闹欢乐，而我们今天与大家分享的，并非一件喜悦之事。

贫困，一个并不陌生的词语，但我们中真正体验过的，却屈指可数。据统计，全球日收入1美元以下的贫困人口多达12亿，约占全世界人口的17%，平均5个人中就有1个人深陷贫困。其中，当中国跃居世界第二大经济体、东部发达省份“富可敌国”的同时，我国的贫困人群超过7000万。联合国组织于1992年12月会议上决议，将1993年起每年的10月17日定为国际消除贫困日。

自然灾害和能源短缺首先使贫困地区陷入饥饿，失去生存的条件。难以保证的基本卫生，加上常年的食不果腹导致贫困人口免疫力下降，成为疫情侵犯的重点；同时，因疾病导致贫困的比重超过40％。1998年诺贝尔经济学奖获得者阿玛蒂亚·森说过：“贫困的根本是人口创造收入的能力和其机会的贫困，意味着人口缺少获取和享有正常生活的能力。”也就是说，贫困的造成不仅仅与环境的好坏有关，更是一个恶性循环：自然条件有限，无法供给足够的食物，导致人们只顾求生、不顾教育和人才的培养，人口的素质也就不言而喻。邓小平曾说：“教育是一个民族最根本的事业。”社会的发展因教育的落后停滞不前甚至每况愈下，从而没有营生的条件。生存、卫生、营生，三者皆无，不难想象贫困让人何等绝望。

现在，再次提到贫困，大家脑海里会浮现出什么样的画面？饥饿而满眼渴望的孩童，还是瘦骨嶙峋、穿着破旧的妇女？而提到贫困，大家的第一感觉又是什么？看到他们不那么干净整洁，会油然而生悲酸和怜悯，还是表现得冷酷甚至厌恶？诚然，后者并不占少数。贫困的最最残忍之处，凌驾于身体的痛苦之上，那就是对人权和尊严的侵犯。

此时，我们反思，生活中是否见过贫穷的人？一定是有的。可他们又为何是贫穷，而不是贫困呢？大城市里，贫穷的人可以得到人们或政府援助。但贫困是一种处在社会边缘的窘境，贫困地区的政府，并没有足够的能力扶贫。这正是我们所倡议的——向这些无助的人们伸出援手。

很多企业家到贫困地区积极发展农业，改良自然环境，先让人们从饥饿中解脱；再发展手工业和轻工业，为当地创造就业机会，促进社会经济整体发展。大学生自愿到偏远山区或贫困地区支教，上学不再是那里的孩子遥不可及的梦想；很多医生们舍弃小家选择支医，贫困人民不再饱受疾病的侵袭。国内外企业也纷纷组织捐款……而作为学生的我们又能做些什么？有人会笑笑，没有经济来源资助、没有时间精力援助的学生恐怕只能袖手旁观。这就大错特错。从今天开始，承诺不浪费每一滴水、每一粒米，为贫困地区的人们节省下生命的资源，节约出生活的希望。今天我们少浪费一粒米，明天就会少一个人忍受饥饿的痛苦；今天少浪费一滴水，明天就会少一个村子在绝望的干涸中挣扎。

与其说消除贫困是一项任务，不如说是一项没有尽头的事业，就像人心中最滚烫的热忱和心灵最真挚的呼唤，永远不会终结。用满腔的热熔化山中人家屋檐的坚冰，带着沉甸甸的爱感动深陷贫困残酷的命运。终有一天，云翳退散，星光朗朗，脱离贫困的人们，笑容比丰收的果实更甜、比盛开的花朵更美。

谢谢大家。

                        2015年10月19日  高一1班宣

Greeting, my reverential teachers and dear schoolmates:

  Today, our speech is oriented to International day for the eradication of poverty. The topic of poverty becomes a serious and controversial issue instead of a festival with a common and delightful atmosphere.

  Poverty, a word we have all known, though, few of us did experience that kind of impoverished situation. According to the statistics, the number of extremely impoverished people has reached 1.2 billion, which equals to nearly 17% of the world population. In other words, there is one person suffering from economic problems among a group of five on average.

  Meanwhile, China, the second largest economy system in the world with such wealthy provinces by the eastern coast, still contains 70 million impoverished people. In December 1992, it was decided that every October 17th since 1993 is named as “international day for the eradication of poverty” in a seminar organized by UN.

  Impoverished people are dying without basic life support because of hunger, diseases and economic problems. Amatia Marson, who won the Nobel Prize on economy in 1998, said, “poverty is essentially the short of ability to create wealth and seize opportunities”. People there, who worry so much about how to survive, become careless about teenagers’ education. Thus, the general situation of impoverished area becomes worse and worse.

  And now, speaking of poverty again, would it remind you of the starving children and their hopeless mothers? How do you feel about that image? Sorry for them or pity for yourself? To be honest, the attitude of majority of people tends to be more aversion than compassion. The cruelest harm for impoverished population, which is more hurtful than the physical pathos, is the infringing upon human rights and dignities.

Still, we can’t deny that poverty is an awkward situation, which widely exists on the edges of society. The local governments in poor areas aren’t able to support their people. This is right the moment for us to show our sympathy and enthusiasm and to provide our help.

  A number of industrialists are contributing to develop agriculture there and are doing their utmost to develop light industries and crafting business to enrich the area. Graduates from colleges and universities are willing to teach there far away from prosperous cities. It’s not a dream to get knowledge for those kids any more after the generous efforts being done. Lots of doctors chose to give up their original life to help those desperate souls. All these are done by grown-ups, yet, there are things we can do to state our care.

  Some may sneer, for we have no income at all. Some may claim that they don’t have enough energy or time to do so. These words can’t change the truth, though, every step we take can influence those people. From today on, we swear not to waste any resources, if each one of us could save a single drop of water, a kid in needy areas could get a glass of water tomorrow; if each of us could save a grain of rice, there will be one less child dying of hunger tomorrow.

  The eradication of poverty should be regarded as an endless career of all people who believe in justice. This requires passion, purity and virtuous hearts. The enthusiasm is like a bonfire, which is warming up the freezing winter, and the kindness is carrying a full sack of love to end the violence of starvation and ignorance. There, out in the darkness, God is smiling upon us, blessing us and watching us. All of his children, one-day, shall sit together, cheering for their happiness and joys.

  Thank you for listening, class 1 senior 1.

  Oct 19th ,2015