CAS @ 1.4 Billion Reasons - Nottingham University

Inspired by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, ‘1.4 Billion Reasons’ is a travelling presentation that aims to stir audiences into taking action against extreme poverty.  The presentation is the brainchild of 'The Global Poverty Project' [1], an educational and campaigning organisation which began in Australia. It has been put together with the help of international expert advisors, is backed by the United Nations, and, bizarrely, is supported by the lovely Hugh Jackman (you gotta love that humanitarian celebrity twist...) The presentation aims to equip people in the UK with the tools to take direct action against poverty, as well as inspiring others in their communities to act.

When Ctrl.Alt.Shift's Sharon Natt heard it was doing the rounds in the Midlands, she jumped at the chance to head down to Nottingham Uni and see what all the fuss was about... 

The Portland room is over-spilling; there’s a cocktail of people here, from professors, to postgrads, to student press to the general public. Running slightly late, I squeeze myself into a seat between two academic-looking first years sat in hushed anticipation. As the fluorescent beams darken, and the film begins to reel, I wonder where the next 90 minutes will take me.

 It’s 1969 – the infamous blurry black and white images tell me so as they flicker on the projector. Neil Armstrong is taking his one small step, quietly, triumphantly, in monochrome. 

“Great things have been achieved,” the caption reads. The screen skips, fast forward, to modern day Zimbabwe.  A burning bright intensity of colours saturates the display. Hungry tessellating faces appear on the screen. Flies. Poverty’s shadows lace their eyes.

The juxtaposition is deliberate; the irony is barefaced and blatant; yet it is no less biting. 

Australian presenter Simon Moss then takes the mic, asking simply, “If there is enough food to feed the planet one and a half times over, why do people go hungry?”

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m uneasy with the imbalanced scales, Lady Justice. I’m ashamed at the twisted values of the world. Yet, I’m uncomfortably used to these images of shrunken African babies with bloated bellies and cadaverous eyes. I’ve seen those ads on TV. I squirm a little in my seat awkwardly. 

The film rolls on. Expecting more shots of emaciation and despair, I start to mentally prepare myself for mild depression (akin to post-Comic Relief syndrome). But wait - what’s that - the Beijing Bird's Nest Stadium...? What has that got to do with anything?

Turns out, across China, 400 million people have actually been lifted from extreme poverty. By 2001, the emerging superpower met the chief Millennium Development Goal to halve poverty, and it did it 14 years ahead [2]of the 2015 target date for the developing world as a whole.

'There are 1.4 billion people in the world still in extreme poverty. That’s 1.4 billion reasons to make a change'

Next we’re seeing the shiny skyscraping towers of Seoul. Is this really the capital of a developing country? A pretty South Korean explains that over the past few years her country has actually transformed itself from an aid-recipient nation to an aid-donor. She explains that by choosing Fairtrade and asking questions about the products you buy, you are supporting positive growth and helping people bring themselves out of poverty. 

I begin to realise that although extreme poverty exists, there is a way out. It can be eradicated. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that the UK was plagued with cholera, and owning a full set of teeth at 18 was an achievement. By making simple changes everybody can be a part of the solution.

There are 1.4 billion people in the world still in extreme poverty. That’s 1.4 billion reasons to make a change.

90 minutes later as the film rolls to a close, I leave feeling inspired. I’ve heard stories from China to Zimbabwe, but it feels like I’ve been to the moon and back. There’s just one leap left for mankind, and it needn’t be a giant one.

Words: Sharon Nat 

Photo: The Global Poverty Project [3]and flickr user khym54 [4]

To find out how you can book a 1.4 Billion Reasons presentation in your community, click here [5]