What do

you think?
Views on Poverty
In t his a c t iv it y, the participants explore their
own perceptions of the state of the world.
t i m e r e q u i r e d : 3 0 to 4 0 m i n u t e s
i n t e n d e d fo r g r a d e s 9 - 1 2
M at e r i a l s

» copies of the handout titled “My Perceptions,” found on page 3, one for each participant
N eed ed

» pens or pencils, one for each participant

» a sheet of newsprint
» a marker

Activity Steps
1 B e gin b y p o s ing the following rhetorical questions and comments:
» Have you ever had to think about where your next meal was coming from?

» Does our country produce or import enough food to meet everyone’s needs?

» Does your family earn enough money to purchase the food it needs?

» Is the food you eat safe and nutritious?

» Could drought or crop damage wipe out your supply of food?

» These are questions we rarely (if at all) think about, but millions of people throughout the
world face them daily. Today we are going to explore why this is and what we as a country,
and as individuals, can do to help change poverty in the world.

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2 Dis t r ib ut e to each participant a copy of the handout found on page 3 and a pen or pencil.
Explain that the handout invites them to think about their own outlook on poverty and to
comment on their own perceptions about the state of the world. Ask the participants to read over
and think about each of the statements on the handout. For each one, they are to put a dot on the

3
line underneath to indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement.

I nv it e t h e pa rt ic ipa nt s to form small groups of five or six to share their responses to

the statements. Then ask the small groups to rank the statements in order from 1 (agree with most)

4
to 15 (agree with least).

gat he r Ba c k t he pa rt ic ipa nt s into the large group and lead a discussion using the
following questions:
» Which statement did your group most agree with? Why?

» Which statement did your group least agree with? Why?

» Have you met anyone who has expressed views similar to these? If so, how did you react?

» What do you think would be an appropriate way to challenge a viewpoint you disagree

5
with?

O f f e r t he f o l l o wing k ey po int s:
» According to UNICEF, 27,000 children die each day due to poverty. That’s one child every
three seconds. It doesn’t have to be this way. Now more than ever—in terms of the money,
the food, and the science needed—we’ve got what it takes to beat poverty.

» Poverty, at its most simple, can be defined as a lack of the resources needed to live a “normal
life.” However, notions of what is needed to live a normal life vary significantly. Similarly,
ideas about what “normal” really means are subject to considerable debate.

» Poverty is about more than money or the lack of it. Poverty is about a connection between
people everywhere, about the effects of the ways people think, act, and react. Poverty is
about hopes and dreams, and about how many people are prevented from dreaming. Pov-
erty affects young and old, body and soul. Poverty is exacerbated by the complexity of our
world and its structures.

» Now is the time to focus on poverty. Over the past few years, world leaders have begun to
talk seriously about addressing this issue. Commitments have been made, and goals have
been set. We need to act to ensure that leaders stick to their promises.

» Citizens the world over are challenging the belief that poverty is inevitable. Progress will
continue to be a step-by-step process; no one person can do the job alone, but every person
can help. Beat poverty—we’ve got what it takes!

(The above activity is drawn from Beat Poverty: We’ve Got What It Takes!—An Educational Resource for
Young People in Grades 9–12. Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716,
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.)

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Handout | My Perceptions
Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

Thinking about global issues is depressing. Some problems in the world are just too big
to solve.
______________________________________________________________________________

We produce enough food to feed the entire world population.

______________________________________________________________________________

Each day thousands of people die of AIDS. There is nothing we can do to help those
already infected.
______________________________________________________________________________

It’s not up to me to fix the world. It’s the responsibility of the governments and
humanitarian organizations.
______________________________________________________________________________

As much as we may want to put an end to poverty, we just don’t have the money to do so.
______________________________________________________________________________

My actions at a local level are a part of global change.

______________________________________________________________________________

Most of the talk about the world’s “starving millions,” and so on, is an exaggeration. The
problems aren’t nearly as serious as people make them out to be. If we stopped worrying
so much, these problems would sort themselves out.
______________________________________________________________________________

The poor countries can’t catch up to the rich ones because the rich ones got rich by
conquering the poor ones. And they stay rich by controlling the world’s trade system.
______________________________________________________________________________

The best way to fight poverty is to change ourselves. As individuals we need to be more
generous, live simpler lives, care more about the people around us, and waste less.
______________________________________________________________________________
Sooner or later, the poor countries are going to get together and force the rich ones to
give them fairer prices for their products. The big question is whether this can be done
peacefully or whether there will be wars.
______________________________________________________________________________

Most countries have great inequalities among their own populations. A rich minority is in
charge, and everyone else is poor. The internal inequalities are the cause of more poverty
than are the inequalities between countries.
______________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________

The main causes of poverty are related to climate and environment. You can’t expect much
progress when people have to deal with tropical heat, poor soils, dense jungles, deserts,
mosquitoes, and a lack of clean water.
______________________________________________________________________________

There have always been poor people, and there always will be. There will always be lazy
people who don’t mind living in poverty and who stupidly have children they can’t feed.
______________________________________________________________________________

The biggest problem in the world today is the population explosion. There are just too
many people to feed and clothe. The answer is to increase the use of birth control in poor
countries.
______________________________________________________________________________

Both richer and poorer countries should be aiming for self-reliance: regions and countries
growing their own food. This can be done most effectively by giving land-reform farmers
and peasants their own land.
______________________________________________________________________________

Handout 7: Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2008 by World Vision Resources.

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 About World Vision
W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We
see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can
be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World
Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and
families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across
many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.

W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,
and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based
materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision
Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace
its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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