From Africa Recovery, Vol.12#2 (November 1998), page 28

Partner in the fight against poverty

By Djibril Diallo, Director, Division of Public Affairs, UNDP

The mention of the name Danny Glover evokes the image of a fighter for good over evil. As Mel Gibson's side-kick in the Lethal Weapon action movie series, Glover is to be found always taking the side of good over evil in the fight to make the world a safer place for mankind.

It is, therefore, no real surprise that in real life, Danny Glover would show equal zeal and commitment to making life better for mankind's neediest, the more than 1.5 billion people living in extreme poverty, for whom each day is a battle to stay alive till the next day. Surviving on less than one dollar a day, they cannot get enough to eat, lack access to safe water and other basic services and are, in many cases, homeless. Danny Glover showed his commitment to this downtrodden group when he agreed to be Goodwill Ambassador of the UNDevelopment Programme (UNDP). Ever the active person, Glover has quickly followed up his appointment as Goodwill Ambassador with activities highlighting the threat posed by poverty to an ever-increasing number of people around the world.

At a New York press conference, Glover, who follows in the footsteps of other Goodwill Ambassadors such as Harry Belafonte and Audrey Hepburn, said, "I hope to see people take charge of their existence, rebuilding their lives; above all, I hope to use my voice to make theirs heard."

Keeping true to his promise, Glover followed his appointment with a trip to Namibia and South Africa to give momentum to the anti-poverty efforts of the governments of the two countries and of UNDP. He carried with him a message which UNDP Administrator James Gustave Speth has often identified as UNDP's top priority -- that poverty is "the greatest challenge before humanity" but one which "we have the opportunity to eliminate ... from our planet."

I had the distinct pleasure of accompanying Danny Glover on the trip. Right from take-off in New York, he made it clear that he wanted his visit to be more than just a public relations show piece, and to lead to meaningful progress and improvements in the lives of society's neediest.

In Namibia, he started at the Ongwediva Teacher Training College. There he saw how a successful programme in mathematics and science is equipping teachers to effectively train their students to overcome illiteracy and position themselves for a life without poverty. He also visited the Omuthia community project which, with UNDP support, harnesses the community's potential through an informal market and a community bakery. At another community project in Ekamba, Danny Glover saw people engaged in such activities as sewing school uniforms, weaving traditional baskets, milling millet for their own consumption and running a daycare centre for small children.

In South Africa, Danny Glover was given a private lunch by President Nelson Mandela and his new wife, Mrs. Graça Machel. He also attended the events marking President Mandela's 80th birthday. But even in the midst of the celebration and festivities, Danny Glover did not lose sight of his mission. He took the opportunity of his meetings with President Mandela to press the government of South Africa to maintain its focus on poverty eradication.

In addition, he took the time to travel to Kgotsong where he met a group of women who have organized themselves into a cooperative. By collecting one rand (approximately 22 cents) per day from each member, and adding a government subsidy, the members have created access to credit that enables them to build their own cinder-block houses. With a loan of about $1,500 available to each member and with direct labour supplied by the members, the women of the Kgotsong Women's Housing and Savings Scheme are able to build two or three-room homes. For many of these women, these houses represent their first real homes.

Danny Glover capped his Southern African voyage by participating in the appointment of Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer as another UNDP Goodwill Ambassador. A renowned fighter for social justice and equity, Ms. Gordimer received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991 in recognition of her literary works, which oppose political marginalization and social exclusion.

It is uncommon to find high-flying celebrities taking up the cause of the common man as Danny Glover has done. But then, Danny Glover is not the average celebrity. Even before he became a Hollywood star, Glover had always played an activist role in the community. Growing up in San Francisco, he had put his budding acting talent to work -- first in theatre, then in film -- on behalf of the downtrodden. In the 1960s, he organized student protests and was involved in social programmes. He was also active in the fight against apartheid, using theatre and film to denounce a system he found abhorrent and against the very tenets of human coexistence. Glover hopes that through his involvement, greater attention will be focused on the scourge of poverty. And with increased attention, maybe the international community will be moved to take more resolute action to eliminate poverty completely.

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