DEVELOPMENT REPORT - UN Honors Six Anti-Poverty Activists

DEVELOPMENT REPORT – November 18, 2002: UN Honors Six Anti-Poverty Activists¹

By Jill Moss²

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The United Nations Development Program recently observed the International Day for the Eradication³ of
Poverty. The goal was to improve living conditions for the more than one-thousand-million poor people around
the world who live on less than one dollar a day.

More than fifty nations held special events. For example, sports events were held in Togo. In Vietnam, there was
a group discussion about poverty and violence in the home.

The U-N Development Program also honored six individuals who have worked throughout their lives to fight
poverty in their communities. One of those honored was Edi Rama, the mayor of Tirana, Albania. He helped
launch an environmental program to clean up the Lana River. The program is called Clean and Green. It has also
helped reduce the number of unemployed⁴ people in the Albanian capital.

Maqsood Sinha (Maq-SHOOD SIN-ha) and Iftekhar Enayetullah (IF-Te-Car Eh-NIGH-a-to-la) were also
honored. These two men have formed a non-governmental organization in Bangladesh called Waste Concern. It
helps communities turn organic waste into fertilizer using a simple technology.

Grace Dotou (Gras DOO-too) was honored for her work in Benin. She has trained unemployed girls and women
to collect used plastic bags and make useful products from them. The fifth person honored by the U-N
Development Program is from Chile. Pablo Sandor started an organization that helps communities develop
businesses while still protecting the land. He also has established an environmental high school and a research
center. The sixth person honored was Aref Kodeih (AR-ef Ko-DAY). He has launched several environmental
programs in Lebanon that have helped more than four-hundred-thousand people.

The U-N Development Program also gave a special award to the head of MAC cosmetics⁵ company. John
Demsey was honored for his work in the fight against the disease AIDS. He has given all the profits from one of
his company’s products to a special AIDS program.

The U-N Development Program hopes to end poverty around the world by two-thousand-fifteen. However, U-N
Secretary General Kofi Annan says this could be especially difficult in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Latin
America. The number of people living in poverty in those areas has increased over the past three years.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

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1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

3 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

4 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

5 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。