Poverty hearing in New York

Kumi Naidoo opened the Hearing remarking that "the testimonies and stories from people leaving in poverty should be heard inside of the UN building, not just across the road from it", but that "it is important that these voices and the messages to end poverty and inequality and meet and exceed the Millennium Development Goals should be heard".

Watch Kumi talk about why poverty hearings are important -->>

The hearing saw witnesses from Africa, Asia and Latin America and advocates Mary Robinson, Ela Bhatt, Archbishop Ndugane and Serigne Mansour Sy, speak on three main issues: poverty and hunger, addressing education and environmental sustainability.

Here are some of the words spoken at the hearing:

"In Ghana, women farmers said that we eat what we don't produce.  And we produce what we don't eat.  That is the message to the world.  There is something inherently wrong with our global system, and our national systems."

Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India and member of The Elders, INDIA

"This cannot just stay in this room; education is so important, I want to speak to the leaders of this world, and send them a message.  The leaders fo the world mustn't forget the poor people fo the world, the children, so we have the change to go to school, and access an education.  School has to be free."

Ablavi Abgodjan, Global March Against Child Labour, TOGO

"How far have we gone?  To add figures, today, 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.  900 million people lack access to water.  In ssa alone, we need about 100 years more from today to achieve the sanitation targets, at this rate.  Imagine who will wait 100 years for a toilet."

Jamillah Mwanjisi, African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation, KENYA

"This cannot be sustainable forever.  We have a historical debt, with people we now call 'poor'. There are no rich countries. There are enriched, and impoverished countries.  We don't need aid, we need to find out how to restitute what has been taken from people."

Marta Benavides, International Institute for Cooperation Amongst Peoples, EL SALVADOR

"What we need to realise is that this idea of holding hearings can give great strength. Any country that hasn't, should have public hearings.  This galvanises, and links the various networks, that are part of the people power.  That's our strength.  People power with justice on our side."

Mary Robinson, president of Realising Rights and member of the Elders, IRELAND

Click here to see more images from the poverty hearing ->>

This hearing is the latest in a series taking place across the world, from Bangladesh to South Africa, from Kenya to Nepal.

The messages coming from all the hearings will be taken to the delegates meeting tomorrow at the UN High Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals to discuss progress at the half way mark.

Watch the video below to get a flavour of the hearings or read further down on the blog for more information.

More reports will be published soon.