BARBADIANS WILL JOIN the rest of the world on October 17 to find ways to eradicate poverty.

Designated by the United Nations as the International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty, under the theme Empowering People To Eradicate Poverty, Barbados will zoom in on the issues related to this social ill.

Advisor on Poverty in the Ministry of Social Transformation, Hamilton Lashley, speaking at a Press conference on Wednesday at United Nations House, Marine Gardens, Christ Church, said it was possible to eradicate the scourge, especially by using education as the mechanism to do it.

He said if education was seen as a positive pathway to the eradication of poverty then it would work.

Lashley said they were focusing on goal eight of the Millennium Development Goals, and that while a million people came into the 21st century unable to read, the launch of a newsletter today would look at a number of initiatives to improve this position.

He said the major focus would be on youth.

"We will have a forum called Yes, Mr Minister and the entire focus will be on education. The youth will pose questions to the ministers about education and poverty," he said. (WB)