War on Poverty

On our blog, we share our Quote of the Week as well as other insights about our work and about our community. As our society continues to struggle with some of the same issues that Sargent Shriver focused on -- poverty, racism, inequality, war -- we believe it's important to share our stories with each other. Do you have a story to share about Sargent Shriver or about one of the issues he cared about? Share your story with us by emailing it to info@sargentshriver.org. Maybe we'll post it here!

Dec 01

"Health is basic to everything"

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

"Health is basic to everything. Health is one of the surest guarantees of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'"Sargent Shriver | Los Angeles, CA | September 16, 1967Our Quote of the Week underlines the central role that good health plays in our ability to pursue the...

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Oct 20

Poverty and Responsible Media

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

"I would like to see an anti-poverty team established in every news room in the United States. And I have a second proposal -- a proposal to cover the poverty beat through more than one means of communication. A radio station, a television station, and a newspaper could do a combined job in...

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Sep 08

Legal Services: "Establishing the rule of in lawless territory"

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

Our Quote of the Week captures the intrepid spirit of Legal Services attorneys who, during the War on Poverty, were charged with providing civil legal assistance to individuals who were not able to afford at attorney. Sargent Shriver spoke these words during the Address to the Illinois State...

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Aug 11

Poverty "menaces each of us"

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

Our Quote of the Week reminds us that many of the societal fears, concerns, and costs that we deal with are rooted in the fact that we allow poverty to persist. Whether we ourselves have ever had to deal with economic insecurity or not, poverty has a destructive impact on all of us. On...

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Jul 28

"One paycheck away from significant economic hardship..."

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

Our Quote of the Week highlights one of the cruel realities for those who are struggling economically: that there are those who seek to exploit this struggle for their own advantage.Sargent Shriver spoke these words in 1980 during his Address at the National Meeting of the Campaign for Human...

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May 12

"The issue that haunts me is this ..."

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

In our Quote of the Week, Sargent Shriver shares what he sees as our most basic needs and desires, and he expresses the concern that we are not capable of fulfilling these for each other. Ultimately, however,  Shriver has confidence in what he refers to as "humanism", the ability...

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May 05

Challenging Misleading Narratives about Crime

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

Our Quote of the Week highlights a common cause of crime: a lack of economic opportunity. The “opportunity structure” to which Sargent Shriver refers includes necessities – adequate education, housing, health care, jobs – that are out of reach for far too many of us. As Shriver observes,...

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Jan 18

"If you want to change the world, start small"

by Sargent Shriver Peace Institute

Our Quote of the Week guides us towards the loftiest of goals, that of changing the world. It reminds us that ambitious change can start immediately, so long as we begin with one small, concrete step.In 1965, Sargent Shriver gave this address to the graduating students at St. John’s University in...

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