“One million stars” against poverty in Switzerland on Saturday
Published: Saturday, Dec 9th 2023, 19:40
Updated At: Saturday, Dec 9th 2023, 19:40
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With the "One Million Stars" campaign, Caritas sent out a "shining sign of solidarity" on Saturday for the more than one million people in Switzerland who do not have enough to live on. Seas of light with up to 2000 candles were lit at around 100 locations.
Thousands of candles were lit on the Bundesplatz in Bern, as Caritas Bern announced on Saturday evening. According to the organization, around 800 visitors expressed their support for people living in poverty in Bern. With the events at dusk, Caritas wanted to make the often invisible poverty visible.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 745,000 people in Switzerland are affected by poverty. Almost as many live at subsistence level, which means that a total of around 1,240,000 people do not have enough money to live on. Their income is significantly lower than that of the population as a whole. Families with three or more children are disproportionately affected by poverty.
"The consequence of poverty is often social isolation. The Christmas season is particularly difficult when there is no money for everything," Christine Gerstner, coordinator of the events for the regional Caritas associations, was quoted as saying in a press release. "With this nationwide campaign, we want to offer people the opportunity to pause for a moment and show their support for those affected," she continued.
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