On behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Bill Gates recently addressed the United Nations to discuss the progress being made with the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals including the "End Poverty 2015 Milennium Campaign."

"End Poverty 2015…" is, essentially, a collection of eight goals established to help eradicate poverty all over the world by the year 2015 either by taking action or by educating others on the problem we are all witness to at one point or another. The goals are as follows: end hunger, universal education, gender equity, child health, maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability and global partnership.

"Thanks to these goals," Gates says, "not only UN agencies but the world at large knows the key measures of poverty, hunger, health, and education. Some of the numbers are good and some are not. But the fact that the world is focusing on the numbers is excellent."

Gates goes on to highlight technological advances that are helping to eradicate this global epidemic including, in the area of agriculture, the development of "drought-tolerant maize for Africa." According to Gates, "this could bring dramatic increases in yield that would help African farmers adapt to climate change."

Gates also makes a good point: if you’re doubtful that we can all band together and eradicate this worldwide epidemic, just look to the past. We all helped to eliminate smallpox and we can join together again to help end poverty.

You can watch and/or read Gates’ address to the UN on the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation official site or read more about the "End Poverty 2015…" campaign at endpoverty2015.org. I highly encourage that you take a few minutes away from your RSS feeds, turn down your music and read about the epidemic and explore the different ways you can help. If, however, you do have limited time today, just check out some videos on the topic (from some additional famous voices like Shakira, Michael Douglas and Lenny Kravitz) at noexcuse.endpoverty2015.org.