The interesting thing is while we die of diseases of affluence from eating all these fatty meats our poor brethren in the developing world die of diseases of poverty because the land is not used now to grow food grain for their families.

I will come up with a project that will wipe out poverty in the Philippines in two years. I want to remove the people from economic crisis by using the Marcos wealth. Long after I'm gone people will remember me for building them homes and roads and hospitals and giving them food.

And if you look at the reality in the United States where you have more than 40 million people below the poverty line and 42 million on food stamps and then you look at poverty around the world clearly the way we're running the engine of capitalism is not serving us well.

Poverty is unnecessary.

I have a fear of poverty in old age. I have this vision of myself living in a skip and eating cat food. It's because I'm freelance and I've never had a proper job. I don't have a pension and my savings are dwindling. I always thought someone would just come along and look after me.

A propensity to hope and joy is real riches one to fear and sorrow real poverty.

Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It meets a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on which to pride yourself but poverty itself is romanticized by fools.

You are going to let the fear of poverty govern you life and your reward will be that you will eat but you will not live.

We need to recognise that what really matters isn't buying more and more consumer goods but family friends and knowing that we are doing something worthwhile with our lives. Helping to reduce the appalling consequences of world poverty should be part of that reassessment.

For those who are able to work work has to be seen as the best route out of poverty. For work is not just about more money - it is transformative. It's about taking responsibility for yourself and your family.