With the recent economic crisis and rising cost of living, times are tough for people living in the U.S. But not as tough as for those people around the world who live on one dollar a day or less.

This October, communities around the nation will be screening films from the Dollar A Day film series released by globaldevelopmentmatters.org to raise awareness about global poverty. This set of documentary films address big issues in global development like HIV/AIDs, microcredit loans and global trade from a very personal perspective. Right now it’s critical to have an understanding of the connection between global development and U.S. political choices as we make decisions on the eve of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Start a conversation in your community by hosting a screening at your:
* Home
* Local library
* School
* Nearby community center
* Place of worship

It’s easy, just visit globaldevelopmentmatters.org to register your screening, download discussion guides and print invitations. If you document your event, you could even win a Flip Video Camera!

Some groups have decided to host the screening on or around October 15th in honor of Blog Action Day, which is centered on global poverty this year. Check out the Chicago Blog Action Day Party which will be screening “The New Silver: Microcredit”

Here’s the trailer:

Microcredit – How do you solve a problem like Maria’s?
Meet Maria. She dreams of starting her own business to make a better life for her family. From one of the poorest areas of Bolivia with a husband too sick to work, Maria faces a deck stacked against her. How do you solve a problem like Maria’s? Microcredit loans may be one answer to help her get on her way.