|

Poverty of ideas in tackling poverty

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Dec. 14, 2011
… the problem of poverty cannot be solved by mere economic development and conventional Band-Aid solutions… poverty and misery are the direct consequences of the way our socio-economic system is organized and resources are allocated. Bluntly put, poverty is the result of our institutional failure… Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the British naturalist who influenced our knowledge of life on Earth, aptly observes: “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, greater is our sin”. “Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit,” according to Eli Khamarov.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »

See poverty for what it is: a violation of human rights

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

December 14th, 2010
Significant poverty reduction requires a concentrated and co-operative effort by all levels of government. It cannot be done by charity and emergency relief. Poverty must be seen for what it is, namely, a serious violation of human rights. It is an affront to human dignity that deprives its victims of full membership and participation in our society. Therefore, poverty reduction must be seen not as charity work but primarily as a human rights remedy which governments have an obligation to implement.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »

Spending early on children in care will save in the long term

Friday, June 4th, 2010

31 March 2010
The real problem is that the director of a local looked-after children’s services is making decisions based on a 12-month budget. Even though evidence can show incredible savings over the life of a difficult child, by early intervention and investment, the director can’t report that back at a finance meeting. All that is shown is a big spend on one child. The long-term savings for these children will come by ensuring that they don’t go on to be a burden on prison, mental health services and the benefits system, as well as ensuring that any future children they have don’t repeat the same distressing cycle.

Tags:
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »

|