World Hunger and Poverty

Tendai Maphosa recently reported that minorities in Britain have double the poverty rate as non-minorities.

A new report says the poverty rate for Britain’s minority ethnic groups stands at 40 percent, double the 20 percent found among white British people. The report says minority ethnic groups are also being overlooked for jobs and are being paid lower wages, despite improvements in education and qualifications.

The report pointed out that people from minority ethnic groups who have higher educational achievements do not receive the same rewards as those from white British backgrounds with similar qualifications.

Read entire article by Tendai Maphosa.

When will we actualize the dreams of men like Martin Luther King? It disgusts me that in 2007 we still have racism, and thus racial poverty, still plaguing this world.

The Associated Press recently released an article that points out an increase in educated poor. I include an excerpt:

A rise in college attendance coupled with downsizing, outsourcing and a shortage of high-paying jobs is bolstering the ranks of the educated poor – people with college degrees who don’t earn above the national poverty line, economists said.

According to recent U.S. Census estimates, the number of college graduates earning below the poverty line has more than doubled in the past 15 years to almost 6 million people.

Read entire article on theledger.com.

I felt compelled to post this information for two main reasons.

First, I want to show that poverty threatens all of us. It affects our friends, family members, children, and people in our own local communities. It doesn’t just affect some lazy and uneducated strangers from nowhere land. We have to organize our communities to eliminate poverty as a matter of self-preservation.

Second, I post these facts about the educated poor to undermine the myth that a poor person can escape poverty on their own. That myth causes people to put the blame solely on poor individuals rather than our non-meritocratic society. The high and rising rates of educated poor and working poor people show that one cannot simply escape poverty by getting an education and a job.

Plenglish.com recently reported on an increase in poverty in the United States. I include an excerpt:

A study by the NGO, The Center for American Progress (CAP), revealed a significant increase of poverty in the United States, affecting one out of every eight persons.

The institution reported that 37 million persons in the US live in essentially hopeless conditions, which implies a high cost to society and the government.

According to the source, the immigrant community is the most affected, with levels of poverty among Latinos at 21 percent, very much higher than the eight percent of whites.

Read entire report on plenglish.com.

I cannot begin to express how disgustingly absurd I see this as. With all the so-called wealth the United States has, why does it have such shockingly high poverty rates?

Thehimalayantimes.com reports that the “American Idol” special raised over $30 million for charity:

Television singing talent show “American Idol” proved its clout as a US cultural phenomenon on Wednesday by raising more than $30 million for young people in Africa and the United States.

A two-hour show filled with inspirational songs, movie, television and music stars and stories of poverty from Africa and the United States rounded off the two-night special.

Read entire article on thehimalayantimes.com.

I applaud American Idol for this. In my opinion, they deserve the good PR they will get from it.

The Associated Press reported on Bloomberg studying poverty reduction for NYC. I include an excerpt:

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s pilot program to help New Yorkers break the cycle of poverty is modeled after a well-regarded Mexican initiative.

Bloomberg was in Mexico on Tuesday studying the program for tips he might adopt back home. The mayor, who reiterated that he is not planning to run for president, visited towns, spoke with his counterpart in Mexico City and met with workers and independent evaluators of the anti-poverty program.

The government’s Oportunidades program provides medical care and gives cash grants to families for keeping children in school. It has been lauded by the World Bank and other countries as a model because it focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty by investing in long-term development.

Read entire article on wnbc.com.

I see this as good news, even though I distrust politicians. I agree that the effectiveness of anti-poverty initiatives depends on breaking the poverty cycle, which we can best do through providing quality education and job-training to all children (and people!) of all classes. Providing grants to families who keep their kids in school helps keep kids in school. However, that only solves part of the problem. We also need to make sure the schools offer a quality education, and the school must give that education to all students regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status.

So long as students from socioeconomic underclasses do not receive the same education as children from wealthier households, non-meritocratic classism reigns and poverty continues.

I like the way E.J. Dionne portrays American Idol’s two-night special “Idol Gives Back” which starts tonight. I include an excerpt:

Do you find it obnoxious when super-rich people in the music industry come forward to preen about their exquisitely sensitive social consciences?

Is there something worse than a multimillion-dollar televised entertainment operation patting itself on the back for weeks on end in celebration of its brilliantly inventive and groundbreaking approach to philanthropy?

Actually there is something worse: a total indifference to human suffering. If pampered stars and their corporate patrons have a hankering for public approval or — could it be? — a sense of authentic obligation, perhaps that behavior should be encouraged.

Those among the 30 million or so regular watchers of Fox’s “American Idol” (yes, I confess I’m one) will know I’m referring to the “Idol Gives Back” spectacular that airs tonight and Wednesday to raise money for poor children in the U.S. and Africa.

Read entire article by E.J. Dionne.

Although we may see their seemingly half-hearted attempts to “give back” as pretentious, I agree that it makes sense to support any help offered to relieve social ills such as hunger and poverty. Even if we want American Idol and others to give more, we must remain happy and gracious for what they do give not unhappy and angry that they didn’t do more.

Rewarding good behavior keeps it coming.

I only have one point I want us to strain no-matter-what: The world has the resources to end hunger, poverty and homelessness. We have the resources to provide food, clothes, shelter, education and healthcare to everyone in the world.

Never let any half-hearted or pretentious gesturing trick you into thinking of the fight against poverty as some unwinnable battle. As a society, we can end poverty any time we choose. So far, we have chose not to.

It makes sense not to waste much resources on an unwinnable battle (which explains why privileged folk such as Bono and those down at American Idol have such a philosophy). However, when we recognize that we can end poverty, then we know that the battle against poverty calls for more than two-night specials.

The Associated Press reports that they UN says nearly 1 billion people live in dire poverty:

Close to one billion people, or one-sixth of humanity, live in urban areas that are dangerous and “out of control,” a senior UN official said Monday.

“About one person out of six in the world lives in very dire conditions in cities, or parts of cities, which are out of control,” said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Costa, speaking at a news conference, said such “failing cities” were mostly in Latin America and Africa but noted that “at least a portion” were also located in the developed world and in Asia.

I see no justification for any person living in poverty, let alone 1 billion. The world has enough resources to provide food, clothes, and shelter for everyone, so why do we still allow a sixth of human beings to live in dire poverty?

Garret Mathews recently wrote a column about the bitter reality of poverty:

You’re taking a bunch of fifth-graders home from the pet store and the mall. They live on the poor side of town and don’t have many opportunities to go places. In some cases, their caregivers don’t even have cars.

You get a good feeling from providing an experience the children would otherwise not have. At one time or another, you’ve taken out just about everybody in the class.

You hope that a few will be able to break out of the cycle of poverty. You constantly push the importance of reading and working hard at school.

The odds are against them. Many of these youngsters live in inadequate, overcrowded housing units. Many family members have problems with drugs and alcohol. Some are in jail.

Few of the kids reside with both biological parents. Some are shuffled back and forth among relatives best able to come up with the month’s rent money.

Read entire article by Garret Mathews.

I highly recommend reading the entire article by following the link above. In it, Garret Mathews continues with her second-person narrative, describing the pain of listening to a poor little girl describe her dream of becoming a heart surgeon when you know her environment won’t allow it.

In the United States, 50% of children born into poverty never escape its horrible grip. These children have no defects. They have as much potential as their more privileged counterparts. The unfair social environment never gives them the opportunity to reach that potential. Like seeds that you plant in bad dirt without sunlight, the problem comes not from the individual but rather the environment.

Today, David Cronin reported that Roman school-children can help alleviate poverty by eating chocolate among other foods:

When schoolchildren in Rome tuck into a banana or a chocolate bar, they are making a real difference to families in poor countries.

Italy is leading the way in a European drive to convince public authorities that they should adopt a policy of buying goods produced in a socially and ecologically responsible manner.

Last year, the Italian government issued a new regulation stating that public authorities should take account of sustainable development when they are issuing calls for tender.

Because schools are required to sell fair trade products in their canteens, it is estimated that this will lead to weekly sales of fair trade bananas and packets of biscuits of almost 300,000 each in 2007-12.

“It’s very important that public authorities give a good example in promoting poverty reduction and sustainable development,” said Anja Osterhaus, coordinator of the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels. “If public authorities contribute to slave labour by buying the cheapest things without thinking, then that wouldn’t be a good example.”

Read entire article by David Cronin.

I like to see fair-trade goods bought over other goods that come from sweat-shops, slave labor, and such. Although, I don’t want the government to limit free-trade by offensively forcing people to buy fair-trade. Still, it makes sense for the government to set a good example by having government institutions such as public schools buy fair trade. (Granted, I would like to see public schools privatized.)

Fair trade not only helps alleviate poverty, but it also helps undermine “unfair” vendors such as slave-owners and terrorists, which I like to see.

Gladys Terichow recently reported about a program in Ontario, Canada. The program combines helping unfortunate people with educating the fortunate.. I include an excerpt:

TOOLS coordinator, Allan Reesor-McDowell, said the program is designed to offer challenging and faith-enriching experiences that change participants’ lives. It combines opportunities for service with learning, group discussions and personal reflections on realities of poverty, homelessness and people living on the margins of society.

“Serving is important but it’s all about learning,” he explained. “It’s about creating awareness of poverty and breaking down stereotypes of people so far removed from our reality.”

“When we hear the stories, all of sudden we realize there are reasons why people end up on the street and the reasons are not usually what we had assumed,” he said. “The majority of people leave this type of experience with a transformed view of poverty.”

Read entire article by Gladys Terichow.

In a unique way, that combination offers a mutually beneficial arrangement that can help relieve poverty and increase social unity. Despite some religious undertones, I support it.