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A Veiled Assault on Human Rights; Tackling Poverty through a new Paradigm. by Charbel Joseph Haddad Although generally seen as an affluent nation, there can be no denying that there does exist absolute poverty in Australia, especially in Aboriginal communities. Conservative measures report that one in every eight Australians experiences some form of poverty and social disadvantage. But overcoming poverty in Australia should not be seen merely as a gesture of charity by the Australian government. Dealing with poverty should instead be understood as carrying out an act of justice. The alleviation of social disadvantage is a matter of fundamental human rights. In some communities, Australians are condemned to generational poverty through high incidences of chronic socials ills such as unemployment, early school-leaving, poor health, high imprisonment rates and child abuse. Unless we, as a nation, invest in human capital by giving disadvantaged people the motivation, education, skills and opportunities to become part of the mainstream economy, the country will suffer. With an aging population, we cannot afford to have whole communities effectively locked out of productivity. To properly address poverty, there needs to be a shift in paradigm. Currently a ‘safety net’ mentality underpins Australian government and social policy towards the disadvantaged. Only minimum standards of support are provided. We need, instead, to understand that the poor do not deserve to be helped only when they have worked for it and everybody agrees they have earned it. Instead, we need to recognise that the poor deserve help, simply because they need it. Taking on this view may result in a change to our approach to poverty and inequality in Australia. But social welfare policy in Australia remains a contentious issue. The Commonwealth government continues to debate what they believe to be the actual level of poverty in Australia, as opposed to dealing with the genuine problems. Still, it is true that you cannot find a solution without being able to define the problem. With no understanding of who in fact the poor in Australia are, any policy attempt to rectify their social disadvantage is likely to be misguided and unable to focus on the real causes of the problem. Current measures of poverty in Australia focus too heavily on income levels. Such a measure is too simplistic and fails to understand the complex, multi-faceted problems that arise due to social disadvantage. A better measure requires consideration to be taken of non-income factors such as health, education and social exclusion. There is general agreement amongst poverty researchers that the concept of social exclusion is useful because it focuses on the social and economic processes, institutions and agents that create social exclusion. Such a focus helps us to understand that, in practice, the government’s ability to help alleviate poverty in Australia (aside from promoting economic growth through effective institutions) is to remove artificial impediments to the poor’s escape from poverty. Statistics tell us that if an individual simply finishes high school, avoids births that they do not have the means to support, and works consistently, then long-term poverty is exceptionally unlikely. For better or worse, it seems that in order to deal with poverty, there needs to be a greater emphasis on individual responsibility, and a government that establishes an environment where hard-working people can succeed. As such, this broader understanding of what constitutes poverty needs to be raised amongst the public, and decision makers, if Australia is to ensure that economic growth does not leave some people behind. This includes embracing poverty as something caused not just by individual circumstances, but by structural inequities. Poverty is experienced by people without secure homes and stable employment, plus limited access to health, services and education. Public debate needs to be informed; to allow for it to promote policies that will protect individual liberties, emphasise personal responsibility and strengthen community life. Good policies should help people take control over their own lives and enable them to contribute in a positive way to the Australian society. Education is one of the keys to raising people’s income and life chances. It is one of the solutions to moving people (and their children) out of poverty. Programs in Australia that target education are necessary. Research shows that half of low-income children start school up to two years behind their peers in preschool skills. These early achievement gaps continue throughout primary school. There is an undeniable relationship between socio-economic disadvantage and low academic performance. The poor also often identify a feeling of powerlessness (of having no control of their life), as part of what it means to be poor. Governments therefore have a responsibility to help the poor regain control over their lives; just as they have a responsibility to assist the poor overcome a lack of material resources. While providers of social welfare services recognise the need for empowerment, it is not a term that features prominently in the discourse of the Commonwealth government. There currently exists a multitude of social welfare service providers delivering assistance to the poor in Australian society. These providers already have a huge understanding of the issues, and knowledge of how to effectively combat the lack of material resources faced by the poor. Many of these organisations also have the benefit of a vast pool of donated funds and of volunteer workers. As well as being effective, increased Government alliances with such organisations could also prove cost efficient in the fight against poverty. A strategic investment by the Government in the lives of the poor is additioanlly necessary. Policies need to be developed which empower the poor through such things as the micro-investment of funds into the productive efforts of the poor, and government endorsed business mentoring to provide them with essential skills. There will, however, always be those in society that, despite their best efforts, are unable to get themselves out of a situation of poverty. As such, there remains a need for an active and compassionate Australian government and civil society that helps those that fall through the cracks. Things to Do Digg it Save This Page
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A Veiled Assault on Human Rights; Tackling Poverty through a new Paradigm.
