Poverty Cycle

The Poverty Cycle

The cycle of poverty has been described as a phenomenon where poor families become trapped in poverty for generations.

Because they have no or limited access to critical resources, such as

·         Education

·         Financial services

Subsequent generations are also impoverished.

There are multiple cycles of poverty-based on, among other things,

·         Economic

·         Social

·         Spiritual

·         Geographical factors

Many cycles overlap or perpetuate new cycles and therefore any attempt to depict the cycle of poverty will be far more simplistic than realistic.

The figure below shows-in very simplistic terms-how a cycle of poverty related to hunger keeps a person or household poor in one of the world’s developing countries.

Poverty

Poverty, My Definition

When people do not have many of the basic needs, e.g. safe drinking water, food, shelter and employment. Also when your country cannot afford education and as a result many are unemployed. When in poverty many are powerless, with a lack of representation and freedom and there usually will be no change.

Absolute and Relative Poverty

·         Absolute PovertyAbsolute poverty measures the number of people living below a certain income threshold or the number of households unable to afford certain basic goods.

·         Relative PovertyRelative poverty measures the extent to which a household’s financial resources fall below an average income threshold for the economy. Although living standards and real incomes have grown because of higher employment and sustained economic growth over recent years, the gains in income and wealth have been unevenly distributed across the population

Catholics Themes (part 2)

Rights and Responsibilities

Every human has rights and responsibilities such as a right to life and the things required for human decency, such as:

•   Food
• Shelter
• Clothing 
• Employment
• Health care
• Education

And responsibilities to:

• One another
• Our families

·        The larger society

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved if human rights and responsibilities were protected.

Role of Government

The role of the government is to promote human dignity, protect human rights and build the common good. Also all people people have a responsibility and right to participate in political institutions so that the government can achieve its proper goals.

Questions

1.    What are every humans fundamental rights?
Every human has a right to food, shelter, clothing, education, health care and employment.

2.    What is the role of the government in maintaining human rights?
The government’s role is to protect human rights, promote human dignity and build the common good. They should make sure everyone in their state has rights.

3.    Who is responsible for assisting the government to achieve its goals?
The community and larger social society.

Economic Justice

All workers have the right to:

• Decent and fair wages
• Safe working conditions

The economy must serve people, not the other way around.

Stewardship of God’s Creation

How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship and a sign of our respect. ‘The goods of the Earth are our gifts from god...we have responsibility to take care of those goods as stewards and trustees.’

Questions

1.    What are the rights of the worker?
Every worker has rights to safe working conditions and decent and fair wages.

2.    What is a union?
“an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer”

3.      What should peoples economic limitations be?
No one should have excessive amounts of money whilst others only have enough for basic needs.

4.    Who are god’s gifts intended for?
They are intended for everyone; to be shared.

5.    What is meant in this context by: Social Mortgage, Steward and Trustee?
Social Mortgage, guides our use of the World’s goods. We need to be good stewards and trustees , not consumers and users of the land and it’s goods.

6.    What is one measure of our stewardship?
How we care for the land and ‘god’s gifts.’

Promotion of Peace and Disarmament

Peace connects with justice and both are needed to keep order among human beings.

“peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respet and confidence between peoples and nations.”  In the words of Pope John Paul II

Participation

It is wrong for a person or group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society. All people have the right to be included in the economic, political and cultural life of society.

Global Solidarity and Development

We as humans are one big family, we have responsibilities to eachother which we must keep no matter what national, racial, economical and ideological differences there are. We must avoid underdevelopment and "superdevelopment.” We must also respect and promote economic, social, personal and political rights of people and nations.

Questions

1.    What are the catholic teaching regarding the requirement to maintaining peace?
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action- oriented concept.

2.    Why is it wrong to exclude people from participating in society?
No one should be excluded from society as all people have the right to participate in the economic, political and cultural life in society.

3.    What are global responsibilities to each other?
We as a community have the responsibility to respect each other’s rights and opinions.

Social Justice, Catholic Themes (part 1)

Catholic Themes

Social Justice concerns itself with our responsibility to ensure that all people are given a ‘fair go’.

Some issues that social justice aims to cover are:

      Poverty
      Child labour
      Homelessness
      Refugees
      Hunger

Dignity of the human person

Human dignity is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching.

Common Good and community

Humans are sacred and social, we live and achieve together. All humans must be valued in the wider community.

Common good – the goods in society we all have access to e.g. the public library

Option for the poor

Society must consider and help the poor, governments especially.

Questions

Give an example of a community you’re a part of.

Stella Maris, South Curl Curl SLSC

How are they sacred and social?

From these communities we become educated, find friendship and feel belonging.

What is the major test of moral society?

Some of the major tests are having a Democratic society, that attention to the poor and those with special needs important and does there need to be an equal distribution of wealth?

In what way to we look after the poor?

We as a community donate and we as a nation provide public housing and dole (social security).

 

 

Children's Rights

Children’s Rights

Background Summery of the Issue: In 1959, the declaration on the Rights of the Child was declared. In 2000, two protocols were added to the Convention on the Rights of the Child about child prostitution and pornography. Around 11 million children died annually mainly because of preventable diseases.

Details about the issue / why the situation occurs:Everyone is entitled to rights, but sometimes children’s rights are denied. This is usually because they are defenceless against mistreatment, although, they do have the right to special protection. Regardless of colour, disability, sex, language or race all children should have rights.

What can be done about the issue? (Who is currently doing something?):The United Nations are devoted to protecting the children and their rights. On the 20^th of November, there is ‘Universal Children’s Day’ which focuses on the rights of children around the world. This day was established in 1955. The government should push for this topic to be applied onto the syllabus for Australian children for more awareness.

Lady Justice

The time-honoured symbol of justice is the west is the Lady Justice (adapted from Greek and Roman mythology) depicted are a blind-folded woman with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other.

Lady Justice balances in one hand the scales of fairness and truth and in the other she holds a sword to represent power of reason. She is also blindfolded representing objectivity.

Social Justice Intro Pics

Introduction to Social Justice

The protection of the rights of all human beings, irrespective of:

• race
• colour
• creed
• nationality and
• language

Is central to any conception of justice.

Justice can be defined as
              "The morally correct state of persons and their affairs"
From a practical point of veiw, Justice demands:

• equality
• objective and
• fair dealing