|
Winning the war on poverty
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, 05 December 2007
|
Rev. John C. Blackford
Religion Columnist
It is four decades since President Lyndon Johnson declared a “War on Poverty.” Since then our nation has spent at least $6.6 trillion on poverty-related programs, but it still remains an enormous issue for all segments of society.
Many agencies, along with the government, are addressing the problem, including the churches, and some progress is being made.
Two years ago in Washington, D.C. a two-day meeting was held which brought faith leaders from around the world to address four pressing concerns: poverty, AIDS, religious freedom and tsunami relief. Government leaders participated and shared their insights, and the United Nations “Millennium Campaign” was a partner in the event.
In the same year religious leaders traveled to London, England just before the G-8 (the eight leading nations) summit in Scotland to discuss the crisis of global poverty with world leaders. The United Nations member states had pledged by 2015 to reduce by half the 1.2 billion people worldwide who live on less than a dollar a day, and to reduce by half the proportion of those who suffer from hunger.
Leaders were encouraged to take steps toward reaching this goal by increasing the quality and quantity of aid, and by eliminating inequities in the international trade system.
Child poverty is especially tragic. The United States is one of a few nations to see a decline in this area, but it is still high. Some 22 percent under age 18 are still living in relative poverty (those living in households with an income per head of household below 50 percent of the national average).
Of course, those in this situation are clearly not suffering as much as children in third-world countries. One commentator said of our opportunity to lessen the effects of poverty that “No nation on earth is better positioned to take advantage of an ever-more-open economy” to accomplish this. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, February 15, 2007).
In the Bible there are approximately 2000 verses encouraging our helping poor people.
In St. Luke 3:11 (New International Version) John the Baptist says to an inquirer, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” In the same Gospel Jesus says, “when you give a banquet, invite the poor...” (14:13).
Reasons for hope in the war on poverty come from both sacred and secular sources.
U2 singer Bono asked, “We have the cash, we have the drugs, we have the science – but do we have the will to make poverty history?” (ibid., December 21, 2004). The desire to greatly reduce poverty and its consequences is genuine in many hearts as well as that of the rock star.
In economic terms, there has never been a better time in history to defeat poverty. In rich countries it has been possible to shift the focus from absolute poverty to the relative sort, which is a giant forward step.
In poorer countries, the past fifty years have seen an unprecedented rise in the income and standard of living for hundreds of millions of people, mainly in Asia, who no longer struggle just to survive.
The examples of China and India are especially noteworthy, and they are thriving primarily because of better domestic government. Yet because of rife corruption in both countries, poverty is not decreasing more rapidly.
Africa is the world’s most poverty stricken continent. It is estimated that an increase of 1 percent in its share of world exports would be worth five times as much as the continent’s share of aid and debt relief.
The richer nations are in a position to improve Africa’s export status, and thus lift some of its crushing load of poverty.
Religious groups have divergent views on the various issues of our day. On the matter of the tragedy of poverty there is a wonderful opportunity to work together. In the past few years joint efforts to do so have been more frequent.
It is to be hoped that the needs of poor people at home and abroad will be seen more clearly, and thus efforts to help them become even more effective. The war on poverty may be a never-ending one, but enough battles are being won to make our efforts worthwhile.
|
