Question 2 for Mid Term
Imagine that you are invited to speak to some international policy-makers who are having a debate about the problem of global poverty. The central question is: Can global poverty be remediated? There will be a debate, one side arguing 'yes,' the other side arguing 'no.' You are asked to argue "yes." So outline your argument, using examples from our readings and others if you like about what can be done to remedy global poverty, and of course, focus on what social workers could do if we had the resources...
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ReplyDeleteRemediating poverty is not only possible, but essential. Sen (1999) describes poverty as “the deprivation of basic capabilities, rather than merely as lowness of incomes” (pp. 87). When understanding poverty from this lens, its causes become both clear and approachable. The means to reducing poverty are numerous and varied. Of the poverty reduction strategies discussed by Seipel (2003), this response will focus on micro-enterprise and international cooperation facilitated by global social workers.
ReplyDeleteMicro-loans have improved the lives of people living in poverty around the world. Notable examples include the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Fonkoze in Haiti and Kashf in Pakistan. The work of each of these programs will be discussed, as their successes provide a framework for addressing complete remediation of global poverty. Grameen Bank was founded by Muhammad Yunus, an economics professor in Bangladesh. Since its inception in 1983, Grameen Bank has offered micro-loans to Bangladeshi women living in poverty. Over $6.0 billion of loans have been granted and the repayment rate remains at 99%. Loans can be provided for housing, schooling and income-generating purposes. Furthermore, the bank is self-reliant and has not depended on donations for over 20 years. Most notably, 58% of borrowers from Grameen Bank have risen out of poverty (Yunus, 2006). In discussing the future of Grameen Bank and its enduring impact, Yunus (2006) notes that Grameen borrowers prioritize education for their children, which provides long-term empowerment and stability for the family. Additionally, Yunus (2006) recommends creating more social businesses like Grameen Bank within the free market. These businesses can be built on a motivation to make positive differences in the world. They are a sustainable long-term approach to ending poverty because they have the potential to be self-reliant and can channel profits into program developments. He contrasts this business model to the current entrepreneurs who seek only to make a profit and to non-profit organizations which rely on donations. Yunus (2006) asserts, “…poverty is not created by poor people. It has been created and sustained by the economic and social system that we have designed for ourselves…”. Therefore, the solution to global poverty must involve these systems which have been inaccurately designed.
Adjusting economic and social systems through micro-finance has also made a lasting impact on poverty in Haiti. Fonkoze, founded by Fr. Joseph Phillipe, is a micro-finance bank in Haiti that has "45 branches, 1,000 Haitian employees, 200,000 depositors, 62,000 loans in the hands of the poor, and millions in assets” (http://www.raisinghaiti.org/father-joseph.html). After five years of participating in a solidarity lending program, all Fonkoze clients in the program were able to send all of their children to school. Furthermore, loans provided by Fonkoze were affiliated with over 2,000 business developments in Haiti (https://www.fonkoze.org/impact.html). Fonkoze has played an integral role in creating an “enabling environment” for impoverished individuals to exercise their skills and creativity (Yunus, 2006).
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ReplyDeleteThe Kashf Foundation provides a third example of an organization making strides toward empowering women and lessening poverty by providing micro-loans in Pakistan. Kashf forms lending groups of 25 women, therefore ensuring sustainability through repayment and fostering community among the women. Lending groups meet biweekly in one of the members’ houses, where they are able to discuss social issues, business ideas and financial needs. Receiving microloans through Kashf has lessened the financial burden of poverty for the women, while also increasing respectability by their husbands and reducing conflict experienced in the home (Kristof & Wudun, 2010, pp. 185). Each of these organizations addresses poverty through micro-finance, which then has a cascade effect on solving many other aspects of living in poverty. Through the empowerment of resources, providing micro-loans can also positively impact the social interactions, health and education of individuals and families in poverty.
A second strategy to address global poverty is international cooperation. Poverty has been sustained by indifference and ignorance throughout the world. Problems faced by people in poverty, such as fistulas and an inequitable disease burden, can seem distant and irrelevant to many citizens of developed nations (Kristof & Wudun, 2010). Kristof and Wudun (2010) highlight the need to implement education on poverty into American schools, “so that they, too, can learn and grow and blossom- and then continue to tackle the problems as adults” (pp.21). International collaboration to remediate global poverty must integrate people of all ages, nationalities, genders and religions in order to be sustainable. Krstof and Wudun (2010) also provide many examples of how cultural exchange can lead to partnerships which provide long-term solutions to poverty in individual communities and countries.
Global social workers can play a key role in remediating global poverty through international cooperation. Seipel (2003), while identifying social workers as “uniquely qualified” to take on this role, provides four necessary commitments the profession must make to succeed in fulfilling it. These include gaining political literacy, utilizing schools of social work as active change agents, increasing engagement with international governing bodies and empowering people in poverty to find solidarity with one another (Seipel, 2003). Through these four actions, the social work profession can stimulate further international cooperation toward alleviating global poverty. By involving global social workers in domestic and international activism and education, the problems experienced by people living in poverty can be more humanely understood. This mutual compassion for human suffering could cultivate an environment which fosters, rather than deprives, individual capabilities thus remediating poverty worldwide.
Part 1/2
ReplyDeletePoverty is a term often difficult to conceptualize. While some equate poverty with the lack of income it encompasses so much more, it is a multi-faceted issue. Healy (2008), on poverty, states:
It is the root of many if not most other social problems: poverty plays a strong role in migration, it is a growing factor in the spread of AIDS, it is linked to drug production and use, and it is the direct cause of street children, homelessness, child labor, and malnutrition (p.81).
It is necessary to understand the growing impact of poverty to propose effective interventions to remediate. Based on promising results of programs such as: the Grameen Bank, the Kashf Foundation and the Bolsa Familia, it is quite possible that global poverty can be remedied. Each of these examples, as outlined below, provide examples of how we can continue efforts of eradicating poverty.
The Grameen Bank, founded by Muhammad Yunus, is a micro-lending program in Bangladesh which began in 1983. The overall goal of this program is to reduce poverty, specifically under the philosophy that “poverty is the absence of all human rights” (Yunus, 2006). The Grameen Bank offers micro-loans for rural Bangladeshi women living in poverty. With these loans women have been able to create small businesses, provide their children access to education, improve their living situations, etc. As of today, the repayment rate is 99% thus allowing the bank to be self-reliant and owned by the borrowers themselves. The impact of this program has been widespread in that over 58% of its borrowers have crossed the poverty line, children have been provided with scholarships to school, and that at least 80% of Bangladeshi families have been reached by these services. This is a strong example of something that began small was able to grow and truly impact the lives of a community.
Similarly, The Kashf Foundation also gives micro-loans to women in Pakistan. In this program women, in groups of twenty-five, guarantee each other’s debts and meet every two weeks to not only make their payments, but also to discuss social issues and ideas. The results of this program showed that by their third loan, 34% of borrowers moved above the poverty line. In addition to economic improvement, results also highlight that 54% of the women’s husbands respected them more and 40% reported fewer financial disputes with their husbands. This is an example of a program that was not only able to address financial disparity amongst women, but also improved their overall quality of life.
Part 2/2
ReplyDeleteIn another part of the world, Brazil, a program called the Bolsa Familia provides a “conditional case transfer” to parents living in poverty who ensure consistent school attendance and regular health care visits (Healy, 2008). It has reached about a ¼ of the population thus far. The goal of this program is to help “support families in times of hardship, including against unexpected economic shocks and fickle labour markets” (Illingworth, 2016). The results indicate that this program has led to the reduction of the number of Brazilians living in poverty and the country’s significant income inequality gap. Each of the abovementioned programs demonstrate methods of remediating poverty.
Aside from direct monetary assistance programs, Seipel (2007) suggests additional foci that may be used to tackle the issue of global poverty including: education, social investment, and health. Noting that “social work profession is uniquely qualified to deal with poverty issues” (p. 204), Seipel also recognizes some of the field’s shortsightedness and shortcomings in addressing poverty. He argues that social workers must increase their collaboration with international agencies and become more engaged on a policy level. With this access social workers may have greater capacity to educate communities, especially on health and available resources. If social workers had unlimited resources, increased knowledge of global issues and the means needed to remedy them, there would likely be a greater change of remedying the issues, especially poverty.
Specifically targeting lower income families with micro-loans, women especially, seems like one very good way to tackle poverty. Microloans, particularly the Grameen Bank model, can have a deep impact on communities because it provides an outlet for people to use their skills and ideas, while also generating an income.
DeleteThe Bolsa Familia model should be replicated in other countries based on the results you discussed. Rewarding families for encouraging education and health is one good way of reinforcing behaviors that help people to climb the social ladder.
Ebony I like your overall argument your use of facts really creates a whole systemic picture of poverty, not just here in the United States but around the world. Do you think early imperialistic activities: (colonization installation of dictators or regimes etc.) by other nations have affected a country of ability to be economically successful?
DeleteIn addressing global poverty, I would focus the majority of my attention on bettering the lives of women and girls around the world. Simply by improving the lives of women, communities start to improve for everyone. Researchers from the Global Partnership for Education (2014) state that by providing equal access to education, a woman can increase her earning potential, reduce poverty in a community, and improve the lives of future generations. Educated women are able to access jobs otherwise off limits to them, and generate between 25 and 95% more income than her illiterate sisters (Global Partnership for Education 2014). This means that her children are then able to access education, regular health care, and have their needs met (Global Partnership for Education 2014). Educated women are more likely to decide for themselves if they want to marry and whom they wish to marry (Global Partnership for Education 2014). They are also likely to marry later and postpone child birth, resulting in healthier children (Global Partnership for Education 2014). The gains a woman makes by becoming educated typically have generational impacts as noted above, but also mean that her children can continue on an upward trajectory by accomplishing more than their parents (World Bank 2018).
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to enter into a leadership role. Researchers have examined the role of women in politics and have found that they are generally going to focus on policies that increase the quality of life for everyone, by prioritizing families, women, and minorities (National Democratic Institute 2012). When more women hold political office, there is a positive impact on communities, lawmakers, political parties, and the general citizenry (National Democratic Institute 2012). Women tend to be more bipartisan, as well, with researchers more cross the aisle cooperation in countries around the world between women (National Democratic Institute 2012). This has resulted in increased standards of living, better infrastructure, more access to health care, and better health care systems, and other quality of life systems aimed at improving their community (National Democratic Institute 2012).
It has also been noted that women are more likely to respond to the concerns of their constituents because they can typically recognize the struggles of women and minorities, and can see the broader impact these concerns have on the community at large (National Democratic Institute 2012). Finally, it has been found that women tend to be more interested in peace building, with researchers even finding that peace resolutions are more likely to succeed with women at the table (National Democratic Institute 2012). Peace resolutions in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kosovo were successful because of women’s desires to reach across boundary lines and engage in a meaningful dialogue (National Democratic Institute 2012).
It is for these reasons that I believe global poverty can be brought to end by empowering women across the world. The deep impacts that simply educating women have on a community are proof enough that this one major step would profoundly change the world. This argument is then bolstered by the evidence of community and peace building that happens when women are in more positions of power. More women in power means better schools, health care, and access to services. Women are more prepared to work together to better their communities, regardless of political affiliation, creating a more peaceful and advanced world for the good of everyone.
Cont.
DeleteA social worker’s role in this would be to facilitate access to services for women. Social workers in places where women are typically not educated or have limited access to education can help build scholarship programs or create schools that cater to lower income girls. Additionally, social workers can play a role in convincing parents to keep girls in school despite the potential familial gains of keeping girl at home. Social workers can also run for office and use our training in cultural competency, our understanding of policy, and our experiences from the field to help create a better future for our communities and the world. Social workers in politics would bring a unique perspective to many of today’s problems, and would continue to work for the communities we serve through the best possible macro work.
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DeleteHey Emily, I am quite moved by this "...access to education, a woman can increase her earning potential, reduce poverty in a community, and improve the lives of future generations". Education is and will remain the main tool to ending global poverty. It opens up the woman to information that will empower her. Information that will make her an asset to the society and not a liability. When she is educated, she will ensure her child is educated as well. She will know how to access her rights to other basic needs considered to be at the basis of global poverty. Authorities of the world should prioritize EDUCATION, if ending poverty is a global concern.
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ReplyDeleteCan global poverty be re-mediated yes, the most notable example of destroying poverty in an area can be found in the establishment of the Grameen Bank in India. The founder Mohammed Younis started out by "giving $27 to 42 in India the families so that they could make things for sale without having to worry about the legalities of taking out a loan from a bank. This eventually evolved into what is called a microcredit where funds are given to individuals to use on household utilities, food, and education." (Grameen Bank, 2018) This type of reciprocity: “the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit…” (Oxford dictionaries 2018), between a person in need of a loan and a lender of money is unheard of. In the US we expect to pay a certain amount of money those institutions who offer money. Mohammed Younis idea in giving the loans to Indian people who needed them was that not only am I helping this individual also be a community that surrounds them. Which has appeared to work “…58% of its borrowers have crossed the poverty line, Women sent children to school, bank now gives 30,000 scholarships every year; 13,000 students have student loans, with 7,000 per year[ and] They created Grameen phone (mobile phone company) to bring ICT to poor people - the goal is to give majority ownership to the poor women of Grameen bank... (K. Tyson PowerPoint lecture: Poverty, Structural Violence, Stigma And Initiating Virtuous Social Cycles 2/8/18, slide 76)
Response 2/4
ReplyDeleteThe philosophy of the Grameen bank is fighting the fact that people in poverty are not as valued as others. This leaves the door open for crime and violence. However, because of Mohammed Younis intervention with the Grameen Bank the focus on collectivism: “The practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it” (Oxford dictionaries 2018) The giving of loans to people in need of them has made a positive change in the lives of many Indian people not allowing crime or violence to enter that community. I believe a similar process could take place around the world as poverty is no longer just limited to 3rd world countries. For example, “About 1.3 billion… People in developing countries live below the international poverty line of $1 per day…" (M. Sepiel 1999 p. 193) More than likely the statistics above is due to a case of relative poverty where their income does not meet their living expenses. social workers and nonprofit organization could come into different countries assess their various needs and come up with strategies to address them community by community. Poverty is a pervasive disease that affects every country no matter their resources. Nevertheless, with government aid in every country, in the form of WIC, food stamps and employment programs people are still living either at or just below the poverty line. For example, in the United States “The official poverty rate is 12.7 percent, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 estimates. That year, an estimated 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty according to the official measure. According to supplemental poverty measure, the poverty rate was 14.0 percent.”(UC Davis Center for Poverty Research, 2018)
Response 3/4
ReplyDeleteI have a huge problem with this statistic because the United States is supposed to be one of the most developed countries in the world and poverty is always associated with underdeveloped countries. The problem here is the way we structure our society as a capitalist society. Capitalism suggests that businesses are owned by citizens who have built them up over years of work. This allows a select group of people a lot of political and financial power creating a pyramid-like structure within our society those people at the top are industrious and hard-working. Since hard workers and highly intelligent people help build America into the superpower, we know it as. And these new age businessmen and women can see themselves as such nevertheless their financial gains never trickle-down to those on the bottom of the pyramid. Those individuals at the bottom are slackers using the system to their benefit e.g. snap Medicare Social Security etc. with the individuals at the top of this structure having no idea about the barriers that stand in the way of those individuals being successful. This is known as structural violence: "Violence caused by social and economic injustices resulting in diminished access of marginalized groups to basic needs and humane quality of life…" (Kurtz, 2008, p. 211) Hence capitalists society is so focused on the individual’s ability to progress to the top of this pyramid where they can gain political and financial power. These individuals are unwilling to help others achieve their goals and an blame their lack of ability to progress on laziness
For example Social workers and nonprofit organizations such as Chicago house with marginalized homeless people with HIV and AIDS to give them a fighting chance at achieving a decent quality of life through education and employment. If more money was given to the social services sector of each government around the world, social workers collaborating with newly created nonprofit organizations can provide adequate job training, education, and employment and reach marginalized communities helping them to improve. But this ties in with the countries perception of poverty. Social workers must have an in-depth understanding of the way a particular country views poverty in order to eradicate it. For example in the US poverty is seen as something brought on by a person lack of motivation and began to recognize the various barriers that may be involved such as education, employment opportunities and affordable respectable housing. Then realized that by helping one individual one could inspire a whole community as Mohammed Younis did. Only then can poverty and all its subsets be destroyed.
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ReplyDeletePoverty is one of the biggest issues affecting the world today. The solution to global poverty can be best sought through attaining the MDG as set forth by the UN. It should be noted that the UN MDG which are interdependent, are centered on ensuring human and equal rights for all. Being a global and pervasive problem many think the vicious cycle will never end. This paradigm can be changed if stake holders (countries of the world, international organizations and people) put hands on deck to begin a cycle of progress. Social workers are agents of social change and therefore help to bring to the knowledge of the different stake holders what they need to know and do to foster sustainable development for social change.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Seipel, to wage a more effective battle against poverty, global wealth must be increased. It should be noted that sustained economic growth has helped reduced poverty in several Arab states and East Asian countries. This can also be made possible in sub-Saharan African countries (who are already facing a decrease in GDP among developing countries), in order to ensure a world-wide growth. Per capita income can be improved through improvement of quality of education, encourage consumer spending (through tax breaks, or discounts) especially on local production, and increase government spending inside the country. Seipel (2003). In Cameroon for example, social workers have a lot of lobbying to do to move the government to engage in ensuring quality education to produce experts in food engineering who would intend work in food industries that will transform cocoa coffee and other cash crops to finish products (that can meet international standards) that would be consumed both at home and abroad, rather than relying more on the importation of finished cocoa and coffee products imported from countries (at an expensive rate) who initially imported these raw materials from Cameroon at a cheaper rate. Once the products are processed to finished products, social workers should encourage the state through project proposals to initiate a policy of tax reduction on her citizens to encourage home consumption of finished products. Each country must not only create wealth, but must also organize a method of equitable distribution of that wealth to all its citizens. If nations do this, many especially in third world countries like Cameroon will access health care services and education. Social workers can assess local communities take photos and experiences of the inhabitants and present to governments why and how such initiative will go a long way to improve on the standards of living of the people. It should be noted that “Cameroon is ranked 18th among the 20 countries in the world with second largest contributor to the under-five and maternal mortality rate in the world. Many poor women and girls in Cameroon experience difficulties accessing quality health care service. Maternal health is a human right and no woman should be deprived of this right.” Women Deliver, (2016). (more can be read on this website.. http://womendeliver.org/2016/maternal-mortality-in-cameroon-an-urgent-need-for-action/) This is a problem that needs fixing and the government of Cameroon together with International organizations such as the WHO must work hard through international cooperation towards a solution.
Q#2 continues
ReplyDeleteAlso, the cancellation or an extension of the payment period of the huge debts owed by many developing countries will enable governments of the world to either divert the debts to the improvement on infrastructure such as quality health facilities and services that will serve their citizens and this will reduce maternal mortality like in the case of Cameroon. Note that the growth of external debts among developing countries has been a threat to the efforts to reduce poverty. Social workers in countries of the world have the social responsibilities to keep pushing for policy change through the different government and petitioning for foreign aids through International organizations such as the UN to help improve the needs of the people. Rural communities seem abandoned in terms of education, health care, infrastructure and other social amenities and thus need serious intervention. Social workers have a social duty to expose those communities register the testimonies of communities leaders and experiences or challenges of the people, while lobbying for national and international intervention. Such information gathered will act as exhibit to the funders.
Commitment in education should be made prominent. This must go hand in hand with poverty reduction efforts, because education remains one of the most effective ways to create wealth for individuals and society. But higher quality education requires long-term commitment. Poverty reduction strategies according to Seipel, are to ensure an economic growth and equitable distribution of wealth. Economic growth with equity must be ensured to avoid unequal benefits in the economic growth. Support Micro enterprise to finance the wellbeing of poor people through small-scale businesses and agricultural activities, support a job creation policy, accompanied by job training, savings health and other support services. Seipel (2003). Corruption is a virus that needs to be dealt with in most African countries. I think the wealth seized from corrupt officials should be used to finance or support the needs decried here. In Cameroon just like other African countries, corrupt officials are arrested and often nothing is said about what is done with their property or the huge wealth they have stolen and kept in foreign banks. This is the people’s money and thus should be reinvested to ensure equal benefits. Social workers must educate the people to question their governments over their resources. They are tax payers and thus have the right to know how the taxes are spent. According to Plan International, an international organization which is also active in helping eradicate poverty in Cameroon, sponsor a child, sponsor a community sponsor a project and give a onetime donation, are ways to end poverty. Plan International has been helping out with its field volunteers to meet this goal. But I think much still needs to be done. This is because many rural communities still remain impoverished. More on plan International here https://plan-international.org/cameroon
If more efforts with more organizations are involved, foreign aid are well monitored to ensure maximum use of resources, social services improved upon and social investment encouraged, then the cycle of poverty would be replaced with the cycle of progress.
Hello Ita!
DeleteI think you make a great point about how while economic growth is necessary for developing countries to address poverty, it must be balanced with a just distribution of the newfound wealth. I also think it cannot be reiterated enough that the debt incurred by developing nations who must cut funding to crucial social welfare services in order to pay it back, needs to be forgiven. I appreciated your application of your ideas to the context of Cameroon. The debt issue reminded me of how Puerto Rico has been tremendously buried in debt and is beholden to the U.S. because of it. It's another way that so-called "developed" countries take advantage of those trying to make progress.
I think you did a great job weaving throughout your argument what social workers can do to mediate poverty. The part about social workers educating the public on how their tax money is utilized stood out to me in particular. I also think your closing statement was great!
1/2 Global poverty is an enormous challenge, but it is also one that can be solved through hard work, community involvement, and a commitment to women's rights and education. Specifically, a focus on women's education and health would help to alleviate much of the world's poverty, as Kristof and WuDunn (2009) explain, "evidence has mounted that helping women can be a successful poverty-fighting strategy anywhere in the world" (p. xix). As women are more likely to be living in poverty due to oppression and other forms of structural violence, focusing on women's rights, education, and health is one way that global poverty can be addressed and ended. Seipel (2003) addresses education and health as two of his poverty-fighting strategies. He argues that education provides more economic opportunities, and this is particularly true for women.
ReplyDeleteIn Muhammad Yunus' Nobel Peace Prize (2006) speech, he stated "the women who are our borrowers always gave topmost priority to the children…to send children to school". His micro-loan program has proven that women prioritize children's education (boys and girls) more than when men are in charge of the family finances. By focusing on getting their children educated, these women are providing the next generation with the foundation to move out of poverty. Kristof and WuDunn (2009) provide another example of how education can help to end poverty. Their example of how a monetary donation for school fees led to Dai Manju's family moving out of poverty and allowing many other girls to also complete their educations. Although their example focuses on just one girl and her success, it demonstrates that something as simple as a school fee can make the difference between a family remaining in poverty or being able to move out of it. If girls' education was a priority for all countries, then perhaps global poverty would be on the path to ending.
2/2 Moyer (2015) explains that improving women's access to reproductive health care and contraception directly impacts their ability to move out of poverty. When a woman is able to control how many children she has, and when she has them, she is able to continue her education, feed her current children, and have more employment opportunities. Maternal health is one area of health care in which there are many preventable deaths and illnesses that drive a woman into poverty. Amartya Sen (1999) writes that the women who participated in Yunus' Grameen Bank had lower rates of fertility, partially because they were now able to have more control over their reproductive health by way of economic agency and involvement (p. 201). This follows what Kristof and WuDunn (2009) describe in their book, that access to family planning and reproductive health care keeps girls in school, allows them to participate in the economy more, and gives them more agency over their lives, all of which reduce poverty.
ReplyDeleteSocial workers are equipped to help guide policy and play a role in providing these services to women around the world. With the right resources, social workers can help to educate communities as to the importance of women's healthcare and education, help to find funding to pay for school fees, help find food resources for families struggling to feed their children, and provide family planning counseling in conjunction with a healthcare facility. Because social workers have skills such as meeting people where they are at, using local knowledge and local resources for education, and being culturally sensitive - allowing the local community to be the experts, makes social work the ideal profession to continue to empower girls and women in our home communities and around the world.
If women's rights are truly human rights, then there needs to be grassroots, community-led movement towards girls getting educations, girls and women having access to contraceptives and comprehensive reproductive healthcare, and encouraging women's participation in local and global economies. When 50% of the world's population is able to contribute economically because their other rights (health and education for example) are being met, then global poverty will stand a chance at being eradicated.
Moyer, V. (2015, March 26). Here's how reproductive health and rights for women can help end poverty. [blog post] Retrieved from https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/heres-how-reproductive-health-women-can-help-end-poverty/
I think is 10 things what we can do, if we want remediated global poverty. 1. Create jobs. 2. Raise the minimum wage. 3. Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers. 4. Support pay equity. 5. Provide paid leave and paid sick days. 6. Establish work schedules that work. 7. Invest in affordable, high-quality child care and early education. 8. Expand Medicaid. 9. Reform the criminal justice system and enact policies that support successful re-entry. 10. Do no harm.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, according to Seipel (2003), we see a large disparity between the rich and the poor in other countries. In order to maintain a more effective fight against poverty and every country has not only to create wealth but also to equitable distribution of opportunities for all its citizens. Economic growth is essential to poverty reduction. Controlled growth and equitable distribution of wealth within one generation can double the revenues for the period, and under the right circumstances, it can reduce poverty in half. The strong economic growth reduced the level of poverty in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other Asian economies.
External debt growth in developing countries is another threat to efforts to reduce poverty. Its debts are discharged. The rules laid down by the creditors and the substantial debt service obligations, many indebted countries to reform their economies and combat poverty effectively. For example, before a country can repay loans or other investments into education and other development projects, debt has to be paid to foreign borrowers, such as THE IMF or the World Bank. This rule has helped to overcome the economic crisis and people in poor countries (Siepel, 2003).
Doesn’t seem to be a fundamental commitment to education in many parts of the world. If that doesn’t change, there will be a long-term negative consequences related to "poverty". Commitment to learning must go hand in hand with efforts to reduce poverty, because education continues to be one of the best ways to create prosperity for individuals and society. However, education should be a long-term commitment. Unlike many other development projects, long-term educational opportunities can be realized only after many years of investment (Siepel, 2003).
Another important point is the creation of jobs. Support should be given to job creation policies. Economic growth alone eliminates poverty; it is only half of that of poverty reduction. It may also be held by means of social problems, such as erratic employment cost models, price changes and social dislocation (Lal and Myint, 1996). This could undermine the already vulnerable people who may lose their jobs or their income. For this reason, there must be a true social policy designed to protect and compensate those who have suffered due to inadequate growth. Job creation method is one such policy measures that can help the poor. Success in the fight against poverty in developing countries was a targeted job’s in both the private and the public sector is the poor tax policy and legislation. This is particularly true where policies are accompanied by job creation, job training and health and other support services (Lipton, 1998).
Karolina, the ten points you identified are quite important for every stakeholder to bear in mind and prioritize them...
DeleteSuccess in the fight against poverty includes economic growth approach and social investment. Success in terms of economic growth and social development partnership allows people to meet the changing economic environment and policy priorities. Many international organizations, including UNICEF. UNESCO, the World Bank and THE IMF, supports the strengthening of the poor work in the provision of basic social services. Investment in people has maintained the correct growth and well-being in countries with poor resources, such as Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, 1999). In order to ensure that funds are earmarked for social investments, in 1996. The Oslo Agreement was adopted in 20-20 years. According to this provision, the Government’s 20 per cent. In its social services budget by 20%, while the Donor assistance to social (UNDP, 199), which is expected to contribute to the confidence in long-term benefits to the individual and to society. Social services, such as education, health, and human capital development are an important tool against the cyclical component of the fight against poverty (Siepel, 2003).
ReplyDeleteHi Karolina,
DeleteYour post gave me a number of things to consider which I had not yet thought of to address poverty. I found your recommendations to support pay equity, provide additional sick days and paid leave days, and adjust schedules to be very helpful! I think these would lessen the challenges of working which often contribute to job loss and poverty. Establishing pay equity would hopefully decrease the burden of poverty which is currently unequally placed on women. Providing additional sick days and paid leave would allow individuals to maintain their employment, even in times of distress or emergency, thus preventing increased poverty. Finally, creating work schedules which fit more conveniently into impoverished individuals' lives would expand work opportunities. All of these recommendations could alleviate the burden of poverty on those who need it most! Thanks so much for your post.
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ReplyDeleteSeipel (2003) attempts to define poverty in one of the class readings. He describes poverty as deprivation and breaks down poverty into two variations. The first variation is Income Poverty, which includes Absolute Poverty and Relative Poverty. The second variation is Human Poverty Index. For he purpose of this question, I decided to focus on Human Poverty Index. The concept of Human Poverty was developed by the UN, it is based on the denial of opportunities and choices for a tolerable life, along with basic human needs (Seipel, 2003, p. 192).
ReplyDeleteAs an aspiring Social Worker, I personally feel that growth in equity and education are two important areas to focus on when it comes to challenging poverty reduction strategies. If I was lucky enough to speak at an international policy-makers debate, I would promote education and equity first, then move forward with other poverty reduction strategies. I feel that collaborating with international stakeholders and power houses to advocate for social and political justice.
Furthermore, I agree with Seipal (2003) who suggests that schools of social work should incorporate and promote solving problems such as poverty and put less of a focus on boosting research records and solving social problems.
If social workers had the resources to work towards solving global poverty, the amount of people living in poverty would be greatly reduced. For example, if Loyola's School of Social Work had the resources to travel to communities that experience poverty and are depleted of basic human needs, we could bring in resources and educators to promote equity. Furthermore, building political solidarity among impoverished communities, we can work together towards fighting against the current political powerhouse by lobbying, boycotts, etc.. If we can empower individuals who do not have a voice, we can work towards reducing global poverty.
Seipel, Michael M. O. (2003). Global poverty: No longer an untouchable problem. International Social Work, 46(2), 191-207.
Hi Brooke,
DeleteI liked your idea,
that in order to achieve results it is necessary to unite.
The problem is also relevant in Lithuania, most social workers do not have enough money to fight poverty, but their wages are also very low. The job is very difficult, but it is not paid enough. A really big problem, and if anyone could change it, all people would live better and poverty would decrease. Very interesting answer, thank you.
1/2 In simple terms, global poverty can and should be remediated. However, there are complex forces at work that create and maintain poverty globally. Poverty can be thought of as one result of systemic oppression and disproportionately impacts women and people of color around the world. In order to mitigate poverty, the solutions must aim to dismantle the sources of oppression. Yunus, the creator of Grameen Bank remarked that “poverty is the absence of human rights” (2006). This means that the economic and social aspects of poverty cannot be separated. Healy writes about a concept called social development and defines it as development that is a “holistic process […] that aims to integrate social and economic factors” (2008, pp. 56). Social development emphasizes participation, institution building, and distributive justice. Social development is connected to Amartya Sen’s idea that positive freedom is the key to development. Those experiencing poverty are so often deprived of the freedoms Sen is referring to. These are political freedom, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, protective security (1999, pp.10).
ReplyDeleteFreedom and social development are best achieved through education. Freire argues that education has historically been used as an indoctrinating tool of the oppressor by treating students simply as receptacles of “facts”. He calls this type of education, “banking” education, which entails the memorization of facts by students. As a response to banking education, Freire developed a radical pedagogy for education that he refers to as the pedagogy of the oppressed. In this type of education, the revolutionary educator must trust in the oppressed’s creative power by relating to student leaders as partners (Freire, 1968, pp.75). Through this type of education, global poverty can be mediated. If those in poverty were treated as partners in the fight for their freedom they would be full participants in civil society and would be able to shape the policies that negatively impact them.
More specifically, this revolutionary education pedagogy should be applied to the women and girls living in poverty around the world. Girls must be taught how to think critically and be empowered to make choices that benefit them as well as to challenge the oppressive system around them. Kristoff and WuDunn found that more educated girls are more likely to marry later and have lower fertility rates (2009). Simply marrying later and having fewer children can have a major impact on girls and women by shifting the culture of a society into one that gives women more choices in how their future unfolds. This gives them more time to mature and experience the world, which means more time to develop to their fullest potentials.
2/2 Grameen Bank is a great example of an institution that sees the value of impoverished women and perceives them as leaders in their communities and the ones most fiscally responsible. Kristoff and WuDunn also cite evidence that when women are directly provided with loans, they are more likely than their male counterparts to invest it in their children’s education and overall family and community’s well-being (2009). The oppressed must be active participants in their own development and be trusted to make decisions that will benefit their communities if provided with the resources.
ReplyDeleteThe role of social workers is at the direct service level as well as the policy level. Development and human rights work go hand-in-hand as development is considered the route through which poverty is alleviated (Healy, 2008, pp. 52). Social workers are a crucial part of a virtuous social cycle that can remediate global poverty (Castro & Farmer, 2005). Global social workers can provide services to individuals and communities by being the anti-oppressive teacher who provides public health knowledge or trauma-informed therapy, for instance. Social workers can also work for NGOs and ensure that our organizations are using a person-in-environment approach that recognizes the complex systems acting on a community. The concept of self-determination is also relevant in working with people experiencing poverty by treating them with dignity and respect as opposed to paternalistically. Lastly, social workers can be involved with changing the policies of our countries that may engage in harmful globalist practices such as unjust trade policies or military intervention.
In summary, world peace, social development, human rights, and poverty alleviation are inseparable concepts. Through revolutionary education, community development from a strengths-based perspective, and financial investment (specifically in women) poverty can be remediated and systemic oppression can be reduced. Social workers should be involved in all aspects of the virtuous social cycle by advocating with the oppressed, providing the knowledge and skills necessary for participation in society, and creating organizations that invest in those in poverty.
I really enjoyed reading your idea about how important educating girls and women is. I completely agree and wrote about it in my response as well. I particularly enjoyed how you specified that critical thinking is a skill that girls can be taught to help end poverty. I think if more girls were taught that at a young age we would be seeing that empowerment emerge as they grow older. I also appreciated how you wove multiple large concepts together, as poverty is not an isolated issue - it has so many layers and I think you really captured that in your response.
DeleteSocial work involves a lot of particular issues but one that stands out above the rest is poverty. Poverty affects everyone, regardless of sex, age or race, but for some reason those not living in poverty, the prevalence of this significant problem can seem distant. Poverty is a social problem with significant negative effects. Yes, this is a company. However, this will require funding and many targeted policies to increase revenue and productivity. Waging war on poverty requires the concerted efforts of those with the ability to encourage positive change in the lives of individuals and groups. Social workers can advocate for the impoverished by pushing for laws and policies that increase opportunities. Specific to women’s needs, social workers can advocate for women to have greater access to employment, housing, and education. The war on poverty is multifaceted. Addressing the problem requires more than charitable funds and donations.
ReplyDeleteSocial workers provide motivation and self-esteem coaching to give those who believe things will never improve new hope and confidence to move forward and to continue trying. They can educate clients and groups of clients on essential life skills that they may not have had access to. Such efforts give a fair chance to rise above the poverty level and to achieve great things.
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ReplyDeleteIn the second half of the eighteenth century, scientists' debates on poverty began to take place, and the change in the concept of that term, which lasted for many years. In particular, poverty was perceived as a lack of material income in order to ensure livelihoods and maintain personal physical strength. Currently, most authors define poverty as an exclusion from minimum social living standards due to lack of resources (Whelan, Layte, Maitre, 2002). Poverty is also a gap between the necessary social needs (Bradshaw, Finch, 2003). Poverty is seen not only in terms of economic / material deprivation, but also in the absence of a welfare state (Bastos, Casacab, Nunesc, 2009).
ReplyDeleteTherefore, in view of the multi-complexity of the phenomenon of poverty, it is necessary and combat it in various ways. I put forward arguments on ways to reduce poverty:
- It is not only necessary to increase the income of the country, but national governments must strive to implement policies that regulate the fair distribution of income. Well-managed economic growth and a fair distribution of wealth can double income over a period of one generation, and if appropriate, it could reduce half the poverty (Seipel, 2003).
- Fighting poverty-stricken growth-related problems such as political corruption and uncontrolled debt needs to be eliminated, and economic growth-enhancing activities such as Human Capital Development, Fair Trade, Health Promotion, and Justice need to be strengthened (Seipel, 2003).
- Investing in health, education, job creation and other human development programs can significantly contribute to poverty reduction. For example, education provides many people with economic opportunities. In addition to the educated workforce, neither individuals nor countries can effectively compete in the global labor market and cope with the changing economic environment. Or human capital is one of the most important occupation of employees in the labor market. The level of human capital increases the ability of workers to obtain a high level of employment and increase their income. In order to remain productive and to enjoy mobility in the labor market, it is necessary to continuously strengthen the human resources of the employees (Seipel, 2003).
- International participation is very important for a successful outcome. Poverty, like the economy, is not just a national concern, but it is also a global issue (Seipel, 2003).
- Social work activities the profession of social work is a unique qualification in tackling poverty problems. For decades, social workers have worked with the poor and have tackled poverty at the local and international level. Social workers should take social and political action to ensure that all people have equal access to resources, employment, services and opportunities (Seipel, 2003).
- Social work practices must become more active factors of social change. In addition to educating students and pursuing academic interests, social workers must take on leadership in tackling issues such as poverty. Social workers have the tools to build a sustainable dialogue between organizations, politicians, business people, NGOs and other partners. The result of such a dialogue is the promotion of social change (Seipel, 2003).
- Social workers can more effectively influence policies and directives by boycotting, demonstrating lobbying and petitions; but little benefit will be gained if these efforts are tested on individual individuals or broken up groups. Social workers can support people's efforts by helping to create a coalition of different groups and formulate a common vision. It would also be useful to build partnerships with trade unions, the media, community agencies and academic institutions (Seipel, 2003). All of these measures that are many ways to overcome the phenomenon of poverty.
Global poverty is a big problem all over the world. Kammerman and Kahn (1997), claims that, victims of poverty often suffer from hunger, disease, violence, family disintegration, indignities and sometimes even death. Poverty has been so pervasive and persistent through the ages that people believed poverty was an inevitable fact of life or God’s will, and therefore poor people were accepted and given help, though the level of help was seldom adequate. The effects of poverty are often reflected in a multitude of the vulnerable groups such as; youths, children, women, elderly, disabled, refugees, migrants, homeless and all those at risk. Children suffer amongst other deprivations, from hunger and malnutrition. Half the deaths of pre-school children are attributed to the intersection between malnutrition and infectious diseases. Even in wealthiest countries, 40 to 50 million children are growing up in relative poverty. Global poverty can be reduced, first of all, economic growth is needed. Economic growth is essential to reducing poverty. Well-managed growth and equitable distribution of wealth could double income within one generation, and under the right circumstances, it could cut poverty in half. Strong economic growth has reduced poverty rates in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other emerging Asian economies. Also, poverty reduction requires the creation of new jobs that will reduce the number of people who are unemployed, to promote the development of labor policy. Lipton (1998), claims that a job- creation approach is one such policy that can help the poor. Targeted job creation for the poor in private and public sectors through tax policies and legislation has been a successful anti – poverty measure in developing countries. This is particularly true when the job- creation policy is accompanied by job training, savings and health and other support services.
ReplyDeleteI believe that fundamentally, poverty is driven by corruption, unfair trading and centralized currency. Assuming the continuation of technological advancements, further industrial development is expected. With improved technology, work efficiency is expected to increase, meaning increased quantity of resources for the community and trade. Less developed countries will likely benefit most from infrastructural redevelopment. However, it is important to reduce corruption and unfair distribution of resources before poverty can be effectively reduced.
You want to reduce poverty, promote education and educate poor people, because education provides many people with economic opportunities. Without an educated labor force, neither individuals nor countries may be able to compete effectively in the global lobar market and cope with ever-changing economic environments. Chung (1994), notes the success found in Zimbabwe, South Korea and other countries in expanding educational opportunities for their citizens. Birdsall (1999) found that education was a factor in the more equitable distribution of the benefits obtained from growth. She notes that during the 1970s the wage inequality between the college-educate workers and non-college-educated workers in South Korea diminished because more and more people in South Korea completed secondary education. There is also a need to improve the health system so that every person has the right to treatment in order to prevent any person from suffering from healthcare, thus reducing the incidence of fewer people and fewer people and the incidence of untreated diseases.
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ReplyDeleteQ#2 continues
ReplyDeleteIn terms of how a social worker can contribute to poverty reduction I believe consultations and involvement of individuals, families and population groups in poverty situations are key elements in poverty eradication. Planning and execution of measures and projects aimed at lifting them out of poverty and extreme poverty and assist them to gains self-confidence are popular approaches that social workers have used in the past. the role of governments and that of international cooperation are vital in the fight against poverty. Collaborating with other actors such as civil society, including community organizations and self-help groups, and the private sector among others, governments can lead the way by developing policies and initiation of sustainable actions to put an end or at least reduce significantly the incidence of poverty in the world. I think social workers are used to dealing with poverty and also with the risk assessment, working creatively and innovatively to help people (individuals and communities) to understand their situation and to change their behavior and their environment, where possible. One role that derives increased attention is community development, which requires skills in community analysis, social planning, community organizing and social action. Community development requires the ability to foster economic opportunities for area residents through work on industrial retention, local business development, job training, and placement. Another role is community practice which calls for social workers to help people to discover their own resources and their own ability to create influence and positive change. Examples include situations of domestic violence, child abuse or mental health. Social workers’ long history of working with people in poverty situations and witnessing their changing behavior illustrates the importance of integrating theory about professional values that respect people, their choices and decisions. In this approach, community practice combines work with individuals and families with community work, focusing on enhancing resources and opportunities along with personal capacities and as individuals develop out of their poverty situations, so do communities, and the two become mutually reinforcing, creating a comprehensive and integrated model that addresses social and economic exclusion and social disintegration which is necessary for effective poverty eradication.
And so a global poverty is a big problem in different countries and especially in small villages for big families with many young children. I like social worker can argue that yes, we can solve this or at least to have less problems with it. Mine suggestion is to talk loud about it and of course me alone I cannot change anything. But I like a social worker and many more social workers we have power to organize different programs, events and organizations to ask all the people to help each other. First of all, to talk with head of politics and asking help to organize events to collect not only money for pore families but even to join helping with different things. To stop this problem first of all we all have to work hand in hand and we have or stop thinking only about ourselves. Everyone can help with something small like even giving our time to think together how we can help. Even everyone has something that they don’t needed at home, starting for furniture, old but still good clothes, books and many more. If we start sharing and giving things that we don’t needed to someone who is just dreaming about it to have it, will change a lot. People should start thinking if you give something to help someone - life will give you back much more. Just a small thing can help for pore people to change their life and if we work hand in hand, little by little we can change this big problem around us.
PT. 1
ReplyDeleteIn order to eradicate global poverty, we need to analyze how the problem came about. In an article by Caranti (2010), he discusses how sometimes some of the major causes for global poverty are the ones that are often overlooked. Caranti mentions how powerful countries, like the U.S., are the ones that shape how society works are take over the defenseless, vulnerable ones through exploitation and cheap labor. He summarizes by saying that citizens and governments from affluent countries essentially harm the global poor and then feel obligated to help alleviate the issue or “do not harm and, if you did, compensate for the harm you caused (Caranti, 2010). However, it turns out that these rich countries are putting in much less than they originally took out. Rich countries tactically implement policies that are in their favor in order to suppress the poor. Some examples could be tariffs on developing countries and subsidies to affluent ones. In addition, more affluent countries are dominating poorer countries through taking away their resources and “enslaving” people for cheap labor (Caranti, 2010).
Another important aspect to remedy global poverty is getting people to understand just how serious the issue is. According to Domhoff (2017), a sociology professor in the University of California Santa Cruz, people don’t know how wide the wealth gap really is. Right now, those in power are the ones with wealth. However, the majority of the world is composed of poor and middle class families. If people banded together against our policy makers to taylor laws to their specific needs, maybe poverty wouldn’t be such a big global issue. As social workers, we are informed about the injustices that take place, one being poverty, and it is our job to educate people about these issues and act as the “voices” of local communities in order to help them with their specific needs. Social workers essentially, help by empowering local communities so that they can learn to advocate for themselves and challenge certain policies that work against them. If we educate people about how polarized the distribution of global wealth really is, people will begin to realize how big of a problem this is considering it only gets worse over the years.
Furthermore, there is enough money in the world to remediate global poverty. For example, Domhoff (2017) brings to light that in the United States, wealth is highly concentrated in relatively few hands. He states, “The top 1% of households have 30-35% of the wealth, that's 30 to 35 times what they would have if wealth were equally distributed, and so we infer that they must be powerful”(Domhoff, 2017). If the money could be redistributed amongst the poor, no one would be at risk or in poverty. One way this could be accomplished is though the process Seipel (2003) gives, Growth with Equity. He expressed in his entry, “economic growth must lead to expanding opportunities for the poor to climb out of poverty”(Seipel, 2003). As he mentioned, there has been large poverty reduction through this strategy in Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea because their economy is rising all while helping the poor have access to local jobs, education, and healthcare. The growth strategy works at its best when combined with equity, otherwise it is only going to benefit those who are already well off.
PT. 2
ReplyDeleteIn addition, poverty is the root of many of our social problems. According to Healey (2008), the poorest of the poor are women and children, especially those living in rural areas of developing countries. Healey (2008) also makes the point that illiteracy is more common between women than it is men. This means that these women have less opportunity for advancements. We also find that sex selection is prevalent in Asian countries like India and China. Males are prioritized and women don’t have the same access to healthcare and other benefits. Due to the lack of health resources, there is a higher death rate amongst females (Healey, 2008). Unfortunately, those that make it our alive are subjected to gender violence such as rape and domestic/physical abuse (Healey, 2008). Therefore, in order to alleviate poverty, social workers must target these vulnerable groups and provide the necessary care and social services. Social workers could reference and help these women and children get the education they need so that they become literate and empowered through education. In addition, social workers could provide the social services and help these individuals with their overall emotional trauma.
Furthermore, affordable healthcare programs are essential to remedy poverty. As social workers, we can advocate for good quality healthcare programs so that people can get the necessary treatments. One example comes from the journal of Castro PhD, MPH and Farmer MD, PhD (2005) where they discussed the AIDS related stigma and clinical practice in Haiti. They mentioned a particular case of a man, Samuel, who had access to comprehensive AIDS care in Haiti and how it practically saved his life (Castro & Farmer, 2005). Through the care he was given, he was ultimately able to return to work, make money, and support his family again. He was able to secure school fees for his children, which in turn, allows his kids to continue their studies. With this in mind, we see that if it wasn’t for the care he was given, his children wouldn’t have the resources to continue their education and would be stuck in this vicious cycle of poverty (Castro & Farmer, 2005). This comprehensive care made his disease more manageable where he can live his life more normally as well.
As social workers, we can help eradicate poverty by strengthening our ties with NGOs. As Seipel (2005) mentioned, “the solution to global poverty must come from an international setting”(Seipel, 2005). This in turn means that social workers need to work as a collective body because we cannot solve this issue on our own. Together, we are a powerful, knowledgeable, coherent body that can fight poverty.
2) Seipel (2003, 192) points that different countries use wide range of indicators to grasp poverty as social phenomenon. Researcher presents two different concepts to define poverty in the world. Income poverty , which triggers the unequal income distribution in community, society, world. Second definition – human poverty index, which does not clutter around incomes, but reveals the issue of tolerable choices and opportunities for tolerable human life. Another contemporary issue, which invites to participate every country to remediate poverty is terrorism. The surveys reveal that men and women involved in the Al-queda organized attacks comes from deprived regions, suffering poverty which humiliates human dignity, increases hate and intention to combat rich and influential regions. Thus, to remediate poverty means also to bring and support peace to every community.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that poverty is multidimensional and complex social issue, so it must be understood as having multiply formulation and must be sustainable for whole community. Seipel (2003, 204) points that holding on the charity based intervention and focusing on one-practice orientation consequence social work’s influence and identity diminished. The role of social work is strengthening civil society and promote economic growth which would help induvial suffering poverty to overcome current situation.
The examples presented by Grodofsky (2007) makes me and maybe others to realize that it is possible to promote peace for communities with are fighting each other. The important role for social work is to attract professional expertise like law, health, engineering to local experience. Thus, social work cannot be lone expertise which promotes local capacities together with community members. Social work as profession is like bridge providing change in peaceful way.
My suggestions would be based on Seipel (2003) suggestions how to remediate poverty. I would suggest on micro level, that every community must have resources for education and health services, these are basics for development of human capital in every community. Most of poor countries’ economies happens from agriculture with limited or no water resources. Lack of water dooms communities to poverty per se. Consequently, for regions it is important to understand the importance for long term investment to long term education, which would allow to promote job creation region which would help to find new ways for economical growth. That is the task for mezzo level changes to remedy the poverty.
But this would be impossible without macro level changes promoted by cooperation between the countries. For the macro level changes there is need for international cooperation which would provide fare trade at the beginning, also there is need foreign involvement with aid as input to societies with less possibilities and of course the debt relief. Debt relief would be important not only as business strategy, where countries are so poor that all income that they earn goes to rich persons or corporations. It is important to create win-win situation, where poor people, communities, regions, and countries have feeling that they can combat misery and hopelessness which poverty produces.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSolutions:
ReplyDelete1. Install a well;
2. Teach peoples how to grow more food;
3. Provide shelter;
4. Build schools;
5. Provide vaccines against diseases;
6. Build small medical clinics.
What is social workers roles?
Workers helping the poor and working to remedy poverty. Social work is working for social justice, which lists poverty as a primary social problem, according to the National Association of Social Workers. Social workers provide assistance to the poor on both the micro, or individual, and the macro, or large-scale, levels.
Assistance with Concrete Needs
Concrete needs might include basic requirements like food, clothing and shelter, but can also include social benefits, health care or child care. Social workers help clients with concrete needs in a variety of settings, including social services agencies, community services agencies and international aid organizations. They help to people fill out paperwork required for certain social benefits.
Advocacy
They help to peoples which are affected by mental illness, physical disability or other conditions that make it difficult or impossible for them to advocate for their needs. Workers acting as mediators or directly intervening with social services organizations or governmental agencies.
Social Policy Development
Social workers working to bring changes to social policies. They accomplish this goal in a variety of ways, such as through community organization or political action. They also can help influence social policies through other activities, such as organizing community protests or fundraisers.
Community Education
Another important role of social workers is providing community education on poverty and related concerns. For example, poor communities are often affected by issues like gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, a lack of available child care or educational limitations. Social workers help educate communities on how to avoid or reduce these problems, help communities find more productive ways of working together and advise communities about how to find creative or practical solutions to problems
Building a well and providing vaccines are two solutions that I have not previously thought about when thinking about how to solve the issue of poverty. I think these are powerful solutions because they can seem simple to people who take water and vaccines for granted, but are such incredibly powerful tools in the lives of those who do not have them. It makes me think specifically about women who have to spend large parts of their days traveling to get clean water, and children who could become contributing members of society if they had access to life-saving vaccines. I really enjoyed your response because it made me think more creatively about how poverty can be solved.
Delete1. Poverty is most commonly defined by economic standards, based on income levels and access to basic human necessities, such as food, water, and shelter. Poverty is often described with a scale, ranging from extreme to moderate levels. 1. 3 billion out of all people in developing countries live below the international poverty rate of $1 per day. Poverty has many ties to physical health as well, as the world’s poorest countries consistently demonstrate the lowest life expectancies. The majority of these health problems can be traced back to unsafe drinking water and malnutrition. Another problem with poverty is the acts of desperation it drives people to. When humans are deprived of basic life necessities, they are forced to take desperate measures in an effort to change their bleak future. Historically, poverty has proven to be the cause of much violence and conflict and continues to be so today. In many situations human trafficking, the use of child soldiers, and prostitution can all be linked to poverty.
ReplyDeleteI can safely say that poverty is a real problem affecting millions of people around the world today, and poverty is a complex issue with multiple layers. While most people say that it is impossible to fight global poverty, I think that by concentrating on certain issues, global poverty can be reduced or even completely eradicated. in the last 50 years the world has witnessed unprecedented growth and prosperity. The global economy has grown sevenfold. Correspondingly, poverty has fallen faster in the last 50 years than in the previous 500 years. More people today have access to clean water and sanitation facilities; more healthcare facilities are available; the rate of illiteracy in developing countries has fallen sharply; and the infant mortality rate has decreased substantially. This success provides grounds for optimism. Poverty reduction strategies Given the poverty gap in developing countries and the increasing threats that can change the progress, poverty reduction strategies should consider several factors, since no single factor can solve the problem. Lessons learned from previous efforts show that the anti-poverty approach must be based on multiple foundations and must be sustainable. For example, economic growth and capital formation are necessary for sustainable development, but they are not enough. If long-term development is to take place, growth-inhibiting problems such as political corruption and unmanageable debts must be eliminated, and the need for growth-enhancing activities like human capital development, fair trade, health promotion, equity and the like should be strengthened. Economic growth, international support and social investments are the three most promising strategies that can address sustainable development issues. I will outline some principles that can be used to reduce poverty:
Economic growth is essential for reducing poverty. Well managed growth and fair distribution of wealth could double income within one generation, and under the right circumstances, it could cut poverty by half. Strong economic growth has reduced poverty rates in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other emerging economies.
Growth with equity. Economic growth should lead to widening opportunities for the poor to climb out of poverty. This can be achieved by making poverty eradication a central part of the economic growth strategy. Due to their growth strategy, economic growth has resulted in a large reduction of poverty in Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea, including expanding economic opportunities for poor people and allocating these expanded resources to health education and other human development efforts. A growth strategy is best when it is based on growth with equity. Economic growth must benefit both rich and poor;
2. The micro-enterprise should be supported by the development of a labor-intensive micro-enterprise. Small-scale businesses and agricultural activities are essential to the financial well-being of the poor people, since significant income and basic food are typically generated from these non-formal economic sectors in developing countries. Micro-enterprise strategy not only contributes to economic growth, it accomplishes its goals with less investment and less complex management requirements;
ReplyDeleteA job creation policy should be supported. Economic growth alone does not eliminate poverty; It only accounts for about half of the poverty reduction. A job-creation approach is one such policy that can help the poor. Targeted job creation for the poor in private and public sectors through tax policies and legislation has been a successful measure against poverty in developing countries. This is especially true when job-creation policy is accounted for by job training, savings, health and other support services.
International cooperation. Although the primary responsibility for fighting poverty rests with national efforts, international involvement is crucial for success not only national but is now also a global issue. The global integration of economy, culture and politics has blurred national boundaries and responsibilities and strengthened global influences.
The trade balance between rich and poor countries must be minimized. Open markets and a free flow of technology and information have created tremendous global wealth for some, but others have benefited little or not at all. The poor developing countries macroeconomic policies may have contributed to trade disbalance, but more meaningful explanation can be found in terms and rules of international trade practices.
Foreign debt crushing should be relieved from poor countries. Many poor countries are so deep in debt that implementing sound economic policies is very difficult or almost impossible. When reforms are implemented, they are so restrictive and severe that they harm the poorest of the poor and create a political uncertainty in society. But the debt can be relieved in several ways. The principal can be cut, the length of the loan can be extended, the interest rate can be reduced, and ultimately the whole debt can be forgiven. Though these actions can create future credit problems for indebted countries, serious consideration should be given to relieving the debt of those countries that earn earnestly making efforts to reform their economies and pay their debts.
3. An effective anti-poverty approach integrates economic growth with social investments. A successful partnership between economic growth and social development allows people to deal more effectively with changing economic environment and political priorities Many international organizations, including UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank and the IMF, support the work to strengthen the poor through the delivery of basic social services. Social service spending, which provides opportunities for self-reliance, contributes to long-term benefits for people and society. Provision of social services such as education, health and human capital development is a major countercyclical measure against poverty.
ReplyDeleteEducation is the one of the most important ways to combat poverty is to educate poor people since education provides a wide range of economic opportunities for people. Without an educated labor force, neither individuals nor countries may be able to compete effectively in the global labor market and cope with ever-changing economic environments. This is true of present information- and technology-oriented economies (Seipel, 2003).
Combating poverty, social work is one of the key tools to tackle poverty and working with marginalized populations is the only effective tool. Social work improves that the social welfare of individuals, their groups and communities, promotes social unity in times of change, supports and protects vulnerable members of society, and encourages cooperation with service users. Unsuccessful changes in life negatively affect the ability of some people to fight for their well-being, need help or guidance. Others only need custody, help, and protection. Social workers respond to these needs: their contribution to promoting social unity is very significant, both through direct social work and through preventive action.
Yes, poverty can be remediated. Things that would help to remediate the poverty in my opinion would be: education of society, economic growth, increase of workplaces, remediation of corruption and etc.
ReplyDeleteEconomic growth is essential for poverty reduction. Well-managed growth and a fair distribution of wealth can double income over a period of one generation, and if appropriate, it could reduce half of poverty (Michael M.O. Seipel).
Small businesses and farming are crucial to the well-being of poor people, because huge income and basic foodstuffs are usually derived from informal economic sectors in developing countries. It has been shown that poor people, through lending, savings and technical support, were able to start or expand their self-employed work (Yunus, 1999). Yunus (1994).
There is a need to support job creation policies. Economic growth alone does not eliminate poverty; this represents only half the poverty reduction. It can also be the cost of social disturbances, such as volatile employment patterns, price developments and social dislocation (Lal and Myint, 1996).
The balance between the rich and the poor must be reduced. Open markets and the creation of free technology and information in some countries have created enormous global assets, but others have little or no useof it at all. UNDP (1997).
One of the most important ways of combating poverty is to educate poor people, as education provides many people with economic opportunities. In addition to the educated workforce, neither individuals nor countries can effectively compete in the global labor market and cope with the changing economic environment. This is true of the current information and technology-driven economy. Chung (1994)
I agree with you that economic growth is essential but that there also has to be job training. I talked about education in my response as well, because I do think that educating people, and particularly women, is one of the most powerful tools we have against poverty. I think this goes hand in hand with your idea of job training, because that also provides people with skills to maintain their jobs, and it can help lead to new jobs being created. I don't think there is one solution to poverty, but your response made me think about some that I hadn't previously considered, such as farming.
DeleteWhen I think of global poverty, I find that our history in colonialism and imperialism has such a prominent lasting effect. I also find that our challenge to remediate such a grand issue still remains due to such an epic imbalance of resources, finances, and education. Although the issue I bring to life below may simply seem like a national issue particular to the US, I am going to stray and bring up the topic of the US Food and Agricultural system because I believe such powerful industries in our nation both directly and indirectly fuel global poverty. I understand that poverty, especially on the global scale, is a multi-faceted issue, with a variety of reasons for how it comes to surface, but I also believe that a lack of health, simple well being, and nourishment is the foundation for the endless rabbit hole that is poverty.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, I believe the US government must reset its priorities and direct its financial focus toward not only the hungry of this country but the hungry across the globe. To quote Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, “we are spending $20 billion a year on agriculture subsidies for the wrong foods; $20 billion would go a very long way to promoting a healthy, educated population, starting with kids” (A Place At The Table, Chapter 5). This is a very truthful statement, as one of America’s biggest setbacks when it comes to hunger is the financial factor. I think that one of the biggest setbacks when it comes to global hunger is ALSO the financial factor. But, in actuality, there is no reason to say that our country does not have the financial means to reverse this hunger epidemic; it is all based upon our country’s priorities. In this day in age, the food corporation world seems to have its focus on protecting and increasing the booming farm economy rather than the installment of nutrition programs and education for low-income families. That being said, while the rest of the economy has spiraled downward, the farm economy is still thriving. This is where our government is faulty.
Over the last eighty years, farm subsidies have become largely dysfunctional entitlements, supporting a small handful of powerful and expanding landowners/corporations who control a large amount of the country’s share of farmland. The problem is, all of our government agricultural money is spent on these businesses who are the supporters and producers of the masses; the mass production of processed, substance-injected, cheap foods. Yet, people are still starving and sicker than ever. Therefore, why is our government not investing in the nutrition and health of our people and supporting farms that produce fresh and natural grains, fruits and vegetables? This would initially be more expensive, but are we not then preventing all of the healthcare costs that contribute to America’s grossly extensive debt?
A simple snapshot is this: the US has so much demand for meat products that other countries have to detrimentally sacrifice their land to allow farm animals to graze. Moreover, the pounds of grains fed to such animals are pounds of grain that could instead be used to feed starving families across the globe. How’s that for priorities? We have the means to provide the hungry we food, we are just choosing not to allot them in the correct places. As social workers, I believe it is our job to take on a new perspective. If nations of affluence could adopt of prevention > reaction mentality, I believe they would be in a better stance to offer life-changing solutions to nations that are deeply suffering as well.
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ReplyDeleteI bring this topic to the table because I find it helpful to narrow global poverty down and look at individual catalysts to such a grand issue. My point here is that many affluent nations acquire such greed and take advantage of their ability to manipulate developing nations. As a social worker, if we are not going to necessarily be working directly at the international level, we can focus on our local or national systems and organizations to ensure they are not promoting global poverty by isolating populations whom they deem deserving of certain resources and/or exploiting other international populations for the acquisition of resources or cheap labor, whatever it may be. I think we must shift our priorities and really recognize that the decisions we make and the people/businesses we support matter, because we may ultimately be supporting an organization or institution that indirectly exacerbates global poverty. There remain many more facets of poverty to be soothed, as this is only one outlook and approach, but I truly believe it can be solved.
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ReplyDeleteNot only can global poverty be remediated, it must. According to Healy, global poverty is "the root of many if not most other social problems", playing a part in "migration, ... a growing factor in the spread of AIDS, it is linked to drug production and use, and it is the direct cause of street children, homelessness, child labor, and malnutrition".
ReplyDeleteThe trick is how we remedy it. Personally, I believe that we can start by focusing on the poverty that the West has caused in the countries we've colonized. By continuously drawing resources from lands and peoples that were oppressed by us, we've become the countries we are today. Even though no one can "put a price on colonization", we can start to try (Hickel, 2015 from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/nov/27/enough-of-aid-lets-talk-reparations).
Outside of that, what should be focused on is the creation of jobs, job training, the provision of comprehensive health care, and the betterment of environmental conditions, as the U.N. has pushed focus on (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jul/06/united-nations-extreme-poverty-millennium-development-goals).
As social workers, we should be shining a light on programs already put in place in countries that deal with poverty instead of going into these nations and putting our own plans in place. A good example of this was talked about a few weeks ago, in the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, or the Pad Man. He created sustainable jobs for women in his community to a large degree of success (http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/real-pad-man-arunachalam-muruganantham-akshay-kumar-5059709/).
"Concrete needs such as food, housing, education and health care, as well as the more abstract need for belonging, freedom and autonomy, are fundamental to the building of societies character- ized by greater equality. They are essential for the prevention of pro- tracted conflict (Burton, 1990)" (Grodofsky, p48).
ReplyDeleteGlobal poverty can absolutely be remediated. I often take this same stance as Grodofsky mentions, that not much can be done in impoverished communities if basic needs are not met. We love to talk about all the different changes we would make in different social situations. Yet, at the end of the day, if a mother needs to feed her children she isn’t necessarily thinking about her right to protest or what gun laws we have. This is what makes global poverty such a pressing issue, it is literally killing people but that doesn’t seem to really change the way people are acting towards it. I think that we often think of it as such a huge umbrella concept that is too big for us to handle so we dismiss it as if it can’t be changed. But it can.
Global poverty is such a complex issue that it needs to be attacked from multiple different angles. One that I would like to focus on is the idea of task shifting.(https://www.ted.com/talks/vikram_patel_mental_health_for_all_by_involving_all/up-next) Vikram Patel in this video speaks about how mental health causes should change in order to better serve communities that might have less resources or specialized professionals in their area. The idea of task shifting is that you train members within a community to better serve the community they are involved in when there are not professionals there to do it. An example of this is a community where barbers are taught CBT methods so that they can better help their clients when they are confided in. Another example is teaching women in an impoverished area how to detect symptoms of diabetes, heart failure, or other medical symptoms. We can sue these methods to help the issue of global poverty as well. Helping communities through financial literacy programs. In the US, low-income families are often the victims of scams or programs that put you in debt. In other countries fulfilling basic human needs is the most important. I think this idea of using members already in the community can be so powerful. There are countries who frankly do not want our help, and it isn’t always our place to come in and “fix” their society. I believe that integrating life skills into the people themselves is the most effective. There is more trust and motivation that way which can push them to really establish a good system.
Social workers would be involved by starting this initiative. They don’t need to be part of the execution necessarily because they may not be part of the community. However, getting these skills out there and running would be a good way for social workers to put those skills into the community.
In outlining my argument, I would first begin with defining poverty for this context- and also add that my social work specialization is “macro” and not clinical which is probably going to reflect in my answer to this question. There are many ways people and groups see poverty, but by defining it, we can be more specific and intentional about what we can do about it. Seipel (2003) defines poverty in “two variations”: poverty based on income (absolute and relative) and the Human Poverty Index (HPI). Seipel (2003) goes on to discuss the severe limitations of both of these variations and how both lack an objective guideline for poverty. In another class in the MSW program called Philanthropy and Social Change, we often discuss utilizing the term “inequality” instead of “poverty” to better address both of Seipel’s variations of determining poverty. Seipel himself discusses income inequality as one of the contributing “trends” in increasing global poverty: “To sustain a more effective fight against poverty, each country must not only create wealth, but must also organize a method of equitable distribution of that wealth to all its citizens” (2003, p. 195). This inequality, in addition to inequality of opportunity for jobs, financial security, and food all contribute to global poverty levels.
ReplyDeleteIn order to remediate global poverty, in addition to a more equitable distribution of wealth, there must be local policies that address these other contributors to poverty such as job creation and “micro enterprises” (2003). In America, social enterprise is becoming more and more prevalent in order to address both lacking in government funding and safety net and poverty as a whole. However, social enterprise, where the private sector meets the public sector, can also be argued to be a band-aid for really addressing economic and financial inequality. When philanthropists bring their money into a social service program, whether its in America or abroad, is it really redistributing that wealth? Or is the amount being given out only a fraction of what that person or family foundation is actually worth and holding on to? Therefore perpetuating inequality and potentially poverty. If policies and laws were created around these private/public partnerships, there could be an eventual equitable distribution of wealth, but we haven't reached that point yet.
I enjoyed your point about job creation and micro enterprises. While researching this topic, I learned that education is an essential part of remediating global poverty. In my response, I focused on highlight the importance for education. However, from literature review, I also learned that education works best when connected with job opportunities. By training individuals and teaching skills necessary for jobs, individuals would feel empowered and strive for economic growth. Furthermore, individuals would be able to work towards improving their well-being. I also thought it was interesting you discussed the necessity for food. Similarly, in my response, I discussed the need for striving for equal opportunities to receive nutritious food, clean water, and universal immunization. In my opinion, reducing hunger and improving health would be important aspect of working to solve global poverty.
DeleteGlobal poverty can be remediated, although it will take the work of many and implementation of education across countries. These educational programs that are created need to culturally fit the area in which it is dedicated to eliminate poverty, challenging all communities to work together. In the reading by Domhoff (2017), he discusses the disparity between the wealthy and poor and that many are uneducated about the vast gap between the two points. Those who hold positions in which to help others that are poor are many times in positions of power, refusing to create education and programs in order to minimize the wealth inequality. Educating the middle and lower classes in countries can help bring about change as well. This education can help individuals and communities push back and work to place into power those that align more with their beliefs and tactics to decrease the disparity. In order to help bring all professions together to solve this global poverty, Grodofsky (2007) discusses the importance of realizing the role of different professions in the problem solving.
ReplyDeleteThis problem solving is key in helping to eliminate poverty. In many professions we are taught how to help people; provide case management, counseling, and various other offerings. In rare cases do they teach how to, on a macro level, empower and engage others to create ideas and implementations to end problems such as global poverty. This idea of problem solving on a macro level is discussed in the Seipal (2003) reading. Seipal notes that many countries understand the wealth disparity, and recognize it as a global problem. Based off of this research done by many countries, more simply put than done, we can put together a general outline of information that would decrease the disparity. Communities would be able to tune the outline to their specific needs and circumstances, but arrive to the same results.
The eradication of global poverty, although difficult, is not an impossible endeavor. In “Global Poverty: No Longer and Untouchable Problem”, Siepel defines poverty using two concepts: a) Income poverty, which can be further broken down into absoulte and relative poverty and b) Human Poverty Index (HPI), which is based on the idea that poverty is more than the lack of income; that it’s the “denial of choices and opportunities for a tolerable life.” Instead of measuring poverty by income, it also scrutinizes other factors such as early death, malnutrition, illiteracy, acess to healthcare and safe water (Siepel, 2003).
ReplyDeleteRegardless of which definition of poverty you choose, there are many examples of places in the developing world that have witnessed unprecedented growth and prosperity, and, have successfully climbed out of poverty. One such example is Bangladesh, where the establishment of the Grameen Bank has not only meant financial freedom for poor families, but also upward mobilization and social freedom for women, who are, otherwise, undervalued and neglected.
Muhammad Yunus, the architect of Grameen Bank, argues that “poverty is the absense of all human rights” and to extricate a community from poverty, the people living with it must have opportunities to live decent lives. When faced with the reality that banks refused loans to the poor, thinking them credit-unworthy, Yunus created a bank for the poor that provides microloans to those who would otherwise not have this opportunity. Microloans equipped these otherwise, poor people, to start their own businesses and make enough money to help themselves and their families survive.
In his acceptance speech for the Noble Peace Prize, Yunus exclaims, “Today, Grameen Bank gives loans to nearly 7.0 million poor people, 97 percent of whom are women, in 73,000 villages in Bangladesh.” He further elucidates that the women borrowers “always gave topmost priority to the children” and that all the children of the women borrowers went to school and went on to become doctors, engineers and other professionals, thereby creating a generation that will be equipped to free their families from the chains of poverty. Today, there are hundreds of microfinance institutions reaching all corners of the world, such as Egypt, Peru, Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to name just a few.
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ReplyDeleteMicrofinance is just one path to eliminating poverty. Amartya Sen views the gains of freedoms as a means to development and development as the antithesis of poverty. If we follow the lines of this argument, we could argue that by simply extricating those living in poverty from the constraints that bind them to poverty, we could alleviate communities and help them develop. Liberties that we take for granted, such as educating both boys and girls, allowing women to seek and gain financial freedom, providing basic infrastructure and health to the poorest communities, are solutions that lead to self-determination and autonomy, which lead to the abolition of poverty.
However, poverty still exists because we keep perpetuating this social construct that destitution and scarcity must exist in order for there to be opportunity and wealth. Because without poverty, we won’t live in a society that rests upon the foundation of the “haves” and the “have nots”. The eradication of poverty is not a mere theoretical concept to be debated in university classrooms and political arenas. Poverty can and must be deliberately solved with practical solutions such as the provision of education, health, nutrtion to all parts of the world.
And, social workers, who have traditionally been advocates for the rights of the poor, must be part of the solution. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) states that “social workers are in demand around the world” because their “unique skills and flexible approaches to problem-solving can help develop human potential in places where people have been oppressed and create peaceful, mutual solutions to strife-filled situations.” We have to accept this responsibility and be involved on every level of development, from working with grass-roots organizations to help those oppressed find their voice, to sitting at the table in major, policy-making organizations.
As Siepel outlines in his writing, social workers must follow the NASW code of ethics which mandates that social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to resources, employment, services and opportuniites they require to meet their basic human needs an to develop fully. And that schools of social work must become more active agents of social change and take leadership roles in solving problems such as poverty (Siepel, 2003). Poverty can be a thing of the past, but it does have to start with us making changes in our own systems of belief and understanding that poverty exists to create the divide between the rich and the poor. We, as social workers, have a duty to the poor, to help them achieve their potential, by providing them the same opportunities that the “haves” have and by continuing to advocate for their human rights, wherever and whenever we can.
Before outlining my argument for why I think global poverty can be remediated, I think it is important to expand understanding of the definition of poverty. Amir-Ud-Din (2017) defines poverty using multidimensional approach. Various factors of poverty include deprivation of longevity, adequate nourishment, healthy living, employment, literacy, clean household, energy, economic freedom, political freedom and clean environment (Amir-Ud-Din, 2017). He also argues that in order to solve global poverty, one must be aware of all different dimensions (Amir-Ud-Din, 2017). Since poverty includes so many various factors, some of my suggested remedies for solving global poverty would focus on multiple factors.
ReplyDeleteFirst, in my opinion, an increase in educational opportunities would work towards reducing global poverty. From the readings throughout the semester, it is clear that education plays an important role in increasing opportunities for economic, professional, and personal development. Thus, reducing poverty. Education works as a protective factor and empowers individuals to stand up for their rights, improve their financial status, and be more independent. Whether learning about human rights, oppression, health, and economic opportunities, education would be an essential aspect of working to solve global poverty.
Next, my outline would also include information about the importance of health care when working to remedy global poverty. To improve healthy living, resources would include providing universal immunizations, clean water and energy, and affordable nutritional food (Amir-Ud-Din, 2017). Improved health conditions could have a long-term effect on reducing global poverty.
Furthermore, since social workers possess multiple skills to advocate and empower people, fighting global property seems like a great opportunity to practice those skills. First on a macro level, social workers can become active learners of other cultures and strive to provide education. Moreover, on a macro level, social workers can advocate to policy makers for individuals who do not have a voice or opportunities to express their wishes, concerns, and needs. On a micro level, social workers could work towards raising awareness of the issue of global poverty and working to increase awareness of effective possible solutions. Prior to taking this course, I had a limited understanding of global poverty and felt hopeless in working to solve global poverty. Thus, social workers could implement services and begin conversations about ways to get involved.