1.0 Overview: Working Out of Poverty
1.0 Overview: Working Out of Poverty
there are some signs of progress, the fact remains: never have we seen so
much wealth while so many continue to live in abject poverty.
Poverty is a complex, deep-seated, pervasive reality. Virtually half the
world lives on less than US$2 a day. More than 1 billion people struggle on
$1 a day or less. And an even greater challenge lies beyond what statistics can
measure – poverty breeds a growing sense of powerlessness and indignity, of
being unable to think, plan or dream beyond the daily struggle to survive.
For individuals, poverty is a nightmare. It is a vicious circle of poor
health, reduced working capacity, low productivity and shortened life expectancy.
For families, poverty is a trap. It leads to inadequate schooling, low
skills, insecure income, early parenthood, ill health and an early death. For
societies, poverty is a curse. It hinders growth, fuels instability, and keeps
poor countries from advancing on the path to sustainable development. For
all of us – and for all these reasons – the cost of poverty in shattered human
lives is far too high.
But there is another face to poverty. People living in conditions of
material deprivation draw on enormous reserves of courage, ingenuity,
persistence and mutual support to keep on the treadmill of survival. After
all, for most people living in poverty, there is no safety net and little state
support. Simply coping with poverty demonstrates the resilience and creativity
of the human spirit. In many ways, the working poor are the ultimate
entrepreneurs.
People in poverty go through each day with the will to survive, but without
the support and possibilities to move up the ladder of opportunity.
Imagine where their efforts could take them if that ladder were in place. Our
common responsibility is to help put it there.
After all, the poor do not cause poverty. Poverty is the result of structural
failures and ineffective economic and social systems. It is the product
of inadequate political responses, bankrupt policy imagination and insufficient
international support. Its continued acceptance expresses a loss of fundamental
human values.
To be sure, poverty is a global phenomenon that occurs in every society.
No nation is immune. In 20 industrialized countries, for example, over 10 per
cent of the population, on average, was living below the poverty line in the mid-1990s. Wealthier nations are working to take on the poverty fight at
home, but the global community has agreed to come together to confront the
most extreme forms of poverty in the developing world – and I would add
the similar forms of poverty emerging in a number of transition countries.
This Report is focused on that challenge.
Specifically, this Report is about how the ILO and its constituents can
better respond to the aspirations and everyday needs of people living in
poverty. It is about the direct link between decent work as a development
agenda and poverty eradication. It is about the fundamental importance of
equality – and in particular gender equality – to decent work and defeating
poverty. It is about teaming up with other international organizations to implement
the poverty eradication and other commitments of the World Summit
for Social Development (the “Social Summit”) and the Millennium
Declaration. It is about concrete ways of targeting the poverty-fighting impact
of ILO policy proposals and technical cooperation programmes.
In
short, it is about working out of poverty.
10 Overview Working Out of Poverty - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
The persistence of poverty is a moral indictment of our times. While
there are some signs of progress, the fact remains: never have we seen so
much wealth while so many continue to live in abject poverty.
Poverty is a complex, deep-seated, pervasive reality. Virtually half the
world lives on less than US$2 a day. More than 1 billion people struggle on
$1 a day or less. And an even greater challenge lies beyond what statistics can
measure – poverty breeds a growing sense of powerlessness and indignity, of
being unable to think, plan or dream beyond the daily struggle to survive.
For individuals, poverty is a nightmare. It is a vicious circle of poor
health, reduced working capacity, low productivity and shortened life expectancy.
For families, poverty is a trap. It leads to inadequate schooling, low
skills, insecure income, early parenthood, ill health and an early death. For
societies, poverty is a curse. It hinders growth, fuels instability, and keeps
poor countries from advancing on the path to sustainable development. For
all of us – and for all these reasons – the cost of poverty in shattered human
lives is far too high.
But there is another face to poverty. People living in conditions of
material deprivation draw on enormous reserves of courage, ingenuity,
persistence and mutual support to keep on the treadmill of survival. After
all, for most people living in poverty, there is no safety net and little state
support. Simply coping with poverty demonstrates the resilience and creativity
of the human spirit. In many ways, the working poor are the ultimate
entrepreneurs.
People in poverty go through each day with the will to survive, but without
the support and possibilities to move up the ladder of opportunity.
Imagine where their efforts could take them if that ladder were in place. Our
common responsibility is to help put it there.
After all, the poor do not cause poverty. Poverty is the result of structural
failures and ineffective economic and social systems. It is the product
of inadequate political responses, bankrupt policy imagination and insufficient
international support. Its continued acceptance expresses a loss of fundamental
human values.
To be sure, poverty is a global phenomenon that occurs in every society.
No nation is immune. In 20 industrialized countries, for example, over 10 per
cent of the population, on average, was living below the poverty line in the mid-1990s. Wealthier nations are working to take on the poverty fight at
home, but the global community has agreed to come together to confront the
most extreme forms of poverty in the developing world – and I would add
the similar forms of poverty emerging in a number of transition countries.
This Report is focused on that challenge.
Specifically, this Report is about how the ILO and its constituents can
better respond to the aspirations and everyday needs of people living in
poverty. It is about the direct link between decent work as a development
agenda and poverty eradication. It is about the fundamental importance of
equality – and in particular gender equality – to decent work and defeating
poverty. It is about teaming up with other international organizations to implement
the poverty eradication and other commitments of the World Summit
for Social Development (the “Social Summit”) and the Millennium
Declaration. It is about concrete ways of targeting the poverty-fighting impact
of ILO policy proposals and technical cooperation programmes.
In
short, it is about working out of poverty.
10 Overview Working Out of Poverty - To learn more about this author, visit International Labour Organization's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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