Poverty
1. DEFINITION
The Macquarie Dictionary defines poverty as “the condition of being poor with respect to money, goods, or means of subsistence” . (1)
2. BIBLE REFERENCE
1 Samuel 2: 7-8
“The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap”.
3. FACTS
·In 2002, 1 billion people in the world were in extreme poverty.
·By 2015, 600 million people will still be in poverty, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
·The number of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa has increased by a third.
·By 2020 the number of malnourished children is estimated to have dropped everywhere, except for sub-Saharan Africa, where it will be above their 1997 levels.
·In developing countries almost 11 million children per year die before the age of five.
·More than 500, 000 women in the world die per year in child birth and most of these are from developing countries.
·More than 100 million children worldwide who are primary school aged are not in school.
·19.4% of people in the world live on less than $1 a day.
·50% of people in the world live on less than $2 a day.
All statistics are from the World Bank, World Development Indicators 2006 (2) , for more information please visit: http://devdata.worldbank.org/wdi2006/contents/home.htm
4. AUSTRALIAN POLICY
·In 2006-2007 Australia will provide $2.95 billion worth of development assistance . (3)
·AusAID’s objective is “to assist developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia’s national interest” . (4)
·The Australian government will commit $4 billion annually to its aid budget by 2010.
·Australia focuses its aid on the Asia-Pacific region.
·Australia’s aid program will be based on four pillars: “accelerating economic growth, fostering functioning and effective states, investing in people and promoting regional stability and cooperation”.
·Australia will ensure the effectiveness of its aid program in these four ways: “strengthening the performance orientation of the aid program, combating corruption, enhancing Australia’s engagement with the Asia–Pacific region and working in partnership with regional governments and other donors”.
·Australia will focus on reducing poverty in Indonesia and the Philippines.
·The Australian Aid program will help India and China on issues such as trade, clean energy and HIV/AIDS.
·Australian aid to the Pacific will continue and increases in aid to this region will be linked to performance.
·Australia will substantially increase its aid to the development of Papua New Guinea.
·Australia will continue to support Africa on humanitarian issues and issues like HIV/AIDS . (5)
5. HOW YOU CAN ACT
·Research poverty and help others understand its devastating effects.
·Help make poverty history, visit: http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/home.html
·Sponsor a child: http://www.worldvision.com.au/childsponsorship/search/child_search.asp
·Buy the gift that keeps on giving: http://www.worldvision.com.au/smiles/
·Volunteer at Wesley Mission to help those who are in need in your community: http://www.wesleymission.org.au/Get_Involved/Volunteer/Default.asp
·Volunteer to help homeless people on the street, visit: http://www.homeless.org.au/volunteer/
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
Australian Government, Aus AID, Overseas Aid: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/makediff/whatis.cfm
Australian Government (2006), A White Paper on the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program, Australian Aid: Promoting Growth and Stability, Executive Summary: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/wp_summary.pdf
The World Bank (2006) World Development Indicators, World View, Introduction:
http://devdata.worldbank.org/wdi2006/contents/home.htm
United Nations Development Programme, Poverty Reduction:
http://www.undp.org/poverty/
The World Bank Group, Working for a World Free of Poverty, 2006:
http://www.worldbank.org/
(1) The Macquarie Dictionary (2005) “Poverty”, Macquarie University, Published by Macquarie Library.
(2) The World Bank (2006) World Development Indicators, World View, Introduction.
(3) Australian Government, Aus AID, Overseas Aid: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/makediff/whatis.cfm
(4) Ibid.
(5) Information in section 4: Australian Government (2006), A white paper on the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program, Australian Aid: Promoting Growth and Stability, Executive Summary: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/wp_summary.pdf
