Poverty Reduction Strategies

Poverty reduction strategies being announced by certain governments is a welcomed development in the war on poverty in Canada. Strategies in the area of poverty reduction are necessary because the existence of poverty is a complex situation brought about by historical thinking about the "poor" and what they should be entitled to. Our society's ideas of how we should treat those who are not able to support themselves comes from a time when individuals had to fend for themselves or had to depend on the charitable works of religious groups and others.

Our society is changing. For some time it has been acceptable to think of poverty as caused by the way society is structured which makes it difficult if not impossible for some people to be self sustaining. Lack of opportunities for some in our society leaves them vulnerable to a life of poverty and no way of escaping. Governments forced by community-based organizations have accepted the fact that they have an important role to play in alleviating poverty.

Over the last few years governments have announced poverty reduction strategies that give the impression that a new approach is being thought out that will set targets for not only the reduction but the elimination of poverty. Such bold announcements hold out much promise and time will tell if such targets can reasonably be met. Nevertheless, the goals have been set and in all cases after much collaboration with community groups close to the poverty problem. This is obviously much better and holds out greater promise than simply throwing money at specific segments of the poverty experience and hoping that this will somehow solve the overall problem.

A new report just released by the Canadian Association of Social Workers on December 1, 2009 reviewed the poverty reduction strategies that have been developed to date by provincial governments titled: “Tuning into Poverty the Provincial Way”. It reviews the strategies developed by five provinces: Quebec; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; and Manitoba. Not included in the CASW report was the New Brunswick poverty reduction strategy which was announced in November, too late for the report, and also the commitment of the Federal government by way of a motion in the House of Commons on November 24, 2009 to, " …develop an immediate plan to eliminate poverty in Canada for all". No target dates were established for the reduction or elimination of poverty.

Most of these strategies were reached after an extended collaboration with relevant stakeholders and community groups recognizing that a meaningful strategy could not be developed in isolation from those living and working directly with the problem. Some of the targeted goals for the reduction and elimination of poverty may be optimistic but, nevertheless, they represent a target that time will reveal if it was realistic or not.

The government of Quebec was the first province to set out a strategy in 2002 to have the least number of persons living in poverty among the industrialized nations within ten years. The government of Newfoundland and Labrador made a commitment in 2005 to fund specific strategies in the budgets of 2006, 2007, and 2008 but with no target date for elimination or reduction of poverty. The government of Ontario developed a strategy in 2007 with the goal of reducing poverty by 25% in five years and 50% in ten years. The governments of Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick developed their strategies in 2009. Manitoba set no targets or time lines for the reduction of poverty; Nova Scotia to "break the cycle of poverty" by 2020; and New Brunswick "aims to reduce income poverty in the province by 25 per cent and deep income poverty by 50 per cent by 2015."

These are notable commitments on the part of governments and time will show if they were effective in actually reducing poverty or not. Nevertheless, these commitments mean that social policy as it relates to poverty is becoming acceptable and seen not only as a way for governments to address the problem but also recognizes that social democracy may be the path to address a serious humanitarian problem that has plagued society for years. It also reveals the values that underlie a caring society and its search to care for those that find themselves trapped in a life with little opportunities available to them. Lets hope that other provinces and territories and the Federal government will join the group and make this a truly national commitment.

Poverty Reduction

There is considerably more attention being given to poverty reduction and elimination than was the case in the past by a broader constituency of the community. Poverty is now seen not just as a solution for those experiencing poverty but also as a means of promoting a strategy to make the whole community more prosperous and sustainable. The rhetoric has changed by including the word "social" when referring to the terms policy, sustainability and prosperity. Social sustainability, social prosperity and social policy have broadened the discussion and invites all sectors to become involved and part of the solution. It is vital that a dialogue take place between the private, public, and voluntary/non-profit sectors so that the connections can be made between social, economic and environmental interests.

In late 2007, all parties of the Nova Scotia Legislature passed Bill-94 which created a mechanism for a poverty reduction working group which made recommendations to the government in June 2008. The government responded with its own poverty reduction strategy in April 2009 titled: " Nova Scotia's Poverty Reduction Strategy: Preventing Poverty Promoting Prosperity". The strategy has four main goals to be achieved by 2020: To enable and reward work; improve supports for those in need; focus on our children; and collaborate and coordinate. A full-time coordinator was hired in October 2009 and a ministerial committee met to implement the strategy. In November the Deputy Minister of Community Services, the lead department for the strategy, appeared before the standing committee on community services to provide an up-date on the strategy and assured the committee that firm targets would be set by December 1st .

It would appear that the government is serious about tackling the problem of poverty. At least a mechanism has been created to help the process along. Funding also seems to be available to assist with the effort which is notable even as we are facing a sluggish economy. Two sources, bilateral agreements between the federal and provincial governments, will deliver significant funding over six years to bring marginalized groups and new entrants into the workforce.

Lets not fall into the trap of thinking that just providing a person with a job will eliminate poverty in our province. Many people with jobs are still living in poverty according to the common standards for measuring poverty. We need a broader focus when trying to eliminate or reduce poverty. Although a discussion on social policy with the broader community seems desirable, it remains to be seen if all the powerful self-interests can be addressed so that poverty is actually reduced or eliminated. We need to be optimistic and see this change in strategy as an opportunity. Lets ensure that poverty is addressed in a way that will be measurable and make life better for individuals and families and contribute to the prosperity and sustainability of the community.

It will be interesting to see what the "firm targets" are that have been promised by the formation of the ministerial committee to reduce and eventually eliminate poverty in Nova Scotia. Lets support the efforts of the committee and see what can be done.

The problem with agrofuels

Agrofuels, a form of biofuel, are produced from agricultural crops. They can replace fossil fuels to be used for energy to power cars and trucks as well as power to produce electricity. At one time agrofuels were considered the answer to the global energy shortage in the future. Already we have seen agriculture change from producing crops for food to large mono crops destined for conversion into fuel. This diversion from food crop production has had a noticeable effect on the security of the global food supply. Less food crops are transported to nations where food is in short supply and populations are starving.

Corporate agribusinesses are amassing large tracks of fertile land around the globe to construct mono crops of African palm oil, sugarcane, corn and soy. Huge masses of land are bought up or stolen from local farmers by industrial agribusiness companies to develop plantations. These huge mono plantations replace family agricultural which can grow a variety of sustainable crops like cotton, coffee, tobacco, potatoes, bananas and other fruit to sustain themselves and their community. Once lost to the agribusiness these communities are without a secure means to feed themselves. Furthermore, agribusiness is a threat to the environment as a result of deforestation and the use of chemicals used on the crops weakens local crops grown in the region due to the absorption of most of the groundwater.

What can we do? Much of the agribusiness is located in the global south where land is fertile and the local farmers are able to sustain themselves. Unfortunately, these farmers are no match to the large corporations that descend upon their county and force them out by offering cheap prices for their land or in extreme cases hiring "goons" to kick them off their land. The local farmers often do not have the protection of their governments who also profit form the agribusiness in their country.

Hunger and poverty can be reduced by giving priority to small scale farmers to produce food for local markets. Support our own local farmers and address the global food shortage by expressing your opinion to the Canadian government through your Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister. Ask you MP to at least support legislation that would sanction Canadian companies that engage in agriculture for the production of fuel.

Canada is planning to host the G8 conference in June 2010. Ask your government to pressure the G8 countries to increase their support for small scale sustainable agriculture in the global south.

The Blame Game

It appears that society is too quick to ascribe blame when things go wrong. Usually the people who submit to blaming others for problems look everywhere except themselves. If we only lived in a perfect world everything would be under our control. Unfortunately, this is not reality and there are many things out of the control of the authorities. Take for example the confusion about the vaccination program for the H1N1 virus. Was it realistic for the health authorities to expect that the whole country could be vaccinated all at once? In actual fact that was not the expectation and the authorities tried to make it clear that the program would need to take place over a period of time. Best estimates at the time for vaccine production were given and plans were created for what they thought would be an orderly program to get everyone vaccinated who wanted the vaccine. What they did not expect or had no control over was the uncertainty of supply, media hype and the need to frequently change instructions.

The media played an unwarranted role in reporting, sometimes in a very cynical manner, the confusion, changing instructions and short comings of the supply of the vaccine. For days and weeks the media would report the smallest glitch in a system that annually sees the normal flu take 4,000 lives each year, usually the lives of the elderly. As of October there have been 86 deaths attributed to H1N1 Canada wide. Why, with the relatively small number of deaths so far of H1N1, would the media continue to alarm the population? Granted, any death attributed to this flu strain is serious but it should not be used to create panic. This flu strain needs to be put in perspective so that the population can make an informed decision and react in a reasonable manner.

Another problem that the mass vaccination program is faced with is the change in supply of the vaccine. Many of the decisions regarding production and supply had to be made months in advance under very tight time frames. Apparently as time went on production switched to an unadjuvanted form of the vaccine leaving the adjuvanted vaccine in short supply and delaying the delivery of the vaccine to the non-vulnerable groups which is most of the population. Health authorities were concerned that groups like pregnant mothers and children between 6 months and 5 years might be at risk of complications pursuant to the latest research. Obviously health authorities wanted to be sure that these groups were not placed at unnecessary risk.

So why do the media and others engage in the blame game? Is it because it creates excitement and makes for high ratings and sells more newspapers? Lets not blame those who are entrusted to guard our health. Yes, they need to explain the situation as best they can but if you listen carefully you will notice that they usually qualify their statements and stipulate that as the situation changes new information will be passed on. Lets not forget that the health authorities are getting information continually from other parts of the world and from new research which is coming to their attention daily. Lets be more reasonable in our criticism, pay attention and follow their advice.

Why don't we all have adequate pensions?

One of the planks in Canada's brand of socialism recognizes the plight of old age and provides the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security as a right to its citizens when they reach old age. However, all Canadians do not have a pension plan. According to the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, about three quarters of Canadians in the private sector do not have a workplace pension. Government employees as well as employers in the private sector provide the CPP which has mandatory shared contributions and the pensions may be inadequate but it was meant to reduce poverty in old age when it was implemented over 40 years ago. Government and many private sector employers supplement the CPP with additional pensions for their employees but many do not leaving employees without a plan unless they have been able to put aside funds in an individual RRSP or some other investments. This subjects them to the uncertainty of the stock market leaving them vulnerable at a time when they may need their pension most.

Government pensions seem to be the most robust to weather the volatility of the market but relying on the CPP will not meet the original goal of the plan to eliminate poverty as we reach old age and by that time these people will be unable to support ourselves with paid work. This means that people who only have the CPP will need to put more aside during their working life time to supplement their pension safety net.

Pension advocates have proposed a second tier of national pension relief. One that would be robust enough to withstand changes in demographics and a volatile market. A supplementary pension plan that would ensure that the "pension gap" could be covered. However, details on this "second tier" pension are not clear yet. Would it be mandatory or voluntary? Could everyone afford it? How would it withstand demographic changes over time?

Lets have more discussion and ask government to be transparent in the discussions they are having on alleviating the pension gap.

RE-ORDERING PRIORITIES

(The following is an excerpt taken from a paper produced and made public by the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers - "Re-ordering Priorities: How the budget can address poverty in a meaningful way", Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers, September 2006)

The top priority for all levels of government in Canada should be the elimination of poverty, and that the national budget as a policy document embodying our values as a society should provide the means to this end. In the short run, efforts must be focused on alleviating the circumstances of poor and low income people. In the long run, though, what we should be aspiring to is a society in which everyone has sufficient means to live a fulfilling life, not excluded from the mainstream and able to take advantage of all of the benefits of our prosperous nation.

Policies directed towards reducing and eventually eliminating poverty represent a solid investment in our future. Social programs should have top priority, over-riding tax cuts which disproportionably benefit those who already are well off. Governments sometimes talk about the need for a program to be sustainable. By that they mean that it can continue to be funded over the long term. Obviously, that is important. But sustainability has another side to it which we ought not to forget. Is the current level of poverty sustainable? Are increasing levels of homelessness sustainable? At what cost? Until we acknowledge that our Canadian society cannot tolerate the inequity and injustice of poverty and we reach a collective decision to deploy our considerable national resources to address the issue in a meaningful way, then our country will not prosper.

It is not difficult to see how people get trapped in poverty, worn down by the constant effort to survive and unable to muster the resources necessary to move onwards. They must also deal with the stigma of poverty, a view espoused by some that the poor are somehow responsible for their plight. Such a punitive view does not take into account the structural mechanisms that render the poor powerless and leave them stranded because of an inadequate social program and the lack of political will to make meaningful changes.

Core Services: The Role of Government in Community Services, Education, Economic Development, Health Services, Justice and Transportation/Infrastructure:

Health, educational, social, and justice services, as well as the provision of economic development and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure systems are all core services. Although all of these core services are interrelated, experiences in the area of providing social services have shown that service provision in the areas of health, education, justice, economic development and social services are highly interconnected. Reductions in services in one of these areas negatively affect the quality of service provision in the other areas.

Core services are those that are essential to the welfare of the population. Health, education, justice and social services, as well as economic development and infrastructure development are all considered to be core services. However, services in the areas of health, social service, education, justice and economic development are all services that are associated, either directly or indirectly, with human need. Therefore, these services are not only considered to be core services, but due to the human need factor, require special consideration.

The majority of current social, health, and education services, as well as economic development initiatives must remain as government-provided services although some may be appropriate for the voluntary sector in community-based programs. The rationale behind this argument is that the private sector would not provide adequate social assistance, universal and high quality health services, or attract wealth-creating businesses to the province, as these programs conflict with the primarily profit-making interests of private enterprise. In addition, there are concerns about the private sector providing education, justice and social programs, as these services are associated with providing human needs to vulnerable individuals. As such, the possibility that the needs of these vulnerable individuals will be exploited for the profitable gains of the private sector. We need to be concerned about the affects of children's exposure to commercialism in a classroom setting, about inadequate levels of care for incarcerated individuals and about significant reductions in rates of social assistance which may result, if the private sector were permitted to procure the administration of these services.

Responsible fiscal management must begin with informed policy initiatives. In order to achieve an informed perspective, government must conduct focus group consultations with service-providers to collect information pertaining the types of services provided, and to identify perceived gaps in social service provision. Then, using the data derived from the focus groups, government should conduct a quantitative assessment of clients' service consumption patterns, and their level of satisfaction with, both government-provided and community-based social services in various communities. The results of such a survey would identify which social services the clients deem as absolutely necessary, isolate areas of service duplication and indicate areas where social services need to be restructured or provided by a community-based program. In short, a service consumption survey could result in identifying areas where greater efficiencies could be implemented, without reducing the quality or quantity of service provision to clients.

The initial steps in providing responsible fiscal management and accountable policy formation should involve the consultation and survey processes outlined above. After the data analysis of the service consumption survey, a discussion paper which summarizes the results, should be published and distributed to any interested members of the community, including service providers and service consumers. Then, another series of public consultations should be scheduled, so as to have interested members of the community discuss the survey's results and formulate recommendations. Upon evaluation of the recommendations collected at the second phase of public consultations, policy initiatives would then be formulated and publicized.

Is food aid enough?

Time may be running out for the one billion people who cannot find enough food to sustain themselves each day around the planet. Food programs operated by the United Nations and the many NGO's around the globe are only stopgap measures although they are necessary in the short term. The problem is that they are only a temporary measure and will never be able to meet the overall need.

Perhaps it is time to propose the idea of moving populations. In spite of all the programs that try to improve food production such as expensive irrigation systems, resistant seed production, and better fertilizers this will be unsuccessful in the end in certain areas of the planet. There are in areas around the globe that have unfavorable growth conditions yet millions of people live and try to sustain themselves there. The arid areas around the planet can be easily seen as well as the more fertile areas where there is enough moisture and fertile soil to grow food.

Maybe it is time to seriously think about how it might be possible to move large populations from arid areas to more fertile areas of the globe. Obviously mass relocation of populations poses huge logistical and cultural disruption but in the end people need to feel that they are able to sustain themselves.

Can we feed everyone?

A real concern that everyone on the planet should be thinking about is the ability of the planet to continue to feed all its people. According to statistics one in six people in the world's poorest countries cannot access enough food and go hungry every day. That's one billion people that cannot get enough food to lead healthy lives. Changing weather patterns interfere with food production after floods, drought, and earthquakes making it impossible for the growing of food crops which must depend on a fragile and unpredictable growing season.

The full weight of these problems are not the priority of rich nations. Even though some attempt is made by the world media to bring this to our attention, it is usually done to show the misery without a full explanation of the problem or suggesting possible solutions. Do rich nations simply watch what is happening or can they forget their differences and join together to fight the changes in climate that are about to be unleashed? Is any progress being made to address the changes in climate and improve food production where mass poverty exists?

The latest attempt of world leaders at the Copenhagen climate change talks in December will signal any concrete willingness to address global food production in a serious way. Lets see what they can agree to do about world food security.