Changing Landscapes - China's Moving Population

© Compassion for Migrant Children

BEIJING ⏐ SHANGHAI

Changing Landscapes Trends and Their Effect on Society TodayChina’s Moving Population



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China’s MigrantsOverview and Trends 2010 BEIJING ⏐ SHANGHAI

The Global ContextHow are we a part of a larger phenomenon?



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IntroductionCompassion for Migrant Children BEIJING ⏐ SHANGHAI

Source: UN-‐HABITAT

One in six people worldwide live in slum

dwellings.

By 2020 it will be one in three.



China’s MigrantsOverview and Trends 2010

The Third World cities and their slums grew quickly in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Global Context of the Migrant Slum Issue

Source: Planet of Slums, page 50-‐51



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The Global Context of the Migrant Slum Issue

Source: Slum dwellers estimates country level, Gora Mboup, Senior Demographic and Health Expert, GUO

10

Developed countries

5%

Asia60%

Distribution of slum dwellers by region

Sub-Saharan Africa18%Latin-America &

Carribean15 %

The Targets:Distribution of 100 million slum dwellers targeted for improvement by 2020

Slum Per Cent of Population World's(thousands) Slum Dwellers

WORLD 100,000 100.0%

Developed regions 5,852 5.9%

Europe 3,578 3.6%Other 2,273 2.3%

Developing regions 94,148 94.1%

Northern Africa 2,311 2.3%Sub-Saharan Africa 17,988 18.0%Latin America and the Caribbean 13,806 13.8%Eastern Asia 20,977 21.0%South-central Asia 28,394 28.4%South-eastern Asia 6,145 6.1%Western Asia 4,473 4.5%Oceania 54 0.1%





China’s cities are developing at an unprecedented rate

Between 2000 and 2030, the urban areas of the developing countries will absorb 95 percent of world’s population growth. Excessive levels of urbanization in relation to the economic growth have resulted in high levels of urban poverty and rapid expansion of unplanned urban settlements and slums, which are characterized by a lack of basic infrastructure and services, overcrowding and substandard housing conditions. Slums have wide adverse impacts on people and the society.UN-‐HABITAT




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The China ContextWhat is China’s story?




0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1990 2000 2015

50%

36%26%

50%

64%74%

Population Shift: From Rural to Urban

Rural Urban




25million migrant children in China


250million migrants




Overview


Massive migration in China from the poor countryside to the burgeoning cities is unprecedented in human history

More migrants are coming every day to seek a better life for their children

China’s thriving economy is built on the backs of migrant workers

Beijing is home to 5 million migrant workers and 500,000 migrant children Xinhua, 2007; Global Envision, 2007




While China’s development is offering tremendous opportunities to those from its countryside, it also presents new challenges and uncertainties to those who choose to take the risk of moving their families to the urban centers. Migration to cities could prove to be a great blessing or a great threat to China’s surge towards a harmonious society.

Overview





5 Issues...Through the Lives of

5 Migrants



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ISSUE EDUCATIONName Unknown, Shanghai

65% of migrant teachers have never taught before which leads to poor quality of education. Most migrant children

attend unlicensed private schools because they can’t access public schools.

65%



14

ISSUE HEALTHZhao Chun, Beijing

Not only do internal migrants face greater occupational hazards, but more than 80 percent lack

health insurance.

80%



15

ISSUE EMPLOYMENTZai Yang, Beijing

In 2009, one in five migrant workers could not find work or had been laid off, a situation which has the

potential to lead to great social unrest.

1 in 5



16

ISSUE HOUSINGJin Rei, Beijing

In Shanghai, migrant workers occupy an average of less than seven square meters per person and, in extreme cases, only

two square meters.

7 m2



17

ISSUE SOCIAL EXCLUSIONUnknown Name, Beijing

In a recent survey, only 63 percent of migrant children believed they were a useful person and only about 70

percent of migrant children felt happy about their lives.

63%




These combined factors are creating a situation which is unsustainable in the long run and need to be addressed by the government, the public, and non-‐governmental organizations if there is to be a China in which basic rights are equally extended to each of its citizens.

Overview





500,000,000 billion+

Half a billion more from the countryside seen going urban in the next 30 years in China. There are already 250 million migrants in the cities.

Source: http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-‐02/507860.html

The rapidly converging forces of soon-‐to-‐be a half billion migrants, 58 million left-‐behind children, the one child policy, and competition for resources is creating an environment that is exciting but fraught with challenges that call for bold, consistent, and effective responses.

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-02/507860.html

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-02/507860.html




Source: McKinsey

By 2030, 15% of the world’s

population will have moved from the countryside to the urban areas and most of this within the borders of China




1949Initially the 1949 Chinese Revolution opened city gates to returning refugees and job-‐hungry peasant ex-‐soldiers. The result was an uncontrolled inundation of the cities: some 14 million people arrived in just four years.

1953Finally, in 1953 the new regime dammed the rural flood with stringent controls over internal migration. Maoism simultaneously privileged the urban proletariat -‐ beneficiaries of the iron rice bowl and cradle-‐to-‐grave welfare -‐ and tightly constrained urban population growth through the adoption of a household registration system (hukou) that tied social citizenship to sedentary membership in a work unit. Most urban shantytowns were abolished by 1960.

1960sIn the early 1960s, huge numbers of unregistered urban immigrants -‐ some estimates are as high as 50 million -‐ were deported back to their villages.

1980sThe Chinese state alone in the developing world during the 1980s and 1990s managed to construct vast quantities of decent mass housing, called the “unsung revolution”. Even so, it fell far short of the needs of tens of millions of peasants moving to the cities.

China’s Historical Context

Source: Planet of Slums, page 53, 54, 62





Because they fill the existing labor gaps, migrant workers often find jobs referred to as the “three Ds” jobs: dirty, dangerous, or degrading

Overview

three Ds





Inevitably, their children are the ones who pay the highest price. With no support network in the new city and parents working long hours every day, they are at risk of becoming the “forgotten” children of China. As a result of China’s unique registration system (hukou), which ties each citizen to their place of birth, these children often end up on the fringes of society.

Overview




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The China ContextWhat is China’s story?




Incentives to Migrate


Better Employment Opportunities (increased agricultural productivity led to labor surplus in the country side)

Higher Wages (a large differential in living standards)

Increased Mobility in the 1980s

The future of their children




• The hukou system still ties migrant workers to their original rural residence and excludes them from

health care, education, and social security, among other social services in the cities; think of it as a

social security card that can only be used in your birthplace

• Limited political participation and collective action

• Weak legal protection

• Poor access to housing

• Largely excluded from accessing public education

• Social discrimination and cultural exclusion – majority of urban dwellers consider migrants to be

socially and culturally inferior (“meiyou wenhua”)

• The cheap labor of the migrant workers is welcomed, but their accompanying presence is not

• Little resources to live as an equal to the urban dwellers

Obstacles to Integration





• Despite the de facto second-‐tier citizenship, migrant workers continue to flow into the cities in

search of better economic opportunities . Despite the low quality of the working conditions, they

are often able to send much more money home than if they had remained to work their lands.

• Interestingly enough, we have found that there are several social class distinctions even within the

migrant community itself. Those who are migrant entrepreneurs feel little in common with small

traders, migrant wage workers, and those at the bottom who collect the trash and sweep the

streets. (Li Zhang, 2001) This lends to the building of a societal framework even within these ad-‐

hoc communities.

Influx of Migrants Continues





• Has been many years ago that the majority migrant was a construction or factory worker. The

majority migrant now works in the service industry.

• The service industry has quickly grown out of reaction to the quickly burgeoning middle class in

China, which needs more mechanics for their more cars, more ayis to clean their homes, more

waitresses to serve them during their increased restaurant visits.

• For this reason, we don’t see migration slowing, even if the manufacturing and construction sectors

decrease in coming years.

The Service Sector





• Most laws relating to migrants are “grey laws”

• Public Security Bureau is appointed as lead agency on migrants; the “criminal” mentality

• 1996 and 2006 education reforms

• The education laws have had limited effect on urban governments but did cause an increase of

children leaving their parents after elementary or middle school to return to their hometowns for

“free” enrollment

• Opened up legal center in 2005 to assist migrant construction workers to obtain non-‐paid wages;

halved the amount of non-‐paid wages within one year

• Much lip service but change can’t be too far behind if “harmonious society” to be held together

• Government generally moving in the right direction

Government/Policy Landscape





• Migrants stabilizing in their cities

• Future migration likely to largely take place in tier 2-‐4 cities

• Increase of migrants in the service industry rather than the manufacturing industry (due to

burgeoning middle class)

• Government toying with education reforms in Shanghai (and toying a wee bit with hukou reform as

well)

• Strong entrepreneurial spirit still thriving

A Few Key Trends





• China government simply attempting to quietly learn how to manage; allowing NGOs to play a

role, though on a leash

• China is increasingly moving in the direction of the rule of law

• NGOs playing an increasingly important role, particularly Chinese NGOs; a genuine shift in

government stance on registration of social entities, either local or foreign (kept off balance) may

actually happen within 2 years

• Chinese media is an increasingly powerful force (ex: crackdown of summer 2006)

• Believe we will see migrants “gently” organizing themselves in “soft” groups to represent their

interests

• Education reform will likely happen (could be catch 22 for govt)

• Economic patterns show that people flow to emerging markets and naturally become a part of the

growth themselves; might be painful initially but China should not be afraid

The Next 10 Years?





• The PSB recently re-‐confirmed to oversee migrants registration for next years to come so no big

change here

• We believe leverage points will come in public opinion (informed by a more direct media), the

ability of migrants to form informal groups, and three-‐way collaborative initiatives between the

nonprofit, business, and government sectors which will serve to inform and catalyze stronger

government programs

• We believe we will see increasingly assertive and effective government initiatives on behalf of the

migrants

• Overall trend still uncertain, but moving in a positive direction

• Shifts are in the migrant’s favor

• Hopefully in 10 years, there will be no need for us to meet together about this particular issue:)

• What will this take?

The Next 10 Years?





Our vision will not be fully realized in this generation but hopefully, we can give this

generation a foothold in society so that their children can be born into a world where they don’t have to question whether they are second-‐class citizens but are able to access the best Chinese

society has to offer.



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ResourcesReach out for more



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Source: View on www.mrn-‐china.org

Living in the Shadows: China's Internal Migrants

http://www.mrn-china.org




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Source: ChinaSource

China Source White Paper on Migrants


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Migrant Resource Network Websitewww.mrn-‐china.org

Useful Websites


December 18 Websitewww.dec18.org

Compassion for Migrant Childrenwww.cmc-‐china.org









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A ResponseWhere to now?




So knowing this, do we have any responsibility? If so, what could we do?




Possible Responses


Community Centers

Clean Water

Vocational Training

After School Programs

The Arts

Confidence Building

Serving Sex Workers

Etc




Compassion for Migrant Children (CMC) strategically builds community centers in the heart of migrant neighborhoods and provides services to over 2,800 migrant children and their family each week through an assets-‐based approach. A comprehensive system of integrated service include education (after school programs, teacher training), life-‐vocational skills training, personal development, and health. CMC is a registered nonprofit organization.

Compassion for Migrant Children

we believe in a future and a hope for every migrant child





CMC Community Centers





One Possible Solution:Shipping Container Community Centers





In efforts to address these key issues and challenges faced by migrant children and communities, Compassion for Migrant Children (CMC) conducts programs at our community centers that focus on education, life and vocational skills training, and personal development. In 2010, CMC looks forward to expanding our personal development initiatives and health education workshops. CMC’s core programs (After School Program, Teacher Training, and Life-‐Vocational Skills Training) address problems of low self-‐esteem, substandard education, and gaps that exist in the educational infrastructure of migrant schools. Our increasing focus on personal development will address issues of low self-‐esteem and provide parenting workshops while our upcoming health initiatives will concentrate on health awareness and education.

In addition, the overall structure of CMC’s community centers provide a safe and welcoming place for migrants and their families, free from the stigma and marginalization they often otherwise face in society. In the midst of this fractured and disenfranchised section of society, our centers offer a sense of stability, ownership, and community. The centers have become platforms of cohesion, collaboration, and creativity as migrant children, parents, and teachers come together to move towards places of greater hope.

The Problems Being Addressed




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Economic TrendsChris Turner




•China and the WTO trends -‐ now ten years in

•The RMB exchange rate revaluation (which now happened)

•The hallowed 8% of GDP each year and how this ensures

"stability”

•Affects on labor and trends in salaries for migrant workers -‐

displacement (again) and replacement flows of migrants

because of economic financial flows

The Economy




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Q & A

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Changing Landscapes - China's Moving Population