EQUALITY

What is the relationship between public services and social rights?

• Social rights are socio-economic human rights, such as the right to education, right to adequate standard of living, etc.

• A public service is a service which is provided by government to people living within its jurisdiction, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing provision of services.

• Both rights exist to make the human life easier and hopeful. These two rights are in charge of the governments.

What are the consequences of the violation of social rights?

A violation of economic, social and cultural rights occurs when a State fails in its obligations to ensure that they are enjoyed without discrimination or in its obligation to respect, protect and fulfill them. Often a violation of one of the rights is linked to a violation of other rights.

A few examples of violations of economic, social and cultural rights include:

• Forcibly evicting people from their homes (the right to adequate housing)

• Contaminating water, for example, with waste from State-owned facilities (the right to health)

• Failure to ensure a minimum wage sufficient for a decent living (rights at work)

Why do austery polices have the opposite effect than expected?

An essential part of public policies is preventing and stop problems when they

have just started. If we don’t prevent or do “first aid treatment” to big problems they

become huge problems.

EXAMPLES• If an inmigrant has not the choice to be cured

of a cold, this cold can be become a neumonía which is much expensive to be cured.

• If a child with difficulties is not given the right educational attention, he may become a criminal or beggar and in the future the state will have to look after him, instead of getting his taxes as a cualified worker.

What does ´´investing in public services represents reducing

inequality´´ mean?If we do not give all citizens the same opportunities of accessing public services, many people can be:

More unhealthy Less qualified Less productiveAnd above all, less Happy and less Equal

than their fellocitizens.

Why does the privatization of services affect the most

volnerable people?

• Because not all people have money to pay social security,or haven´t money to pay to social workers.