POVERTY IN AUSTRALIA By Amber Goodwin and Shannon Brown

10.5

Social Justice Issues

The movie, Mississippi Burning, raises awareness of various social justice issues including:

• Poverty• Racism• Abuse• Abuse against women

Poverty: The Facts & Figures

• Poverty is the state of being extremely poor.• People who are poor, can be immediately

plunged into poverty if they experience a death in the family, illness, car breakdown or even a broken appliance.

• 17.6% of Indigenous Australians are unemployed and close to poverty, compared with 7.3% of other Australians.

• In 2000, 1 in 8 in Australians were living in poverty, a rise of 2.7% since 1990. The percentage of children had risen by 0.6%

• Between 2000 and 2005, there was an increase of 13% of private donations toward poverty and a 6.5% in government donation.

Children are vulnerable and dependant, and the effects and impacts of poverty can so easily stultify and distort their future lives by robbing them of opportunities to develop their potential.

- McClelland 2000

Out of Australia’s 800 000 low paid working households:

• 30 000 go without meals• 30 000 can’t afford heating• 41 000 sell or pawn things• 284 000 have no holiday• 115 000 have second hand clothes• 22 000 seek help from welfare or community

groups.

- ABS figures.

Health.Because of low income, a nutritious, healthy and filling diet is often hard to maintain. Death rates, incidences of chronic illness and rates of mental illness are highest for those living in poverty. Poor health can also be a cause of poverty. Medical bills and a loss of income for any sick leave can put you closer and closer to poverty.

Poverty is hunger, loneliness, nowhere to go when the day is over, deprivation, discrimination, abuse, and illiteracy.

- Single mother from Guyana

The Catholic View on Poverty

The Catholic Teachings about poverty is all about the responsibilities of the rich and the needs of the poor. They teach that to become closer to God, the rich must share with the poor. No one has anymore power over anyone else and we are all equal.

What is the Church Doing?

To help overcome and reduce the rates poverty, the Church runs many charity events:

• Fundraising• Clothing/Donation Bins• Collecting money• Organizing Christmas hampers

The joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of women and men of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted in anyway, these are the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the followers of Jesus Christ.

-The Church in the Modern World, #1

The Australian Government on Poverty

• Although poverty isn’t as progressed in Australia as some third world countries, the government has started to see poverty levels rising and the effect it has on communities and families.

• In 2000, Prime Minister at the time, John Howard, attended the Millenium Summit with 190 other United Nation Member Nations, to declare a global fight against poverty. A set of goals were established and aimed to be completed by 2015. These include:

• Halve poverty and hunger• Ensure basic education for all children and

equal educational rights for all women.• Reduce child mortality by two thirds• Reduce maternal mortality by three quarters• Stop and reverse the spread of HIV, AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria• Ensure environmental sustainabilty.

The Global fight against poverty.

In the last few years, the Australian Government has become more generous to poverty, in Australia and also internationally.

• We have an increased aid budget,• They have contributed to debt relief,• Argued for fairer trade,• Responded immediately to Indian Ocean Tsunami

Relief effort• And helped develop peace in Timor and the Solomon

Islands.

Social Security

The social security system (income support) was established to provide income assistance from the government for those who can’t meet their own needs. But the current payments seem too low, being 20 – 30% below the basic need. They can’t cover all expenses needed in a life, like, housing, transport, utilities and even food.

Holy Spirit

As a school, Holy Spirit, we initiate various fundraisers to help our surrounding community. This includes raising money from casual clothes days etc. At the end of each year, towards Christmas time, each homeroom brings in money and clothes and we donate Christmas hampers to St Vincent De Paul Society to help the less fortunate.

From Year 7 to Year 12, all students at Holy Spirit College study Catholic Studies and Religion. The teachers at our school teach us the Catholic way of life and to consider every one in our world as equal. W are taught to share what we have and give to the less fortunate.

Our Views on Poverty

As a group, Amber and I believe that the increasing rate of poverty is absolutely ridiculous. For such a wealthy nation to have 1 in 8 children living in poverty is devastating. Everyone is equal and we all deserve respect, love, food and a place to go every night.

Those of us lucky enough to take holidays, have expensive clothes and take part in extracurricular activities should all be sharing with those of us who are disadvantaged. If we were in their position we would expect the same and we should be sharing our wealth. As a nation, the Australian Government and public need to be doing more to combat an appalling issue.

Thanks for watching our

Presentation Together, LETS MAKE POVERTY HISTORY!