Blessed are the poor

There are many definitions of the word “poverty”. According to wikipedia, poverty is a description of material need, typically including the necessities of daily living (food, clothing, shelter, and health care). Poverty in this sense may be understood as a condition in which a person or community is deprived of, and or lacks the essentials for a minimum standard of well-being and life. Others defined poverty not by poor people themselves but by the most powerful global leaders who have the so called “influence” – the G8, financial institutions, the corporate world and others. It means the physical abundance which can be expressed in monetary terms.

The World Bank initiated a project called, “Voices of the Poor” where voices of more than 60,000 poor women and men from 60 countries have been collected through feedback. The poor themselves have given the opportunity to define poverty in their own experience. It is interesting to know that they may have experienced the bitterness of poverty but money for a poor older woman in Ethiopia does not have value without love. In her own words, “A better life for me is to be healthy, peaceful and live in love without hunger. Love is more than anything. Money has no value in the absence of love.” This is no longer about income but on good life and wellbeing. It’s about peace of mind, good health and sense of belongingness. Poverty correlates illbeing which does not only mean lack of money but it also means lack of work, living and working in a unhealthy, polluted and risky environments.

In Global Issues, the world’s poverty is nearly three billion people who live on less than 2 dollars a day (less than P100.00 a day). The wealth of three richest people combined can be more than the gross domestic product of the 48 poorest nations. We are fortunate that we are given the opportunity to read and write blogs while nearly a billion people entered the 21st century do not know how to read a book or even sign their names.

World leaders gathered to discuss and come up with comprehensive plan to fight against poverty. In 2002, there was a World Summit for Sustainable Development where public sector, civil society, businesses, and other key actors have united in the global fight against poverty. In Europe, the European Union’s objectives and growth include the program on how to fight against poverty. Middle East and North America (MENA) countries agree that rapid economic expansion remains the most powerful instrument to reduce poverty while effective social safety nets, flexible employment policies, and investments in education and health are secondary to rapid growth. ASEAN has strategic plans to reduce poverty within member countries. In the Philippines, A Philippine Microfinance Project was cited as one of the programs of the Philippine government which is an effective weapon against poverty. Poverty alleviation has been a major goal of the Philippine government. President Arroyo in her part said, “the country’s declining foreign debt is part of her administration’s efforts of “clearing up the mess of the past” to ensure a stronger fight against poverty.” The country’s outstanding external debt dropped by 1.5% to $53.4 billion in 2006 from $819 billion in 2005 as a result of the strengthening of the peso against the US dollar which led to net principal repayments. In President’s speech on declining foreign debt, she said, “although we cannot blame the past but we can surely help the poor by helping the government – by keeping politics in the sidelines, fix up the fiscal house, shore up investment and growth and bring the productivity and excellence of the Filipino to the forefront.”

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