On 8 October 2004 UK Coalition Against Poverty held its
first annual conference to discuss projects which were
working in participation with decision or policy making
organisations and also what work was being done to put
Income Adequacy at the heart of Government policies. We
held the meeting on 8 October as part of the activities
for 17 October UN Eradication of Poverty decade and as
such Eileen Devaney, National Coordinator of UKCAP gave
a brief talk on the meaning of 17 October and looked at
what work had been done since the agreement on 1995. Her
discussion contained some of the following points:
On 12 March 1995 the United Kingdom joined 132 other
countries in signing the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme
of Action arising out of the UK World Summit for Social
Development. The agreement contained not only important
principles, but also concrete steps towards the eradication
of poverty that each government committed itself to pursuing.
The most important was the commitment to a National Poverty
Eradication Plan and to full consultation with people
experiencing poverty. 1996 was declared the International
Year for the Eradication of Poverty and 1997-2006 the
first UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.
October 17 is commemorated each year as the International
Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and this conference
was held on the 8 October 2004, as one of the many activities
set up by anti poverty organisations within the UK and
internationally, to commemorate and evaluate the work
being done to eradicate poverty.
The UK Government set up its own commitments at the UN
Social Summit in 1995 and they are;
Creating an economic, political, social, cultural
and legal environment that will enable people to achieve
social development. Eradicating poverty in the world through decisive
national actions and international cooperation, as an
ethical, social, political and economic imperative of
humankind. Promoting the goal of full employment as a basic priority
of our economic and social policies, and enabling all
men and women to attain secure and sustainable livelihoods
through freely chosen productive employment and work. Promoting social integration by fostering societies
that are stable, and just and that are based on the
promotion and protection of all human rights, as well
as on non-discrimination, tolerance, respect for diversity,
equality of opportunity, solidarity, security, and participation
of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable
groups and persons.
The conference set out to discuss these four commitments,
participation of people living in poverty, how they are
working with the “decision makers”, and different
approaches to achieving income adequacy. Four projects
in each of the nations of the UK – Scotland, England,
Northern Ireland and Wales, presented participation showcases
where grass roots members are engaging with policy makers,
working to effect positive change in their lives. Robin
Tennant from the Poverty Alliance presented the work of
the Scottish Communities Against Poverty Network. Mark
Waters presented a showcase of the work of the Community
Pride Initiative in Participatory Budgeting. Frances Dowds
presented the work of the Northern Ireland Anti Poverty
Network. Collette Watkins showcased the work of the Gellideg
Foundation in Wales.
The intention of this conference was not to analyse the
impact, success or otherwise of these commitments. Rather,
the purpose was to look at the work anti poverty organisations
have been involved with regarding the eradication of poverty
what has been done, by working in participation with government,
in achieving those goals.
By taking each goal individually the following points
were discussed;
“Creating an economic, political, social environment…..”
Through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty,
which Ernie Ross MP chairs and Social Policy Task Force,
which Katherine Duffy chairs, an environment for participation
has been achieved. Many people living in poverty have
participated in the APPGP in questioning Ministers, and
in persuading Ministers that anti poverty policy can only
be effective if drafted in consultation with the people
it affects.
The Social Policy Task Force is another example of how
participation has helped create an environment that will
enable people to achieve social development. The SPTF
was formed by members of the European Anti Poverty Networks
in the UK and officers in Brussels. They then set up The
Participation Working Group, and with the Department of
Work and Pensions have enabled greater involvement of
people living in poverty to input into the National Action
Plan on Social Exclusion.
The work of the APPGP and the SPTF is ongoing and both
Katherine Duffy and Ernie Ross made presentations about
these.
The second commitment, “eradicating poverty in the
world”.
We have global poverty on a massive scale. The eradication
of poverty is a wonderfully aspirational goal, but to
try to achieve that, focus needs to be targeted on the
causes of poverty and social exclusion. There needs to
be work and action on routes out of poverty and social
exclusion. By presenting a more positive approach to tackling
exclusion and provide an opportunity to bring together
“what works” in relation to policy and practice
may also break down stigmatisation.
The third commitment of “promoting the goal of full
employment…”
The proposition being put by the Government that work
is the way out of poverty, sound sensible and reasonable,
however it is not so easy. Provision of childcare is improving;
the tax credit system has also helped a great deal of
people, not only to enable them to work, but to help increase
their disposable incomes. However, persistent poverty
is still prevalent in the UK. There are still those in
the most vulnerable groups, those where there is an intergenerational
history of unemployment, low incomes and low educational
attainment, such as young people with parents out of work.
Such problems are compounded in a number of Black and
Minority Ethnic groups, particularly those where English
in not the first language and amongst refugee communities.
We all believe that joint working in participation with
those in need or looking for work could be so much more
successful in enabling full employment.
The fourth commitment,“promoting social integration
by fostering societies that are stable…..and participation
of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable
groups and persons”.
This is a goal held by all and is why the conference
took place. It is why all those who took part or supported
it believe their work is so vital.
However, the gap in inequality is growing, many of the
vulnerable groups are being left out of taking part in
society in general. Social mobility in the UK is almost
at a standstill. Inequalities in health and the relationship
between poverty and ill health are striking. The dependence
on the consumer society and the peer pressure on people,
particularly young people, are phenomenal and causing
great rifts in society.
That is why UKCAP and its partners are working for Income
Adequacy to be at the heart of Government policy. An adequate
income for all households is difficult to define. Each
household’s needs are different from the next. Work
is A way out of poverty, not the way and is certainly
not the only route to eradicating poverty. To evaluate
income adequacy needs careful consultation with people
living in poverty. It needs to take in dignity, security,
equality, social justice, access to consumer society,
and not just look at the pound in the pocket. Although
that’s important!
An adequate income would enable people to move from the
poverty trap and into participating in society as a whole.
An adequate income would enable all people to give to
as well as receive from society in a fairer, more equitable
way. Income adequacy for all households would bring those
weighty words in the four commitments of the UK Government
to life.
There are no easy answers and clearly much work has to
be done. This conference was one small step in discussing
the issue of poverty in 21st Century UK. The discussions
have started, the talk is ongoing, and those living in
poverty, together with those who control the solutions,
must implement the actions.
|
