Eradicating world poverty: It is possible

John
Calwell High School
Australia

For many in the developed world it may be hard to believe that millions of children still live without the comforts we enjoy. Many children live in abject poverty, without homes, without food and even without a family. Many also live in fear of persecution or violence. Despite the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child being the most highly endorsed treaty in the world, many of the Convention's objectives are not met. The reality is that many children around the world are still deprived of the rights codified in the Convention. This is a problem that must be tackled without hesitation. There are a number of options open to us in order to address this issue. This paper will discuss how we can change the lives of disadvantaged children. In this paper I would also like to share with you what our school is doing and invite you to join us in our plan to eradicate child poverty.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has been adopted by all but two countries, making it the most endorsed treaty in the world. It articulates the rights of children, including freedom from discrimination in any form: article 2 states that children must be treated 'without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of […] race, colour, sex, language, religion […] or other status.' The Convention also urges governments to protect the child's right to a family: articles 5 and 18 specify that State signatories must 'respect the […] rights and duties of parents [and recognises that] both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing […] of the child'. Where that is not possible, articles 20 and 21 specify the right to appropriate alternative care: the State shall 'ensure alternative care […for] a child […] deprived of his or her family environment […according to] the best interests of the child'. Article 24 also demands that the highest possible quality of health care be afforded to the child: all children have the right to 'the highest attainable standard of health […including access to] primary health care […] nutritious foods and clean drinking-water.' However, the fact that almost every country in the world endorses this treaty does not necessarily mean that the articles of the Convention are actually followed.

The reality is that many of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child are not met. Many live in destitution or are exploited at work. According to part of UNESCO's website, which is entitled 'Programme for the Education of Children in Difficult Circumstances', over 100 million children live in poverty and distress. These children are almost invariably treated with indifference by governments and civil authorities (UNESCO, 2006). These children have little or no education, meaning that they are kept in a cycle of menial jobs and poverty that is perpetuated by ignorance. Education is an inherent right of every child, but there are millions of children who are deprived of education. Although, according to article 24 of the Convention, every child is guaranteed 'the highest attainable standard of health', many are exposed to diseases through unsanitary living conditions.

There are several ways in which we can address this problem. There must be greater awareness among residents in developed countries of the plight of disadvantaged children. In addition, there must be action on the ground in affected countries and more funds allocated to foreign aid by rich countries. However, this money must not be wasted. In the past, money allocated to relief efforts in poor countries has often been siphoned into the private funds of corrupt leaders. Instead of giving money to the people at the top of a country and leaving them to distribute it, money should be invested at the ground level, directly to the people who need it. Moreover, this money cannot simply be given to them; you can't throw money at a problem and hope for it to go away. This money should be invested in a way that encourages the recipients to earn money for themselves. Henry Ford once said: 'It's very easy to give money away, but it's very hard to earn money.' One example of encouraging the disadvantaged to be independent can be found in the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner's movement in Bangladesh. Professor Yunus, through the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, has given out loans to people too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans, so that they can begin their own enterprises and pay the money back. Instead of giving the money away, Professor Yunus has encouraged the poor to earn money for themselves through small investments and loans.

At Calwell High School, we hope to be able to follow this dynamic form of charity. Presently, we are raising funds to invest in street children in Kolkata, India. At the moment, our chief form of fundraising has been through the sale of greeting cards and posters that have been designed by the Digital Photography and Design class students using techniques taught to us in class. This year we also hope to expand our range of fundraising methods to involve more students in the school.

We believe that this initiative should expand throughout our school and other local and interstate schools. We are in the process of consulting with the Mathematics faculty about the possibility of incorporating a new unit of study into the curriculum. Working with the money raised, students would create budgets for the street children. This budget would include money for education, health care and investments for the street children to start their own enterprises and ensure they can earn money for themselves. We hope that this program, titled 'Children Helping Children', can become a holistic part of school life.

However, we do not wish our dream to end there. It is hoped that other schools will join us in our program. It may not seem like a lot of change is happening when only a few people are helped, but it is making a huge difference. It is not great words by world leaders, but interaction between ordinary people that will determine the future of the human race. If everybody helped someone else, nobody would stand alone.

Should you wish to learn more, or to join our movement, 'Children Helping Children', please write to our teacher at paramita.roy@ed.act.edu.au.

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