Postings from the front line

Hey Adam

I'm not sure that poverty of thought is only an issue for the wealthy west.

Oxfam's definition of poverty has long been about poverty not simply being about a lack of material wealth - but also fundamentally being about a state of powerlessness

Poverty of thought is a key component of powerlessness. And ensuring people, in the west and in places of great material want have access to opportunities to overcome poverty of thought is crucial.

The recent book 'From Poverty to Power' talks about those linkages - how individuals need to be empowered to overcome their oppression and to claim the changes, be they material or social, that lift them out of all poverty. Duncan Green, the author, introduce it here www.youtube.com/watch and more info is available at www.oxfam.org/.../from_poverty_to_power

My point here is not to say that the issues are exactly the same between developed and developing world - but is to say that (as I'm sure Paulo Friere and others would concur) that dissempowerment across the world often has similar roots in educational oppression and need.

Poverty of thought is very relevant in the third world - in fact I'm tempted to say they're even more aware of it than we are in the UK, or at least more concerned with the need to value education and opportunities to get on in life.

A 'poverty' that does need addressing in the UK is a 'poverty of responsibility' - there are far too many who are unwilling to attempt to determine their own life and take advantage of the opportunities they are very fortunate to have (no matter how poor).

That isn't to dispute that many need a bit of extra support to do that - but at the same time the 'blame it on the Government' attitude is one that needs challenging.

Recent research by the Institute of Education found that the aspiration of children and young people was correlated to the aspirations of their parents, with those from socio-economically disadvantaged groups tending to have lower aspirations.

They also found that aspiration tends to lead to better outcomes (although they noted significant exceptions to this).

futureopine.blogspot.com/.../determinants-of-aspirations.html

KEEP THE PROMISE EVENT – London 4th October 2008

The biggest-ever event to end child poverty

Today, 1 in 3 children in the UK lives in poverty despite living in the fifth wealthiest country in the world. This is outrageous. Unfortunately whilst the government has promised to end child poverty by 2020, they are in danger of missing their targets. We are calling on the government to Keep the Promise and invest £3 billion in tax credits and seasonal benefits to halve child poverty in the UK by 2010 so that they will be back on course to end it by 2020.

The Keep the Promise event plans to be a great day with inspiring speakers, family fun and much more in Trafalgar Square throughout the afternoon.

Keep the Promise - where and when?

- 11.30am assemble on Milbank, near Lambeth Bridge

- 12.30pm march through Westminster to Trafalgar Square

- 2pm an afternoon of family fun and speakers in Trafalgar Square.

The event is being organised by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of more than 120 charities, trade unions, faith groups and other organisations all working towards the same goal.

But we need as many people as possible to come and join us! Public pressure is the greatest way to convince the government and make the change.

For more information visit: www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/keepthepromiseevent