Very often, our fast and modern lifestyle leaves us precious little time to slow down and reflect on the many realities that surround us. Seldom do we want to stop and think about the essence of life and the meaning of it all. In the mad rush to fulfil our aspirations and achieve our targets, we forget that this self-fulfilling rat race creates its own collateral damage. One such scar in a society must surely be poverty! In these last few days poverty is back on the top of the agenda, probably stoked by the fact that the EU has decided to dedicate this year as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Initially, one tends to interpret poverty as an exclusively-economic issue - lack of money and the dearth of material essentials paint the classic image of the poor. Thankfully, the Dickensian vision of abject poverty and begging on the streets are a thing of the past in our "Western" democratic world. Yet, when we scratch the surface we must accept that poverty still exists. Undoubtedly, we have done our best to sanitise it and, where possible, even hide it. Yet, statistics and numbers confirm that, despite our best intentions, poverty persists in sectors and pockets of our society that remain susceptible to living conditions below the average adequate mean.
Over the years, it has become apparent that the economic and social evaluation of poverty has changed dramatically. We now euphemistically talk of the "poverty line" or relative poverty. Poverty is no longer simply the inability to afford things. Rightly so, social inadequacy, aspects of health, education, housing, drug abuse and domestic violence have become essential parts of this complex jigsaw.
The post-war era has been termed the age of prosperity. Barring a few hitches, the standard of living of millions of Europeans has gradually and dramatically improved. This period has not only been marked by economic well-being and medical advancement beyond our wildest dreams but it has also been a time of relative peace.
All this has transformed our perspective on government, abundantly heightened our expectations both social and political and improved the rights and conditions of so many generations. The concept of social welfare is now, by and large, entrenched in the European model. Yet, it is equally true that in some degree or other poverty has persisted and that despite its best intentions this social welfare model is showing persistent cracks. Many have questioned the sustainability of the present system, be it because of the abuse of the system or the ever-increasing expectations fanned by politicians and fuelled by the electorate.
It would be silly to expect that poverty will ever be completely eradicated. The risks associated with poverty are manifold and especially complex. Beyond the obvious economic implications, poverty is intricately enmeshed with issues of failed opportunities and undeveloped skills, questions of ill-health, old age and disenchanted and unsuccessful relationships. The erosion of the family nucleus has implied poorer living both for adults and, especially, for children. All this has to be continuously addressed.
Malta is not immune to the plague of poverty. Admittedly, many have played a significant role to mitigate the consequences of poverty as best they could. In this, the Church has been a leading protagonist since time immemorial. Its institutions are a living testament of the sterling work and commitment the Church has offered to those in difficulty. Its role remains undiminished. Successive governments have also addressed the issue from multiple angles. As things evolved, subsequent Administrations succeeded in addressing the various issues related to poverty.
Clearly, the policy to combat poverty has been fine-tuned. Although handouts remain the immediate option, it has been accepted that the avoidance of poverty remains by and large an individual's personal effort. This does not mean that those who fall through the net should not receive any financial assistance. On the contrary, our welfare model remains generous compared to many European counterparts. And so it should be!
Yet, it is obvious that the state can only go so far in reducing poverty in all its forms. I strongly believe that it is firstly through the effort of the individual that poverty can be overcome. Ironically, mere financial aid often hinders the struggle to extricate oneself from poverty. Education and opportunity remain crucial in the fight. Empowering the individual remains the key in the quest to reduce poverty as much as possible.
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