Targets for eradication of poverty 'have not been reached'

Governments the world over have failed to eradicate poverty in spite of 2010 being the chosen year by when this target should have been achieved.

Opening an inaugural conference of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Social Policy Ministry John Dalli said that in Europe there were still 80 million people (17 per cent of the population) who were at risk of poverty. So it was imperative to fight poverty and social inclusion.

Although governments had promised to eradicate poverty by 2010 this had not happened, he said, adding that 2010 had been chosen as a year against poverty and social exclusion in a bid to raise awareness.

The main aims of the year were to recognise the rights and needs of people living at the risk of poverty or poor, share responsibility for addressing the issue and have cohesion which would lead to the reduction of poverty.

There had to be a will and concrete action had to be taken to reduce poverty and promote these actions.

Mr Dalli said that he was today appointing 10 ambassadors to help raise campaign’s visibility. They are: National Commission for Persons with a Disability chairman Joe Camilleri, Patri Leopoldu Home manager Charles Mifsud, Children’s Commissioner Carmen Zammit, National Council for the Elderly secretary Rose Sammut, Domestic Violence Commission chairman Marcelline Naudi, Sedqa clinical director George Grech, Richmond Foundation executive head Dolores Gauci, Jesuit Refugee Service lawyer Katrine Camilleri, ETC project leader unemployment aid programme Raphael Scerri and Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl Foundation secretary George Busuttil.

He hoped that everyone would be pushed to work against poverty this year.

President George Abela said the EU needed to come closer to the people and not remain what it was for some - an abstract thing in Brussels.

He said that lack of water was the worst form of poverty and could deprive people of the sacrosanct right to life. It was possible to have exclusion without poverty and poverty without exclusion.

According to an NSO survey, Dr Abela said, 14 per cent of the Maltese and Gozitan population were at risk of poverty. Although lower than the EU average, the percentage in Gozo stood at 18 per cent while it was 12 per cent in the north of Malta.

It was not clear to him why people were considered at risk of poverty and not poor, the President said, adding that he could also not understand the regional differences in such a small country.

Poverty was related to education but not everyone was making full use of this opportunity. One had to ensure that better use of education was made for a better life. There could perhaps be educational programmes to teach people to manage their finances.

Dr Abela described poverty as a deficit in democracy since poor people did not have the means to fully participate in society.

A percentage of poor people were migrants, proving that one could not fight poverty in Europe without also fighting it in other countries.

Poverty led to migration and created a vicious circle of people heading to Europe.

Dr Abela said it was a stain on humanity to have people dying of hunger when there was the technology to produce food for everyone.

The acting head of the European Commission representation in Malta, Marios Camhis, said that 19 million of poor people were children.

The poor also included single mothers and ethnic minorities. Poverty led to exclusion, poor health, reduced access to health care and bank access. Most Europeans were aware of the problem and 53 per cent felt governments were responsible for the situation.

He urged people to be creative and work together to stop poverty now.