The Poverty Cycle

The cycle of poverty has been described as a phenomenon where poor families become trapped in poverty for generations.

Because they have no or limited access to critical resources, such as

o   Educational and

o   Financial services,

Subsequent generations are also impoverished.

There are multiple cycles of poverty – based on, among other things,

o   Economic,

o   Social,

o   Spiritual and

o   Geographical factors.

Many cycles overlap or perpetuate new cycles and therefore any attempt to depict the cycle of poverty will be far more simplistic than realistic.

The figure below shows – in very simplistic terms – how a cycle of poverty related to hunger keeps a person or household poor in one of the world’s developing countries.

Poverty

Poverty is not having a roof over your head and not having anywhere to go. It is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is hunger, its living one day at a time.

Absolute Poverty: Absolute poverty measures the number of people living below a certain income threshold or the number of households unable to afford certain basic goods and services.

Relative Poverty: Relative poverty measures all the extent to which a household’s financial resources falls below an average income threshold for the economy. Although living standards and real incomes have grown because of higher employment and sustained economic growth over recent years, the gains in income and wealth have been unevenly distributed across the population.

Catholic Themes

Social Justice:
Social justice concerns itself with our responsibility to ensure that all people are given a "fair go"

Some issues that social justice aims to cover are:

• Poverty
• Child Labour
• Refugees 
• Homelessness
• Hunger

Dignity of the Human Person:

Human dignity is the foundation of catholic social teaching

In your own words explain what is meant by human dignity:

Dignity means pride and selfrespect. Human dignity means the pride and selfrespect within themselves and others

Common good and Community:

Humans are sacred and social, we live and achieve together. All humans must be valued in the wider community

Option for the Poor:

Society must consider and help the poor in society. Governments must help the poor, especially as they are the most affected

Questions:

1. Some cummunities that I'm involved with are the Stella communtiy and the netball community
2. The Stella community is sacred and social because it is a catholic school, you become educated on the wider community around us and it means you are part of something
3. A major test of a moral society is giving attention to those with special needs, democratic society and also for distribution of wealth equally
4. Our community looks after the poor by donations, dole (social security), and public housing

Rights and Responsibilities:
Every person has a funamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency - starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education

Role of Government:

All people have a right and a respobility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals

Economic Justice:

All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life

Stewardship of God's Creation:

There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users

Promotion of Peace and Disarmament:

"Peace is not just the absence of war, it involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements"

Participation:

It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community

Global Solidarity and Development:

It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples. It must avoid the extremists of undevelopment on the one hand, and "super development" on the other

Lady Justice

The time-honoured symbol of justice in the West is the Lady of Justice (adapted from Greek and Roman mythology) depicted as a blind-folded woman with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other.

The Roman goddess of justice is known as Lady of Justice. She is frequently seen as a woman carrying a sword and scales, and wearing a blind-fold. Lady of Justice is mostly seen at courthouses and courtrooms to symbolise reason and justice.

This stands for equality in the dispensation of justice without favour or prejudice.

Introduction to Social Justice

The protection of the rights of all human beings, in respective of

• race,
• colour,
• creed,
• nationality or
• language,

is central to any conception of justice.

Justice can be defined as

              'the morally correct state of persons and their affairs.'

From a practical point of view, justice demands

• equality,
• objectivity, and
• fair dealing.



Child Labour



Poverty