Kiribati and Climate Change

Kiribati is a coral atoll containing 33 islands. 100,000 people live there. Half of these people live on one small island that is only 400m in length at most. A lot of people, not much space. The average height above sea level is less than 2m. This is a huge problem with rising sea levels. The governor of the country believes their country will be underwater by 2030.

 

It is hard for them to grow food because of salivation. A small water supply is also worsening the situation.

Erosion, Storm surges, and  Drought is destroying the land.

 

 

They are educating the people so they can be better migrants.

The Australian Government has funded education for nurses.

 

 

8+ goals

In September 2000 Koffi Annan, formal general secretary of the UN, suggested that they could do something to end world poverty. 189 counties meet in New York and agreed that by 2015 they would achieve 8 goals towards ending world poverty. They are;

·         Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty

·         Achieve universal primary education

·         Promote gender equality and empower women

·         Reduce child mortality rate

·         Improving maternal health

·         Combat diseases: HIV/AIDS, malaria etc.

·         Ensure environmental sustainability

·         Develop a global partnership for development

Bhutan

What percentage of income is owned by the least wealthy 20% of households?The income earned by the lowest 20% of Bhutanesse households is 4.6 Ngultrum or Nu is 4.6

What are the recent achievements and challenges of our country?
The recent achievements are: Bhutan is gradually communicating with other countries and improving its economy while still being able to keep its culture intact and keeping the environment healthy. In the 1990s, the lack of political representation (and more focus on Buddhist culture) led to violence, many people in the ethnic Nepali community in the south fled to refugee camps and still have not returned.

How does poverty affect people in our country?
About one third of the population are below the poverty line
Affects: Women are equal to men but less mobile than men, and less active in social and economic life outside of their own villages. The poor people in Bhutan include, farmers, small traders, day labourers and their households.

 

 

 



How old can children expect to live? (What is the life expectancy at birth?
Life expectancy in Bhutan is 66 years.

How many internet users per 1000 people?
66 internet users per 1000 people

 

 

 

 

 

 

What percentage of adults can read (adult literacy rate)?
52.8% of adults are literate

What percentage of people have access to clean water (access to improved drinking water source)?81% of people in Bhutan have access to clean water.

What percentage of people have access to sanitation?52% of people living in Bhutan have access to sanitation and toilets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the average income [GDP per capita (PPP US$)]?
In 2011 Bhutan's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was estimated at $2,042 (US)

What percentage of people live below the national poverty line?
23.2% is the estimated amount of people living below the national poverty line. That’s approximately 161,781 people

What percentage of children attend primary school?
At the last survey in 2010 approximately 41,000 students attended school to the nearest thousand so that is close to 25.3%

 How many mobile (cellular) phones are available per 1000 people?
There are 405 cellular phones are available per 1000 people

Nurturing Nurses in Kiribati

·       The Kiribati Nurses Initiative is where the nurses are being educated and undertaking a degree at Griffith university in Brisbane

·       This project is funded by Oz Aid

·       The nursing is a response to climate change as they will be able to help in their local community but also to arm them with skills which will help secure employment

·       They are given four months of training in Kiribati and then four months in Brisbane

·       They chose nursing as a study because there is a shortage of nurses worldwide

Targeting Tuberculosis in Kiribati

·       300 per hundred thousand of the population have tuberculosis

·       Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that impacts the lungs

·       Over crowded households is a main reason to why so many have tuberculosis

·       It is an airborne disease and is spread through coughing

·       13 people is the average number per house

·       The houses are very small

·       They have 4 specialist nurses on the atoll

·       The “dots” are funded by the Australian government

·       They help patients once they are out of hospital and also locate people who have the disease. Once someone with tuberculosis is found they are isolated.

·       Australia is helping Kiribati to build a lab and pharmacy

·       They are aiming to reduce the number of infected people by 30%

·       The building that patients were being isolated in was well ventilated and this is thought ideal for the prevention of spreading tuberculosis

·       The beds in the hospital are made of timber and have no mattress. The beds were also very small

Kiribati and Climate Change

·       Kiribis is a coral atoll made up of 33 islands

·       Around 100, 000 people live there

·       Kiribati is 16k by 400m in size

·       The average height above sea level is 2m

·       Kiribati’s president is predicting in the year 2030 that their country will be under sea

·       Crops are dying because there is not much fertile land and rising sea levels are contaminating the soil with salt.

·       Storms are getting worse and washing away the island

·       Lack of water supply will be the first and largest issue for them

·       Erosion, storm surges and drought cause environmental issue and impact their survival

·       Water from aquifers are extremely prone to contamination

·       The government is educating the citizens to make them more appealing to other countries

·       Australian government is funding nurse training

·       Climate change is a focal point in church

The Poverty Cycle

The cycle of poverty has been described as a phenomenon where poor families trapped in poverty for generations because they have no or limited access to critical resources, such as:

           ·          Education

           ·          Financial services,

Subsequent generations are also impoverished.

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

           ·          Economic,

           ·          Social,

           ·          Spiritual and

           ·          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.

8+ Goals

In September 2000, Koffi Annan, former General Secretary of the United Nations, suggested that we could do something to end world poverty worldwide. 189 countries met in New York City and agreed that by September 2015, we can acheive 8 goals towards ending global poverty. The 8 goals are:

• Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
• Acheive universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat diseases HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

Key Principle of Catholic Social Teaching

Human Dignity

Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society.

The principle of human dignity is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us. We are required to honor the human person, to give priority to the person

Community and the Common Good

In a culture driven by excessive individualism, our tradition proclaims that the person is not only sacred but also social. Human dignity can only be realised and protected in the context of relationships with the wider society.

How we organise our society, in economics and politics, in law and policy, directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good.

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


Option for the Poor and the Vulnerable

A basic moral test of society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation.

The obligation to evaluate social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and the powerless arises from the radical command to love one's neighbor as one's self.
The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to acheive the common good. A healthy community can be acheived only if it's members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society.


Participation
All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. it is fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community.
It is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded un fairly or to be unable to participate in society.

Dignity or Work/Rights of Workers

The economy ust serve the people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, decent and fair wages and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organise and join unions.

People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basci necessities of life.

Stewardship of Creation

Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. The goods of the earth are gifts from God, intended for the benefit of all.

We humans are not the ultimate owners of these goods, but rather, the temporary stewards. We are intrusted with the responsibility of caring for these gifts and preserving them for future generations.

Global Solidarity

Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are our brothers and sisters keepers, wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. Solidarity means that "loving our neighbour" has global dimensions in an interdependent world.

John Paul II has called solidarity a virtue. It is the virtue, he says, by which we demonstrate "a firm and perservering determination to commit oneself to the common good...because we are all really responsible for all."

Constructive Role for Government

Becausewe are social beings, the state is natural to the person. Therefore, the state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good.

One of the key functions of government is to assisst citizens in fulfiling their responsibility to others in society. Since, in a large and complex society these responsibilities cannot adequately be carried out on a one-to-one basis, citizens need the help of a government in fulfilling these responsibilities and promoting the common good.

Promotion of Peace

Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collabration and binding agreements."

1.       List the 5 issues social justice aims to cover

5 social justice issues that social justice aims to cover are;

·         Poverty

·         Child Labour

·         Refugees

·         Homelessness

·         Hunger

2.       In your own words explain what is meant by human dignity

Human dignity is believing that everyone is of worth and that have self-respect. Every human is made in God’s image and made by God.

3.       What is meant by a moral vision for society?

Aiming to do well for all levels in society.

4.       Which of the 5 social justices relates to human dignity?

All of the above issues relate to human dignity.

5.       Give an example of a community that you are part of.

Stella Maris College community

6.       How is this community both Sacred and Social?

Stella Maris College is a catholic girl’s school and we uphold the catholic faith. It is social because of our connection with our friends here.

7.       What is the major test of a moral society?

How a community treats their most vulnerable members of society.

8.       In what way does our community look after the poor?

Vinnies, Salvos, Red Cross, World Vision, Caritas, Medicare, soup kitchens, meals on wheels, mission beat and the church.

9.       What are every human’s fundamental rights?

Every human has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency-starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care and education.

10.   What is the role of the government in maintaining human rights?

To promote human dignity, protect human right and build the common good.

11.   Who is responsible for assisting the government to achieve its goals?

All people are responsible by voting.

Poverty Reduction

A summary of the issue

Imagine.......being so hungry that you have already eaten the seeds for next years planting, not knowing where your next meal will come from. Not having a roof over your head and nowhere to go. Being really sick and not being able to see a doctor. Your family and friend around you are dying from preventable dieses but you cannot afford to help them. Not being able to bury your dead.  You cannot read or write because you cannot go to school and you have no hope of getting a job. You are powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom with no hope of change. Living your life one day at a time.  This is poverty.

There are different levels of poverty.  Poverty at a national level means a country may have insufficient economic resources to invest in education, health, infrastructure, political and legal systems and public institutions, which can lead to instability and civil unrest. This is not fair and injust. In developed countries, deep and persistent poverty is a serious social problem but is less widespread than in developing countries. Poverty is often concentrated in certain segments of society, mostly defined by region, by age, or by social group.

Poverty occurs in different countries for many different reasons.

·       Lack of education is one main reason that poverty exists in such countries like Africa. Families that lack education often cannot afford to send themselves or their children to school. This leads to being illiterate and makes it extremely difficult to find a job and make a living.

·        Other reasons that poverty occurs are that many people are unable to work (handicapped) and have to rely on others for everyday needs.

·       Natural disasters are a huge cause of poverty as cyclones and fires can destroy crops and houses and these are the necessities that victims need to survive each day.

·       Corrupt governments are a cause of poverty in countries like Zimbabwe. These governments are significant causes for civil wars and this leads to crops, land and houses being destroyed.

What can be done about the issue?

Poverty is a worldwide issue but it can be resolved. There are many charity groups that are trying to reduce poverty such as make poverty history, caritas, Oxfam, world vision and lots more. These charities raise money to help people in poverty in 3^rd world countries. At Christmas time many charities have programs that people can buy things like goats, chickens, blankets, mosquito’s nets and lots more this is one way that poverty can be reduced or reduced.

There are thousands of different charities that are taking part and helping to end poverty. One of these includes- Make Poverty History- MPH is an Australian government organization that works towards abolishing Poverty. MPH raises money and collects unwanted but usable items and gives them to poverty struck countries over the world. You can help in different ways including donating money and unperishable foods, blankets and clothes that you no longer need, volunteering to help for various organizations and buying from stores such as Oxfam who give the money earned to help end poverty.

By Jessica Collings and Lucy Chen