Overcoming Poverty

Don’t you just love it when somebody says something in a few simple words which you have been grappling with for years? For 20 years I have been trying to say to people I met that expecting unemployed people to get a job is not a penalty, it should not be a hardship. I tried to explain in long paragraphs with few full stops that when we are seeking to support somebody back into work we see it as an enrichment of social justice, not a punishment of that person. I gave speeches as people’s eyes glazed over as I waxed lyrical about “tough love” and the concept of personal responsibility and how nobody should be excluded from the joy of work.

Then today, I am in South Africa to give a speech about how we are working with young people in many countries around the world who are not in employment, education or training. And on my way to the conference I stop in a book shop and open the page of a book to read;

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”
Nelson Mandela

I sat down and just reread this simple sentence. Nelson Mandela has so much to teach us all, particularly me.

Because if you are like me and believe the best way out of poverty is through sustainable work, then you can replace the word “poverty” in the sentence above with the word “unemployment” and hopefully in the future it will improve my communication skills ten fold.

When we work with people out of work, for me they may be unemployed, but I see them as “excluded from the world of work”. I am not a soft touchy feely person but I can see how society’s frameworks do push some people outside of the labour market. It is too easy for employers to focus on the baggage of the unemployed and not their talents and passions.

Our work takes us to a place where making judgements about people simply further hinders them moving forward. This week I have been inspired by people from civil society, the private and public sector, faith based organisations and NGOs. There is a clear and constant commitment to provide solutions to take this forward. There is a sense of energy and also that South Africa needs to address this issue sooner rather than later.

I am thrilled that A4e will be a part of finding and delivering these solutions.

Thanks for work you all do everyday; they are not acts of charity but acts of justice. You are giving people their fundamental human right to dignity and a decent life.

Thanks Roy