International Poverty

According to NBB.BE, “Poverty remains a fact of life in Belgium despite the numerous, effective social assistance and family policies carried out by Belgian authorities at the federal, regional and local levels. Some 15 p.c. of the population, or one person in seven, belongs to a group at significant risk of poverty.”


“As part of its new 10-year strategic plan, published in February and entitled EU2020, Europe argues for sus- tainable growth based on education and innovation that benefits all of society. To guide the process, the Commission has proposed measurable targets in five areas: employment, research and innovation, energy and climate change, education, and fighting poverty. With respect to the last area, the goal is to significantly reduce the number of individuals living below the poverty line. A consensus has yet to be reached on the exact figure.”


Steps/Tools to combat poverty—-

-ensure equal opportunity, notably by allowing all of its citizens to develop their talents and by creating the incentives needed to ensure that they become productive members.
-identifying a single definition for poverty in order to best address the key needs to establish poverty prevention
- addressing the elements of poverty I.e., monetary poverty
-understanding the dynamics of poverty

“For households with working-age adults, employment offers good protection against poverty, provided enough hours are worked at a sufficient wage. Belgium’s mini- mum wage tends to limit the number of working poor. It is confined to situations in which individuals cannot find steady work and so oscillate between work, unemploy- ment and inactivity, or can only find part-time work that does not provide a necessary income.

In Belgium, as in many other European countries, the pro- portion of retirees living under the poverty line is higher than among the working-age population.

Education is a key factor with respect to employment. A high level of education goes hand in hand with a reduced likelihood of becoming poor or staying poor for long periods of time.”


“Longitudinal data show that at any given moment, a large number of individuals are falling into or getting out of poverty. By comparison with other European countries, Belgium has a very low poverty entry rate, but it also has a fairly low poverty exit rate. Thus, poverty in Belgium is more persistent than the European average”

https://www.nbb.be/doc/ts/publications/economicreview/2010/revecoi2010e_h5.pdf

Web Resources--- Zero to Three

Zero to Three is an online resource for professionals, parents, and EC advocates that provides current information on early development and well-being, early learning, parenting, as well as policy and advocacy.

Per the website Zero to Three'shistory & mission :

ZERO TO THREE has a significant track record in turning the science of early development into helpful resources, practical tools and responsive policies for millions of parents, professionals, and policymakers.

Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At ZERO TO THREE, we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/5-how-to-help-your-child-develop-empathy?fbclid=IwAR2VKjl-SlkqLo76mbS_Gz8YyHvssOp9ReVHtirB1EV5uVDUNrMDJARCjb4

Above is the link to the trend that caught my attention. This piece was intended for parents and it hones in one helping parents help their children develop empathy. This caught my attention as it targets the here and now, but essentially is the building block for later needed life skills.

Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

https://www.savethechildren.org/
https://www.savethechildren.net/








I have seen this logo a number of times as I was leaving the grocery store, I have even donated to the cause and not known exactly what my money was going to. For this reason, I figured it was a good idea to research the Save the Children website to learn more information.

Save the children provides health (meals and medical care), education, protection, and emergency relief for children.

The website directly states, "Millions of children in the U.S. and around the world still aren't getting what they deserve. We're talking about children in need. Dying, when the world knows how to save them. Vulnerable children in poverty. Denied an education. Forced to flee violence. Orphaned, abused, abandoned. Children with no reason to smile. No hope for the future." 

"The world's children deserve better."