Croatia: Franciscans issue the first publication for the homeless The first review for the homeless was created in Croatia. A few days ago, the first one thousand issues were published. It is an initiative of the Franciscan order of Trsat, that also established the first refuge for the homeless in Rijeka (Fiume). According to the editor Sinia Puci? – who is also a volunteer worker in the Homeless centre – the review won’t be available in news stands since it will be sold directly by the homeless. “In this way, we hope these people will recover their self-dignity, which was temporarily overshadowed for their own fault or because of hard social conditions”, he remarked. The magazine will be sold starting the first days of October in the streets and in the stores of Rijeka and throughout other Croatian cities. It will illustrate the work done by a number of homeless centres in Croatia, along with the testimonies of the volunteer workers and the recipients of their service. The review includes a map of the city of Rijeka with the description of the places that supply services for the poor, such as refectories, along with other structures. The magazine will be sold for 8 Kuna (slightly more than a Euro), half will cover the printing costs of the next issue while the remaining half will go to the seller. Austria: greater commitment in the fight against poverty The coordination Office of Austria’s Bishops Conference (KOO) demanded greater political commitment in the fight against poverty. On the occasion of the UN Conference on the Millennium objectives in New York, held September 25, KOO issued a Note explaining that “the achievement of the millennium objectives is an inescapable condition for peace, justice and development. However, to date the balance is not satisfactory”, remarked in the Note Heinz Hödl, KOO director. Hödl urged Austrian political representatives to increase development aid up to 0.51% of the GDP within the next two years, following the appeal launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. The statement reiterates that “Austria’s Bishops Conference is increasingly concerned for the tragic increase in world hunger, the surge in the price of food commodities that further worsened the situation of world poorest Countries. Thus the achievement of the millennium objectives established by the UN has become even more unrealistic. Therefore, each future government will need to do its utmost to constantly increase funds for development cooperation, in order to achieve the minimum objective by 2010”. As relates to the current affairs in Austria, KOO deplored the fact that past September the Country’s National Council didn’t succeed in imposing itself for the introduction of a tax on financial transitions in the EU. Portugal: the poor should not be blamed The National Commission for Justice and Peace (Cnjp) stigmatized the media’s tendency to conclude that poverty is the result of individual idleness and inertia. This negative image is conveyed also by placing emphasis upon the inefficiency and the lack of equity in institutional management of the Social Integration Income (Rsi). Isabel Roque de Oliveira, member of the Portuguese Catholic Association, admitted that RSI could be optimized in some aspects relating to its feasibility. “I deem important that criticism is made so as to step up at the same time the solidarity towards people living in dire straits without which this public tool would be unsuccessful”. “If the focus is placed upon its negative aspects only, the truly important objectives of this intervention risk being undermined” – the CNJP delegate declared – “I would like to point out that RSI not only intervenes where there is a lack of means. It also has an important impact over the reduction of cross-generation poverty. Not only are the living conditions of the recipients and their self-esteem boosted, this tool also promotes vocational training and job opportunities which in turn will benefit their children’s school-performance”. “Positive results greatly depend on the quality of Integration Agreements and the seriousness of the commitments undertaken by the families in need” – Isabel de Oliveira concluded – “In order to gradually improve recipients’ working and social conditions, it is crucial to invest in this field through the establishment of special technical commissions that are equally motivated by solidarity”.
