A common struggle

The economic and financial crisis, which broke out in the United States two years ago and gradually extended to encompass the entire world, heavily affected employment and welfare in 2010, which by sad coincidence was proclaimed the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. This acknowledgement led to devote greater attention to the Year’s initiatives promoted by the EU, and by its Member States and social partners. The ecumenical Conferences furthered by European Churches at the European Parliament seat in Brussels, were attended by numerous participants yearning to hear the contribution (testimonies, analyses, concrete proposals) of those guided by Christian faith in their support to weak social brackets, often confined at the extreme boundaries of society. The European Year was presented a year ago in Brussels. On that occasion EU authorities disclosed the findings of researches showing that the poor and those living on the threshold of poverty in EU27 amount to approximately 80 million. The conditions of exclusion, or even the mere “risk” of poverty involves 16-17% of the Community population, with regional and national differences according to pro capita income, purchasing power, housing facilities, and public services available at national level. For the official launch of the European Year, the EU Commission released a “Framework Blueprint” with goals and priorities for the next twelve months whose extensive field of action includes child and family poverty. Large families and those with elderly or disabled members are considered priority areas of intervention. The document underlines the need “to grant equal access to appropriate resources and services, such as dignified housing, along with health services and social assistance” and to “promote access to culture and recreational activities” and favor “the social inclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities”.A large number of initiatives held in the first nine months of 2010 – more are planned for the next three months – addressed ways to raise public awareness on the above-mentioned issues, while political leaders discussed the pertaining public measures. Speaking about it is evidently not enough. However, the mere fact of granting top priority to the poor in the E.U. agenda is critical to the adoption of measures aimed at countering the negative effects of unemployment, marginalization, and the lack of basic needs, which fall within the rights of every single citizen. Even the European Council, the most important EU political body, convened past June for the adoption of the new “Europe 2020” Employment and Growth Strategy which provides for cutting poverty by delivering at least 20 million “people from the poverty and social exclusion line” (it must be underlined that Member States failed to stipulate the goals’ deadline and modalities). The fact remains that the special Year brought to the fore a series of problems that involve all of Europe. We are increasingly aware that poverty does not only concern Africa, India of South America. It affects the peripheries of many continental cities, undeveloped regions, entire social brackets, tens of thousands of families, ill-fated people, youth who strive to envisage a sunny future for themselves. The many promises and words echoed this year must be followed by concrete action. Member States and the EU as a whole ought to implement regulations, political initiatives and investments which show that the path for combating poverty and exclusion has been undertaken. In this direction the economy, civil society, the tertiary and the Churches can provide a major contribution… No one can take the liberty to “delegate” the fight against poverty to somebody else.