Image source: UNfreemedia.org
Why should we fight poverty in Canada when there’s more extensive poverty in other places?
I attended a screening of Four Feet Up tonight at an event organized by the Richmond Poverty Response Committee. The film tells the story of child and family poverty in Canada, from the perspective of Isaiah, an eight year old child. Isaiah shares his insights on growing up with film maker Nance Ackerman, who places Isaiah’s story within the context of the economic conditions underlying child and family poverty in Canada.
A panel discussion followed the film, which included a conversation about differences between Canada (one of the richest countries in the world) and Haiti (one of the poorest countries). During this discussion the question was raised about why should people in Canada concern ourselves with poverty here, when there is much more extensive poverty in other places? And why does the poverty in other places, like Haiti, seem to escape our attention, leading to inaction in the face of massive human suffering?
The earthquake in Haiti created a sudden humanitarian crisis caused by a natural disaster. This new disaster adds to a persistent and long standing humanitarian crisis, caused by the economic and political disasters of colonialism, slavery, corruption and exploitation of the people and resources of the country. Now is a natural time to reflect on the meaning of these tragedies, both in terms of the compounding effects of the earthquake and also of the ongoing indifference by many Canadian institutions to the suffering in Haiti for so many years.
Like most Canadians, I believe that a child born in Canada is born of equal worth as is a child born in Haiti (or born anywhere else in the world). There is no choice between saving the life of a Canadian or saving the life of a Haitian. The only choice is to create a global society that respects the lives of all human beings as born equally sacred and equally worthy of respect and dignity. If you believe in human rights as reflections of universal and transformative values, then the question is not whose life matters most, but how to create a world where the human potential of everyone, everywhere is fully realized. It is in this question that we (all humans) are called to create institutions in Canada, and everywhere else, to extend human rights values, until the vision of universal justice is achieved.
Creating and sustaining such a world requires a political solution, which starts and ends with institutions powerful enough to ensure that human rights are extended to all persons, in all places, at all times. These institutions should be built wherever there is the need, the political will and the means for such institutions to be built and sustained, at whatever level is possible at the time. Our only constraints should be commitment to building power in sustainable and equitable ways, and moving fast enough to build on successes, but also carefully enough to stay on course for the long haul.
Our democracy, including its core institutions and the rule of law, should be treated as a cherished resource, a repository of the public trust passed to the current generation from those before us. It is from these legacies that we can take the next steps toward expanding our values and moving closer to achieving our vision of a just and equitable world. Our country’s legacies of public health, public education, public safety, public libraries, public power, public media, public arts and culture, public parks and other public sector institutions should be built upon in order to create new institutions that are committed to ensuring fairness and equity in the delivery of essential public services. Other institutions are just as important to sustaining our quality of life and projecting human rights values. These include institutions that support a skilled, organized and productive workforce, independent and reliable journalism, a co-ordinated and organized economy, and a vibrant and living community based on respect and inclusion of many cultures, languages, faiths and ways of being.
The base of what we have, and continue to build, provides our means for working with people throughout the world, in partnership and solidarity, so that we may help build infrastructures and institutions to extend human rights both within and beyond our borders. As we build institutions in Canada we grow the capacity for moving forward in the world, as we are part of the human family and the only way to build power for purpose is on top of already existing power, for that same purpose. We will do this not by transplanting our organizations onto other communities, but by exchanging lessons learned with others, sharing resources on an equitable basis with everyone, building connections across communities, and developing leadership for human rights by working together for common purpose. Our institutions at home provide the leaders, resources and ideas in order to work in such partnerships. Without such institutions in places throughout the world, we (all humanity) will have no basis on which to extend and expand our values.
There is no choice between expanding human rights and helping others. The assertion of this “choice” is based on a false dichotomy, one which leads to a decline in human rights values everywhere. Canadians who are committed to human rights should work in co-ordination with others committed to these values, building many kinds of institutions, in many places, for many purposes, relevant to many local communities, at all levels (from local to global) and in many forms. Each institution built should strengthen the capacity for future growth in other communities, or for other purposes, or at different levels, or in different forms.
Poverty ended in one place, out of concern for human dignity, makes ending poverty in the next part of the world more possible. We should never forget that not only do we have the capacity to build things in more than one place at more than one time, but this is the only possible means to accomplish our vision, because the world is too big and time is too great to simply move in a linear direction or one step up at a time. There are people who are committed to love and justice everywhere. And that is why it matters that people in Canada end suffering here, while also working with people in places like Haiti to end suffering there. This is also the reason why it’s equally important that people in Haiti end poverty there, while also working with people in countries like Canada to help us end poverty here. We can only achieve our vision by working in solidarity together.
