Posts Tagged ‘Child poverty’

Is 2010 the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion?

Roma expulsion policy of the French Government goes in the opposite direction

lunedì, September 13th, 2010

About 1000 Romanian and Bulgarian Roma people (Gypsies) were expelled from France and around 100 Roma camps were destroyed in the last two months. The most recent expulsion wave to Bulgaria was in the end of August. It was part of the French campaign of clearing illegal Roma camps, a phase of a security crackdown announced by the French president Mr. Sarkozy. It is interesting to point out that this year is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. So is this the way to cope with one of the most marginalized minority groups in Europe?
The Vatican and the UN criticized France about the actions it took. The EU parliament started discussions on the Roma issue on 06.09.2010. The European Commission also expressed its criticism regarding the French initiative.
The spokesperson of the Commission, Michele Cercone said that the Commission has already taken actions for the integration of the ethnical minorities in the EU member states: “The European Commission is bound by the serious task of improving the Roma situation. We have to make sure that all member states abide by the anti-discrimination legislation.”

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Child poverty

An affliction spreading across Europe

giovedì, July 15th, 2010
 
A social issue of considerable importance is the threat of poverty among children in the EU. In the past years, the percentage of people living in poverty has steadily risen, having a severe impact on several social branches, children being amongst the worst affected. This consequently has a disastrous impact not only on the normal physical and psychological growth and development of those children, but also on their chances of completing their schooling and integrating smoothly into society. As a result, it affects our entire future society.
 
Before the crisis erupted, a European Parliament report warned that 19 million of Europe’s 78 million poor were children. That number is now even higher and the scourge of poverty is growing in proportion by the day. This is nothing else than an imperative call for change. There must be found a way to resolve the sad paradox of a rich continent which has children in poverty, children that are nothing else than innocent victims of our society.
 

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