40.1
THE RICH GET RICHER
THE RICH GET RICHER
SOCIAL INJUSTICES AND ANOMALIES
Manie Moodley
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GOVERNMENTS
THE UNITED NATIONS
WOMEN
WEALTH AND JUSTICE
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
ABILITIES AND DIASBILITIES
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
WASTAGE
ORDINARY WORKERS
ADDRESSING POVERTY
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
It takes great courage to open one's heart and mind
To the tremendous injustice and suffering
In this world. ― Vincent A Gallagher
I watched a cooking program on television, presented by a celebrity chef who sampled the culinary delights and lifestyle of some beautifully remote towns and villages in the outskirts of some famous cities in Asia and Europe. He took his viewers on a journey, not just about food, but through the traditions, culture, music and dress of simple town folk including fruit and vegetable sellers, butchers, the local bakers, local fisherman, fishmongers, farmers, wine makers, restauranteurs as well as musicians and dancers in the local village square, all of them experts in their trade handed down over many generations.
What struck me most, apart from the simple but intense lifestyle of these wonderfully simple and happy people, was the question that the presenter raised as he admired the people, their work and their surroundings. The question he asked was, “What value or worth do you put on each of these individuals as they expertly go about their trade and provide such great happiness, joy and sense of belonging and fulfillment in their community?” He said that every one of them was equally important and one could not survive without the other in order to maintain the community lifestyle and quality of life.
This begs the questions – Can we not relate the observations and words of the television presenter to the world of today and the value and worth that is arbitrarily given to different individuals, positions people hold in life and the jobs that they do? Is one human being worth more than another human being? Is one profession worth more than another? Can any individual live and maintain a certain lifestyle and quality of life without the input of other individuals?
Herein lays the basis upon which this book is written and the matters that it hopes to explore.
I stumbled across a newspaper editorial headline that read: The Rich get Richer while the Poor live in Ignorance. The news article used the analogy of a five year old boy at preschool who had the assertiveness and confidence to gather all the school toys around him and then refused to allow the other kids access or the opportunity to play with the toys. In this situation, the teacher would go up to the child and explain that the toys are for all the kids in the school to play with, and that the toys will have to be shared with the other kids. The article then rightly suggests that this sense of sharing of what actually belongs to the world at large simply does not occur in the world that we live in. A relatively small percentage of people around the world own a disproportionately large percentage of the world’s wealth. No matter how much of wealth and power we have, we co-exist and need others in order to earn that wealth to lead a complete life, which is a fact that seems to be ignored by most people.
No individual, gender, profession, occupation or social status is more important than another. However, because of what has been handed down over many centuries, certain individuals and groups attach a sense of self-importance to themselves or their group, but more importantly society sadly attaches a hierarchy and importance to certain individuals and groups. Some Individuals and groups do perform extremely vital functions in certain critical areas of life but these functions cannot be performed without the input and efforts of others.
A surgeon performs life changing and life-saving surgery on people but that cannot be possible without the ambulance driver or the mechanic who maintains the vehicle that transported the patient to the hospital; the builders who built the hospital facility; the machines and equipment used in the medical emergency and the support staff related to the surgical procedure.
Teachers are vital in providing an education to children that builds a successful nation but this teaching is not possible without the services of those who built the classrooms and the furniture; authors, poets and publishers; support staff at a school as well as cleaners and other workers.
It is understandable that earning, wealth and social standing may vary among individuals and groups based on their perceived importance but the current situation across the world is that the extremes in earnings, wealth and power have created the very rich and the very poor which is inequitable, unfair and immoral to say the least.
The rich and powerful get richer while the poor and ordinary folk live in ignorance and obedience.
The injustices and anomalies that exist in the world today run across individuals, groups, communities and countries across the world and exist in every facet of life where there are human endeavours. Some are so gross and unfair yet accepted by people as normal and the “way it is”. The perpetrators include presidents and prime ministers of countries, kings and queens, generals of armies, heads of large national and global businesses, religious leaders, business persons and generally anyone who is in some position of power. Astonishingly, they are not seen as the people who create this sense of importance and an aura of invincibility around themselves but are acknowledged and respected for being the leaders of people in various contexts and welcomed on “red carpets” wherever they go.
This book intends to investigate this rather bizarre phenomenon and views the problem broadly and globally as it reveals itself in our daily lives. It intends to highlight some quite obvious injustices which are accepted universally. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice which are two great establishments of the world order to promote justice, peace and aid are hapless in bringing about true justice, especially for those who live under the constant threat of extreme poverty and mindless, brutal violence. In his book “The Locust Effect”, Gary A. Haugen poses the question. Does poverty lead to violence or does violence sustain and perpetuate poverty? Ultimately, the direct and indirect cause of violence in poverty stricken communities are the Governments of these countries who are supposed to be the ultimate authority and the vehicle for justice, peace and prosperity. This fact is ignored by the international community and virtually nothing is done about it except for rhetoric. Not enough effort is made to coerce or force rogue governments and dictators to lay a foundation for justice and peace for their people.
The world with all its wealth, technology and 21st century systems and advancements seems powerless to stop the injustice, poverty and violence that continue to wreak havoc around the world. Even in countries where there is peace, freedom, political stability and economic advancement, the question of injustice always rears its ugly head. According to The Huffington Post (2015), the richest 1 percent of the world's population currently controls 48 percent of the world's total wealth. In the meantime, more than 1 billion people on this planet continue to live on less than $1.25 per day. (Financial figures quoted in the book are in US dollars unless otherwise stated). It is also generally accepted that about 10% of the world’s richest own about 90% of the world’s wealth.
It must be acknowledged that individuals, communities, religious organisations, international aid organizations, corporates and governments go to great efforts to offer aid where it is required across the world. This however has a bandage effect with no plan to address the cause and thus avert or at least minimize world poverty and suffering. There are natural causes such as geographical location, lack of natural resources, droughts, floods and earthquakes that limit many countries ability to prosper. However, the major cause of poverty and suffering in a country is often bad as well as corrupt government.
At this very moment there are injustices occurring across the world - abuse of power at all levels of human activity, dishonest practices, violence, murder and wars to name a few. The list of negative events seems endless. This, despite the systemic controls in place – governments, United Nations, The International Court of Justice, justice systems, police, religious organisations and others. The rule of law justly applies to an ordinary person who steals a loaf of bread but the law is not applied fairly to politicians, dictators and criminals who plunder millions of dollars and murder hundreds or thousands of people in their country or countries elsewhere. Joseph E stiglitz said: Rather than justice for all, we are evolving into a system of justice for those who can afford it.
It is not the intention of the book to single out any individual, group or Government for the injustices, poverty, violence or human rights violations that they may perpetrate because, ultimately, our entire humanity is responsible in one way or another for the sad and deteriorating situation that the world finds itself in. Instead, the book focuses on the age old structures that have prevailed over decades and decades, or what can be described as systemic problems that exist in the world today as a result of exploitation of the rule of law by the rich and powerful. This book does not pretend to have answers to the questions it poses. It intends to highlight and discuss the injustices and anomalies that exist, in the hope that people’s minds will be opened to what we see as normal and “the way it has been” for decades or centuries and the feeling that we can do nothing about it.
The vicious cycle of economic disempowerment and poverty exists in virtually every nation in the world because the children of poor parents have a much lower chance of gaining a good education and becoming wealthy than children of similar ability who have wealthy parents.
The great opportunities, experiences and facilities that the world has to offer such as luxury housing, cars, shopping, restaurants, hotels, travel and overseas holidays are almost exclusively the domain of the wealthy and to a lesser extent the middle class, while the poor are excluded.
I read a notice on a wall that read: The world is not how it should be but that’s the way it is. You need to persevere and overcome the obstacles that you find before you, and make the effort to be a success. The intention of these words is to inspire but the injustices that are regarded as “the way it is” turns what should be mounds into mountains for ordinary people to climb. Ordinary people will have to stop accepting injustices around them and across the world as something that has always been there and a reality that cannot be changed. Every individual must believe that change is possible and injustices can become a thing of the past. The world is an unfair place but we should not grin and bear it. As individuals and as a society we should challenge unfairness and injustice in the homes we live in, in our workplaces, in our communities and in the governments who are meant to serve us.
The book does not extol the virtues or otherwise of any one political or economic system be it capitalism, communism, socialism or any other system. Depending upon people’s personal persuasions and circumstances as well as belief systems, not every reader may agree with all the sentiments expressed in the book. That is quite fine because all of us are different from each other and we view the world through our own filters. However, all would agree that injustices exist across the entire world among all layers of society. While it may not be possible to remove them completely, too little is being done to even address the problem. In terms of injustices, there is a status quo that exists in the world that suit the perpetrators. This status quo must not be accepted among the ordinary people of the world.
The book does contain statistical information to support some assertions but it does not intend to focus on copious amounts statistical information or empirical evidence because most of what is written will be supported by an open mind and respect for all humanity. However, the internet as well as hundreds of outstanding journals and books offer detailed research in the areas discussed in the book. Relevant internet sites from where some material has been sourced are listed at the end of every chapter for further reading. The book offers insight and thought provoking arguments about quite confronting and obvious injustices, irregularities and anomalies that stare us in the face, yet they are ignored or tacitly accepted.
It is hoped, even if it is a faint hope, that this book will lead to questions being posed to the international community and that there will be discussions starting in the back streets of neighbourhoods, at family dinner tables, in the workplace, continuing right up to the corridors of power in the boardrooms of small and large business organizations, educational institutions, sports organisations, religious institutions and governments around the world.
The discussion in this book transcends all religions, beliefs, nationalities and national boundaries because it is about humanity.
One famous leader said: It is what difference we make to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we led.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://yworlds.com/2015/05/04/the-greatest-injustice/
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/address-injustice
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/
http://worldcentric.org/conscious-living/social-and-economic-injustice
http://www.caritas.org.au/learn/global-poverty-issues/peacebuilding
http://www.romeodallaire.com/index.php/biography/
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-01-06/want-to-fight-crime-address-economic-inequality
http://www.critcrim.org/redfeather/crime/014rich.html
GOVERNMENTS
It is to be regretted
that the rich and powerful
too often bend the acts of government
to their own selfish purposes
The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the state
because he derives special advantages
from the mere existence of government.”
For centuries the custodians of governance of regions in every continent around the world have been kings, queens and rulers and presently we have elected officials of governments as well as some self-appointed dictators. History tells us that hundreds of years ago many leaders of that period ruled by the sword as it were, in ruthless subjugation over ordinary, subservient often loyal subjects. Individuals or groups who disobeyed or even questioned self fashioned authority and draconian laws were either physically punished, killed or imprisoned even if they had not broken any laws but just disobeyed or disagreed with the rulers of the time. Many rulers, quite revered and feared by their ever obedient citizens it must be said, lived and functioned above any law and accumulated wealth, power and dominance that were beyond belief. They lived in opulence in finely architectured palaces built mainly by slave labour featuring the finest of furniture, decorations, clothing and food while ordinary citizens lived quite simple lives at best and some lived in abject poverty.
Ironically, these perpetrators of oppression and violence of the cruelest kind in previous centuries are described in many history books as strong, fearless gladiators and heroes of their time. Many a block buster movie has been made in this regard, viewed by millions of people around the world. Have we stopped to look beyond and consider the plight and suffering of the ordinary, subservient masses at the time?
It seems that much has changed with the governments and leaders of our time in the twentieth and twenty first century as compared to hundreds of years ago. The interesting question is: Has it? The rather unfortunate answer is No!
Unlike many centuries ago we do thankfully have a political order that exists in many countries across all parts of the world. This is intended to form the cornerstone of a twenty first century cooperative world of democracy as compared to the lawlessness of powerful states that prevailed centuries ago. Today, countries have a sovereign constitution, democratic elections, parliamentary processes and justice systems.
However, not much has changed in terms of the dominance of some countries over others as well as the domination and manipulation of ordinary folk by the powerful and the rich within a country. In the past few decades there have been dictators who have killed thousands of their own citizens. There have been atrocities by governments, invasions of countries, wars and civil wars that make it quite clear that the injustices of hundreds of years ago still exist today, virtually mirrored in some regions and more subtle in other parts of the world.
The question that can possibly never be answered is: How have so many dictators who have murdered tens of thousands of their inhabitants and plundered hundreds of millions of dollars from the coffers of their country been allowed to get away with their crimes for so many decades? The greatly ironic twist to this sad tale is that they remained in power because they inexplicably enjoyed a fanatical support and reverence of tens of thousands of the very people whom they abused by their aura of power, invincibility, theatre and rhetoric. They also remained in power because the world simply just looked on, as well as looked the other way. Dictators of the world and their atrocities should never have been allowed to happen, but they are only a part of the abuse of power by individuals in government and elsewhere. Currently, about three decades after a dictator of an impoverished country in Asia was removed from power, his family is believed to be worth a fortune of about ten billion US dollars. Justice and hard earned wealth of the country, in this case, has disappeared with the dictator.
Even in the so called legitimate and democratic governments across the world, there is still a gross abuse of power that continues without sanctions or consequences for reckless and shameless government officials. They use their power to enrich themselves as well as their families, friends and consorts. In many countries, apart from actual corrupt activities within government from day to day, corruption in Government and Government Departments is also displayed so publically in the form of officials’ ownership or directorship of large national companies and their exceptional wealth. Many officials who are supposed to be on a government salary own palatial homes, drive expensive cars, wear flashy clothing, fly business class and frequent luxury hotels against a backdrop of their ordinary citizens who face high inflation, massive unemployment, extreme poverty and even starvation. To end it all, they also legislate to enjoy extravagant pensions and perks when they retire or lose their jobs.
These corrupt people seemingly do not have the conscience or the common sense to realise that, even without corrupt activities, they already have so much in terms of earnings, power and lifestyle and need to put their ego and greed aside to work towards the upliftment of the citizens of their country. These countries do have many honest politicians, government officials and police as well as a judicial system that seem powerless to change this abhorrent culture of greed and corruption. Why are honest people powerless to find a cure to this disease that is infectious and threatens to ruin entire countries? No definitive answer can be found except to say that the rich and the powerful get richer while the ordinary people live in hope.
The cost of government corruption goes much further than the many millions of tax payers’ moneys that are lost. Corruption ultimately leads to low national morale, instability in financial markets, decrease in overseas investments, increased cost of essential government programs in housing, education, employment, welfare and social services, higher prices as well as cancelled or scaled back government programs and international aid.
A lesser evil of governments, but an evil none the less, is when governing political parties run their countries according to the norms that please their supporters or woos new voters. In their quest to remain in power they abandon sound economic, financial, social and educational principles of management that would ultimately have lead their country to greater prosperity, stability and a higher standard of living for all their people. In many industrialised countries, a Minister of Education may hold the qualification of being a high school graduate or less and makes decisions that impacts on schools, colleges and universities that are run by highly qualified academics. Similarly, the entire finances of a country may be in the hands of a former sportsperson or musician whose popularity may have got them voted into parliament, while businesses employ qualified accountants to manage their finances. Democracy at what price?
We have all seen and heard newly appointed ministers in governments who are virtually plucked out of nowhere and then stand in front of a television camera talking about their new position on education or finance or any other critically important portfolio as if they are international experts on the subjects, as only politicians can do. They literally insult the intelligence of the public who listen to their babble. A few months down the track they may be found to be useless at their job or out of favour with lobby groups whom they did not promote to key positions on the “gravy train”. These lobby groups can be seen lurking in dark corners in the corridors of the parliament buildings plotting a change while the voting public is once again treated like mugs on a kitchen shelf. The debates in parliaments get so rowdy and shambolic that they sometimes resemble a group of out of control teenagers, all in the name of democracy.
Transparency International makes the following comment on their website:
“We need to call on our politicians and public officials to be accountable for their actions. How can we trust them if we don’t know what they’re doing? We must demand that they put in place regulations which will force them to act openly. Then corruption can’t hide. And our trust in the political process will improve. When leaders act transparently, showing us clearly what they do, we can make informed choices when we vote. And we can hold them to account once elected.”
A strong economy, stable financial system and low unemployment are usually possible because of good government. However, in some countries these are possible in spite of bad government because of the collective will of its people. The way governments have traditionally functioned for decades or centuries in terms of the sanctity of government, the constitutional protection, the officialdom, the apparent impunity to being brought to justice for dishonesty and their ultimate power over ordinary people make governments the ideal place and a fertile ground for some individuals to actually enter Government for that very reason. They know that they can sow their seeds of deception, deceit, dishonesty and corruption as ministers or officials in government, and enjoy virtual impunity. In many countries, the leaders have had their wives, children, other family members and friends appointed or elected as ministers or officials in the government. Other legitimate governments and the UN need to act against these governments and stop this absurdity by possibly ending diplomatic ties or by imposing sanctions and other appropriate punitive measures.
Politicians and other government officials hide behind the dictum: Innocent until proven guilty because they know that they have the means and the power to make it difficult the get a successful investigation and conviction against them in a court of law. There has to be international efforts to make politicians, especially ministers, become more accountable. Some politicians are so pompous, confident and brazen that they have a Catch me if you Can attitude to the legal system that they control anyway. Because politicians are actually responsible for making laws in their country, there should be a stronger level of punishment in terms of jail sentences or fines handed out to politicians as compared to similar transgressions by ordinary citizens of that country.
People must realise that we need to change the way we view so called authority and the power of people in government, and start a conversation that will lead to changing the status quo that hangs over all of us like a dark cloud.
The world looks out to the leaders of some of the most powerful countries in the world to use their power and privileged status to lead us towards peace, wellbeing and harmony but they continue to just play mind games, word games and war games.
There is a song called “EPITAPH” by King Crimson that ends with the line:
“The fate of all mankind I see, is in the hands of fools”.
There is song by Bob Dylan called “When You Gonna Wake Up” and there is a line in the song: “You got gangsters in power and law breakers making the rules”.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://www.transparency.org/topic/detail/politics_and_government
https://twitter.com/@Corruption_SA
http://www.gallup.com/poll/185759/widespread-government-corruption.aspx \
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kingcrimson/epitaph.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/whenyougonnawakeup.html
THE UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations
Is the one great hope
For a peaceful and free world
Ralph Bunche
After World War 1, at the treaty of Versailles in 1919, the League of Nations was established with the aim of establishing international peace. The League of Nations gave way to the United Nations (UN). The preamble to the UN Charter (1945) states:
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS. Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.
One of the major accomplishments of the modern world has been the establishment of the United Nations and its judicial branch, the International Court of Justice. The main aim is to ensure that the human rights of every citizen in the world are honoured and respected. The United Nations has been hugely successful in its programs and its diplomatic role around the world: averting conflict, peace keeping, providing humanitarian assistance, empowerment of women and attempting to bring about lasting peace, to name a few. The International Court of Justice has tried to bring rogue Governments, dictators and perpetrators of human rights violations that have functioned above the law, to justice.
However, the UN has not been successful in upholding the Charter and meaningfully protect the human rights of every individual in every country around the world because it does not have the power to intervene in the “domestic” affairs of so called sovereign states. Also, the United Nations does not have credibility with all Governments around the world because their impartiality is seen to be compromised by the privileged status that some countries have on the Security Council of the UN. Certain Governments have the power to veto UN decisions. This may be viewed as an unfair situation because Governments may use this privilege when it does not suit their political purposes, which undermines the very purpose of the establishment of the United Nations. The entire governance, structure and mandate of the UN may need to be reviewed for it to have credibility and wider acceptance by all governments and all people around the world. Woodrow Wilson outlined his fourteen point speech for peace, free trade and democracy in 1919. Point number fourteen read: XIV. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.
The UN needs to have international acceptance and authority to function over all countries whether great or small. It needs to move beyond rhetoric such as the following statement often heard on television news: “The United Nations condemns the bombing of a hospital that has killed and wounded dozens of civilians”. This statement is absolutely meaningless unless the UN has a broad mandate to address that event immediately.
Problems around the globe that are caused by natural elements such as climate, geographical location, lack of natural resources and natural disasters are unavoidable and understandable. However, most of the ongoing problems of countries are usually associated with bad or corrupt governments and people’s lust for power and wealth.
The world in which the UN and the International Court of Justice function is complicated by a web of beaurocratic processes of finance, local and international laws, government practices and power, physical distance and lobbying by nations. Millions of dollars on administration costs, meetings after meetings, delegations after delegations, thousands and thousands of pages of reports make the plight of war torn, poverty stricken communities far removed from the priority that they should enjoy. After an atrocity where tens of thousands have died, many months or sometimes years go by before there may be a delegation investigating these atrocities. After a report is submitted, long periods elapse before the report is published. The atrocity becomes far removed in time and is a distant memory, and so is justice.
In recent times, in many parts of the world there have been war atrocities and murder of tens of thousands of inhabitants by their own government forces. The world just watched these atrocities, simply as news events in newspapers and on television. Readers, especially those affected personally by these events that live in these countries as well as some who have emigrated, will obviously be able to name countries and leaders who have been responsible for atrocities that may have affected them and their families or communities. The UN, through its peace keeping forces and other personnel, needs to be given the authority and means to have a physical presence in areas of conflict where innocent lives are at risk as a result of warring factions within a country or during cross border hostilities, before thousands of lives are lost or made homeless. Some may argue that these initiatives are in place, but they need to be more effective.
Governments always deny human rights abuses against their people, and even with compelling evidence, the UN is unable to investigate and bring perpetrators to justice. The reason for the non action by the UN or the rest of the world is that the “sovereignty” of states has to be respected. This is not a criticism of the UN as they have to follow world protocols and act according to their rules of engagement in matters around the world. The world has to rise and compel brutal governments to not hide behind the doctrine of “sovereignty” when it comes to gross human rights abuses. A gang of politicians in brutal and corrupt government should be treated in the same way as a gang of thieves or drug dealers in any society. The only difference is that an international rule of law and order should prevail. Swift and decisive action has to take place to bring guilty parties to justice and to serve as a notice to others so that thousands of innocent lives are spared.
The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 as described by Lieutenant General Romeo Dellaire who was the Commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda at the time of the genocide makes compelling reading. He makes the following comment:
“Too many parties have focused on pointing the finger at others, beyond the perpetrators, as the scapegoats for our common failure. Some say the example of Rwanda proves that the UN is an irrelevant, corrupt, decadent institution that has outlived its usefulness or even its ability to conduct conflict resolution. Others have blamed the Permanent Five of the Security Council for failing to see beyond their own national self-interest to lead or even support international intervention to stop the genocide. Some have the media for not telling the story, the NGOs for not reacting quickly enough, the peacekeepers for not showing more resolve, and myself for failing in my mission.
Still, at its heart, the Rwandan story is the story of the failure of humanity to heed a call for help from an endangered people. The international community, of which the UN is only a symbol, failed to move beyond self-interest for the sake of Rwanda. While most nations agreed that something should be done, they all had an excuse why they should not be the ones to do it. As a result, the UN was denied the political will and material means to prevent tragedy”.
The point of this reference is to emphasize the fact that the UN is unable to perform the role that it was established to perform because of constraints placed on it by member states that pursue their self-interest even in the face of heinous crimes against humanity including innocent civilian men, women and children. (The reference to Rwanda is only one case in point as there are just too many to mention).
Hannah Buckley makes the following comment in the Fordham Political Review (April 2013):
“If each of the permanent members checked their country’s ego at the door, a lot of progress could be made. Five of the most powerful countries in the world, along with ten others, should be able to use their combined power to make the world a better place”.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Retreat from Justice – N O’Neil, S Rice, R Douglas (2004)
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/un/unchart.htm
http://www.un.org/en/index.html
http://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/
http://www.romeodallaire.com/index.php/rwanda-genocide/
http://fordhampoliticalreview.org/a-critique-of-the-united-nations-security-council/
www.ejil.org/pdfs/6/1/1301.pdf
WOMEN
A successful woman
Can build a firm foundation
With the bricks that have been thrown at her.
-quotediary.me
The phrase that women are the fairer sex, is a sentiment that is expressed in a physical sense and does have wide acceptance. However, there is more to be read into the phrase than was originally intended. I am referring to the word fairer in terms of being just and honest. Women across the world have generally been a symbol of peace, hope, fairness, compassion and love for their families, communities and countries over the over many centuries. This chapter is not a debate about the value of men or women but a focus on the positive force of women and the extent to which they are taken for granted, undervalued and discriminated against. We look at some facts about women that confirm what we already know about their overwhelming contribution to mankind in many critical areas of life. While we love our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters dearly, the world does not give due credit to the contributions of females in virtually every facet of our lives and they are really our unheralded and unsung heroes.
It must be noted that women have not only faced enormous prejudices and hardships as a result of the views of societies old and new, traditions, cultures and unrealistic expectations. They have also had to live with prejudicial laws laid down by the judicial system as well. Married women have previously had limited or no rights over their property and financial affairs, basic political rights, contractual rights, pay and the right to enter the professions. In 1875, when a female who was suitably qualified sought admission to a Wisconsin bar, the judge made the following statement:
“There are employments in life not unfit for female character. The profession of law is not one of these….. Nature has tempered woman as little as for the juridical conflicts of the courtroom, as for physical conflicts of the battle-fields”.
According to the book Retreat from Justice (1994), by the early twentieth century women were denied admission to the legal profession in Australia, England and Wales. The New South Wales parliament in Australia enacted the Women’s Legal Status Act 1918 NSW only in the early twentieth century which enabled women to be appointed as conveyancers, solicitors or barristers. The Act made it clear that women could be appointed judges, magistrates or justice of peace. They could also be elected into the Legislative Assembly or local government.
Although the situation has changed in the last few decades, women also did not have the right to vote or hold public office. Under common law, when a woman married she moved from a position of controlling her own property as a single woman to losing the right to deal with that property as a married woman and control obviously reverted to the husband.
All the wars that have been waged over many centuries as well as our most recent wars have been masterminded and fought mostly by men. The ravages of war are well known to all of us and women have borne the brunt of it during wars, and while picking up the pieces after the wars. Atrocities during wars have been perpetrated mainly by men over women and children. The argument that the males were protecting their countries is not relevant because we are looking at all males and all females on all sides of conflicts across all nations throughout the world. The world’s preoccupation with males exists even in the process of honouring those who have fought and fallen in wars. Little or no mention is made at glorious ceremonies and honours rolls of the few women who served in important support roles. There is scant focus on the heroic deeds of women who kept families, communities and countries functioning while the men were out at war.
Most criminal acts including rape, murder, mass murders, domestic violence, robberies, physical violence, drug trafficking, kidnapping and other criminal activities are generally not committed by females. A flip side to this reality is that females are over represented as victims of crime, especially domestic violence. Research shows that when there is a mass murder or massacre, there is a ninety eight percentage chance that it may not be a female... A BBC News publication shows that women in jails across the world are less than ten percent of the jail population. There may be many reasons put forward for the aggressive nature of men such as the matter of testosterones; being traditional hunters and gatherers as well as protectors of their families and so on, but I am merely pointing out some facts that exist in the world at large that places women as a very positive force for the welfare of children, families and communities and they are generally an agent for peace and progress.
When marriages or partnerships break down, children often suffer the most. Again, mothers are by far the primary carers of children in single parent families, often also carrying the heavy financial burden. Research in the USA and Australia shows that females rearing children as single parents make up over eighty percent of single parents. The rearing of children in a family environment has to be one of the single most important functions of our lives and women are the people that stand strong, resilient and unshakeable in this domain. This role must not be treated lightly or underestimated because children not nurtured as children should be, results in unsurmountable social problems as they become adults.
Females obviously play a pivotal role in the lives of their own children in their formative years (and throughout their lives) but a closer look at their involvement with children makes one realise that they play a part in the lives of all children on the planet. Statistics provided by the World Bank on the number of females teaching in primary school across the world indicate that females make up a vast majority as compared to males which is a fact that is quite well known to all. Research indicates a ratio of four females to one male in primary schools. In some primary schools in highly industrialised western countries there are less than five men in a total staff of forty teachers. Female teachers are also in the majority in secondary schools across the world.
Females make up about ninety percent of nurses around the world which again highlights their contribution to the critically important parts of our lives in terms of caring for babies, children as well as the sick and the needy in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and old age facilities. Their importance as nurses is grossly understated and their status in the communities they serve is greatly undervalued as compared to others professionals who serve in the health care system. Research in Australia suggests that female representation in health care and social assistance accounts for more than seventy five percent of that sector and female representation in education and training is more than seventy percent. Females contribute overwhelmingly to our pastoral care which forms the basis of our survival and development as a human race.
Over many centuries and presently, males hold the power in the ministry and priesthood in almost all religions and they use this power to deny females the opportunity to serve their religion at the highest level. Will we ever have a female Dalai Lama or a female Pope? Various reasons are offered by male religious heads for denying women their rightful place to lead religious orders which defy all logic and commonsense. (Further readings are available at websites listed at the end of the chapter). Females are good enough to be mothers, primary carers, teachers, nurses, counsellors, social workers and perform many other roles in our society but are not deemed good enough to contribute in higher positions in the priesthood for reasons made up by their male counterparts. Research suggests that females account for less than twenty percent of people in the higher echelons of religious orders and sadly the world is worse for that. From a religious and humanitarian standpoint, not many people stand out as a champion for the poor and the needy as Mother Teresa but she could not have been be a candidate for leadership in the upper echelons of priesthood even if she wanted to.
Studies across the world show that girls perform better than boys at school and at university but men are over-represented in most high wage occupations and industries. Studies by the Australian Government Gender Equality Agency show that the Australian National Pay gap in favour of males is eighteen percent. The studies found that historically, female dominated industries and jobs paid less than male dominated industries and jobs. Other reasons for lower pay were: women’s responsibilities as primary carers, stereotypes, lack of women in senior positions as well as direct and indirect discrimination.
The Harvard Business Review research shows that in 2000 of the world’s top companies just 1.5% of CEO’s are women and on the Fortune 500 Global list only 2.6% of CEO’s are women. Research by Catalyst shows that women currently hold 4.4% of CEO positions in the S&P 500 companies in the United States.
The World Economic Forum published a Global Gender Gap Report in 2014 and this is a summary of the full report:
”The Global Gender Gap Report 2014emphasizes persisting gender gap divides across and within regions. Based on the nine years of data available for the 111 countries that have been part of the report since its inception, the world has seen only a small improvement in equality for women in the workplace. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2014, launched today, the gender gap for economic participation and opportunity now stands at 60% worldwide, having closed by 4% from 56% in 2006.
The gender gap is narrowest in terms of health and survival with a gap standing at 96% globally, with 35 countries having closed the gap entirely. Despite all this, it is the only sub index which declined over the course of the past nine years. The educational attainment gap is the next narrowest, standing at 94% globally. Here, 25 countries have closed the gap entirely. While the gender gap for economic participation and opportunity lags stubbornly behind, the gap for political empowerment, the fourth pillar measured, remains wider still, standing at 21%, although this area has seen the most improvement since 2006.”
Females having time off work to have their children as well as their role as primary caregivers to their infant children weighs heavily on their place in the business world, especially on holding executive positions. It has been argued that shareholders demand business success and female’s time away from work owing to their caregiver responsibilities may limit the chances of success. Research suggests that this notion is false and unfair as the few females who hold senior positions in the corporate world as well as other working women have proved that they can juggle work and family responsibilities and still be successful in the business world. However the discrimination still continues.
The Pregnancy and Return to Work National Review undertaken in Australia has been told that women returning to work after having children were being demoted, forced to take pay cuts and have been overlooked for promotion (The Courier Mail 2014). Pregnancy discrimination has to be seen as a cost to business, to women and to society.
Worse still, is the cost of pregnancy to women in their personal lives as many marriage breakdowns occur during pregnancy and early motherhood. Bearing children has to be the greatest physical and mental challenge facing any human being and females should be supported, appreciated and valued for this, yet having a child is followed by negative events for many females in the form of the health, failed relationships and limited work opportunities.
Females do not feature prominently on the following lists: The world’s top sports earners; sports news on television and newspapers; regular patrons at pubs and clubs; patrons at a casino or TAB; suspensions at school; drug traffickers and politicians.
However, females do dominate the following lists: single mothers and carers; household chores such as cooking and cleaning; the victims of domestic violence; the organization and preparation of the Christmas or other festive party and the cleanup thereafter.
A United Nations report on women (2015) noted the following:
Despite some improvements over the last 50 years, in virtually every country, men spend more time on leisure each day while women spend more time doing unpaid housework.
Evidence from a range of countries shows that increasing the share of household income controlled by women, either through their own earnings or cash transfers, changes spending in ways that benefit children.
Globally, women are paid less than men. Women in most countries earn on average only 60 to 75 per cent of men’s wages.
Research shows that in developing countries that have mainly agricultural economies, there are limited resources and opportunities for even a basic education for all children. In these situations, young girls are at a distinct disadvantage at gaining a basic education, if anything at all, as compared to young boys. This is because of traditions, long held beliefs and gender bias to name a few.
A UNICEF Report (2004) on the education of girls states the following:
Education is everybody’s human right. This simple fact is at the core of UNICEF’s commitment to girls’ education. It means that no girl, however poor, however desperate her country’s situation, is to be excluded from school. There is no acceptable excuse for denying her the opportunities to develop to her fullest potential.
Education saves and improves the lives of girls and women. It allows women greater control of their lives and provides them with skills to contribute to their societies. It enables them to make decisions for themselves and to influence their families. It is this power that produces all the other developmental and social benefits. Women’s participation and influence in governments, families, communities, the economy and the provision of services is a common good. It leads to more equitable development, stronger families, better services, and better child health.
Decades of research provide substantial evidence of the link between the expansion of basic education and economic development – and girls’ education has an even more positive effect. Regions that invested over the long term in girls’ education, such as South-East Asia and, at least until the 1980s debt crisis, Latin America, have tended to show higher levels of economic development.
Poverty places women at greater risk of violence and human rights abuses. During conflicts, women and children often bear the brunt of civilian casualties. Studies show that the inequalities that women face, paint a disturbing picture:
Women make up approximately 70 percent of the world’s poor
About two-thirds of people unable to read and write are female
Millions of women and girls are in forced labour
1 in 3 women and girls in developing countries experience physical and sexual violence
Economically, empowering women often results in the benefits flowing throughout families and the whole community. Research has shown that women are more likely than men to spend their earnings on the health and wellbeing of their family by providing food, medicine and education. Increased female education levels are also linked with improvements in the health of pregnant women and child health, as well as infant survival rates.
More males are engaged in outdoor recreation and leisure activities as well as organised sport all around the world. In many countries and in many cultures, females are virtually denied this basic right.
No female sports stars rate in the top 25 of the highest earners in the world and only 2 females appear in the top 100, according to the Forbes magazine (2015 ranking).
Supporters of these inequities may offer many reasons to justify their existence but that in itself would bring about discussion and debate and that can be the start of a movement for change.
There is an old and worn out adage that a women’s place is at home. Yes, after she comes home from work and mops up, sorts out the kids and husband, cooks the meals, washes up, puts everyone to bed and gets ready for yet another day at work in a factory, office or on a farm.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Retreat from Justice – N O’Neil, S Rice, R Douglas (2004)
http://fordhampoliticalreview.org/author/marisa-gomez/
http://singleparents.about.com/od/legalissues/p/portrait.htm
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/F4B15709EC89CB1ECA25732C002079B2?opendocument
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.TCHR.FE.ZS
https://www.google.com.au/?gws_rd=ssl#q=percentage+of+female+nurses+to+male
http://www.ucanews.com/news/indias-female-hindu-priests-challenge-age-old-tradition/71626
http://www.education.com/reference/article/gender-academic-achievement/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3713251/
https://www.wgea.gov.au/research-and-resources/fact-sheets-and-statistics
http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2014
http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-ceos-sp-500
https://hbr.org/2009/12/women-ceo-why-so-few
http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment/facts-and-figures#notes
www.unicef.org/sowc04/files/Chapter2.pdf
WEALTH AND JUSTICE
After a certain point money is meaningless
It ceases to be the goal.
-Aristotle Onassis
The test of our progress
is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much.
It is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
The amounts that individuals earn across the world range from thousands of dollars a day to those who earn a dollar a day and others who earn or own nothing.
It must be acknowledged that there are many entrepreneurs, employees and professionals who deserve their high earning capacity because of the contributions they make to the community at large. There are some individuals who have invented products and established global organisations and those who have pioneered research and contributed to scientific and medical advancement that have changed the very way in which we live our lives from day to day and it may be argued that they deserve their extraordinary earnings and the wealth that follows.
However, it is rather difficult to justify the many millions of dollars a year in salaries, bonuses and shares that some CEO’s, company executives and businesspersons take home in many countries around the world. Their supporters claim that they are paid what they are worth. In fact they are grossly overpaid. Amazingly, CEO’s are not paid on the basis of what they contribute to the company but on what it will cost to hire another person to do that job. We have a farcical situation where people of similar rank in certain industries obviously price themselves into that job market at such unrealistic salaries that the recruiters are forced to hire them at these extremely high salaries. We do not go out and buy a product merely because it has the highest price tag and assume that therefore it will be of a higher quality and satisfy our needs. So why go out and hire a chief executive at the highest price and thus assume that the person, because of the high price tag, is the best person for the job. Shareholders are fooled into believing that there are no other alternatives but to employ these so called experts.
For example, in finance, banking, aviation and mining, the highly paid executives did not invent or initially establish these organisations where they are merely workers like every other employee, yet the status they hold and the salaries they earn makes them feel and act like the Gods of their industries. In reality they are just ordinary mortals who, like everybody else have a profit motive not just for the organisation they work for but mostly for themselves. I can imagine the reactions of ordinary folk at this very moment who have been duped into thinking that these CEO’s and executives lead such stressful lives leading a billion dollar organization with long hours and great responsibilities, and that they are worth these huge salary packages because of the skills they possess and the stresses they experience. Stress is a relative word and exists in every profession, job and government organization across the world. If these executives’ salaries were reduced to a fraction of their present level, they will still accept it, for as long as they are not be able to jump ship to somebody who will offer them more.
Ultimately it is not the executives who are to be blamed for these exorbitant salaries but the system that has evolved for decades and the ordinary shareholders who allow for this situation to exist. It is often suggested that executives’ salaries are only a fraction of the billion dollar profits made by the company. This actually brings us to another interesting point. Many executives are heads of organization that by their very nature, generate billions of dollars in profits – oil companies, banking, mining, technology, etc. The large profits are attributed to the industries themselves and business cycles rather than just the skills of executives.
A report by Wharton University of Pennsylvania called: Balancing the Pay Scale (2013), states that the average CEO in the US made 204 times what the average worker made in salaries and benefits. Just in case a reader believed that this difference may possibly be linked to the extraordinary skills and performance of the CEO, the report describes one specific case where a CEO of a company who was fired for not changing around the fortunes of the company still earned $53 million as compared to $30 000 paid to its ordinary workers. He earned 1766 times the earnings of the ordinary worker in the organization.
In Australia, which only has a population of about 24 million people, some CEO’s generally earn about 63 times average earnings. Ordinary workers can look at their earnings and do the sums. Supporters of these extremely high earnings offer lame excuses that do not stack up against the figures that tell the true story of “fat cat” executives who really live off the hard work of a team of employees in an organization.
It is understandable that executives hold a position of responsibility and they do work long hours planning, strategizing, innovating and organizing company business, but suggesting that they alone are responsible for the billion dollar profits is bizarre and preposterous. Profits of business organisations depend on many variables such as the nature of the business, global business conditions, business cycles, the state of an economy and all their workers. A business organization needs executives, upper and lower level managers, office staff, factory personnel, cleaners, drivers and other ancillary staff to operate successfully. A company needs all staff to work cooperatively as a team to function successfully. Status and salaries have to reflect it across the board from corporate executives to cleaners. A company has just one salary pie that has to be shared among all it employees. When an unrealistically high portion goes to a few employees at the top, then there is less to share with a larger number of employees at the lower end of the organizational hierarchy. Does it not sit on the conscience of the lucky few at the top that while they live in the lap of luxury, their fellow employees whom they rely on to deliver the profits have to sometimes eke out a living for themselves and their families?
In many business organisations we often see that a multi-million or billion dollar profit announcement is often followed by an announcement that hundreds and sometimes thousands of jobs are being cut in order to reduce costs. Do these cuts affect the high end of town? The simple answer is No. It affects low end employees who are already paid very average wages. Where is corporate social responsibility and justice?
If the salary packages of the executive staff of a large business organisation were to be reduced to what they should rightfully be paid, the middle or lower level staff would be able to keep their jobs and thus maintain their way of life. The executives of large business organisations would still live comfortable lives and maintain their worldly possessions as well.
The purpose of business in a country as a whole is not only to make profits but to ensure that there is economic activity, employment and a higher standard of living among all its citizens. In making large scale staff reductions, the executives of large multimillion dollar businesses are driven by a simple motive of self-preservation in that they try to deliver higher profits to shareholders to justify their huge salary packages. Their efforts become self-serving rather than to serve the organization and the society in which they live. Shareholders and ordinary folk who support this phenomenon are misinformed and short sighted, and do not realise that staff who may be out of a job because of job cuts to maintain billion dollar profits may be a relative, neighbour, friend or their child’s soccer coach. We all know that crime is linked to unemployment, so large national or global organisations have a huge social responsibility to ensure that they do not chase multi-billion dollar profits by cutting staff and subsequently increasing unemployment in a region and the social problems that follow.
When millions of dollars per annum are paid to the executives of a business it is quite obvious that this cost is recouped in the price of the product or service. Supporting these huge executive salaries means supporting higher prices.
A solution to hiring CEO’s and other exorbitantly paid executives at unrealistic salaries is for recruiters, shareholders and corporate insiders to name a far lower salary package and look out for quality candidates within the country or overseas who will do an equally good job, if not better, at a fraction of the cost. Some noted writers on the subject of gigantic pay packets for executives of large national or global business organisations have suggested that the remuneration for executive staff be indexed at X times the earnings of the average wage of workers in the company or of the lowest paid staff. This index should be carefully calculated by relevant parties including government and industry personnel. Another effective solution may be for governments or industry regulators to cap the salaries of executives in various industries so that the so called forces of demand and supply and the competition to hire by cashed up business organisations is eliminated.
The earnings of international sports stars and internationally acclaimed movie stars is also outrageous, mind boggling and quite unbelievable to say the least. According to Forbes Magazine, the current annual earnings of the top 10 sports stars in the world were about $950 million dollars. The top 100 sports stars earned a total of $3.2 billion. This equates to the earnings of about 50 000 ordinary workers at an average wage of $60 000 per annum. Much of their earnings came from television deals, sponsorships and endorsements of merchandise.
In The West Australian (25 April 2016) online publication, a Manchester United’s Spanish footballer is reported as saying that top tier footballers around the world are overpaid. He said on television that "Football is very well remunerated at this level. It's like we live in a bubble. Compared to the rest of society, we earn a ridiculous amount. It's unfathomable". He was reported as saying that professional footballers earn “obscene” amounts of money.
The question that arises is: Who ultimately pays? The simple answer is that the rest of society ultimately pays for these astronomically high earnings. Marketing, media reporting and people’s love of sport and sporting heroes virtually blinds them to this great anomaly, inequality and absurdity that stares them in the face every time they watch a match, view television or read a newspaper or sports magazine. Ironically, society is actually responsible for these high salaries by agreeing to pay to watch these sports stars on pay television, as spectators and as buyers of merchandise at extremely high prices.
Many movie stars earn millions of dollars per movie (not per year) mainly because of their physical attributes, a little acting ability and the hype that goes with a high profile name. They often appear in high tech action movies where the ultimate success of the movie comes, not just from acting ability but more from the stunning special effects and cinematographs created by immensely talented people who earn a fraction of what the movie stars earn. The ordinary citizens of the world need to end the superficial glitter and glamour afforded to movie stars and sports stars that are well paid, if not overpaid for their efforts and focus on the real heroes who live and walk in our midst.
The rich and the powerful who are the so called Upper Class have the social and economic power to minimize or eliminate the possibility of paying a fine or going to prison for breaking the law. Indiscretions may include manipulation of the laws by clever lawyers or accountants, lobbying of government officials through donations and bribes, corporate fraud where they are not personally liable because of the doctrine of limited liability, corruption as well as tax avoidance and tax evasion.
There are several ways by which the rich and powerful commit illegal acts and get away with it for years and years if not for a life time. The most effective way is to control officials in government as well as those in the police and the judicial system. Another effective method of avoiding liability for their actions is through ownership or access to the mass media of television, internet and newspapers as well as the burgeoning social media networks that shape the political and economic landscape and the thinking of millions of people. When the rich and powerful do land up in legal strife, they have the financial means to engage the best solicitors and have the social networks to influence judges and other key political and judicial officials to gain favourable outcomes for themselves. The poor are overly represented in the prison population of all countries for many reasons and one of them is the fact that the rich and powerful have the means to evade the law as well as cheat the justice system when they are brought before the courts.
During my readings of literature on justice for all, I came across a book, “A Just Society?” (2005) which was commissioned by The Victoria Law Foundation in Australia and co-authored by twelve contributors from different disciplines ranging from legal practitioners, politicians, economists, lecturers, teachers, human rights advocates and others.
The book poses a question by a senior judge about the reality that society is riven with inequalities which is further exacerbated by the complexity and diversity of modern life. He goes on to say that the judicial system that is charged with the responsibility to deliver justice is unable to achieve this goal independently and that there are other larger forces in play that influence the force of law. The other forces may include: changing community values and notion of justice; attitude to the rights of children and ordinary people; community attitudes to gay and lesbian place in society; discrimination in various forms, the attitude and philosophy of the government of the day as well as individuals and groups with financial means. Mark Heron concludes the overview by expressing the hope that in twenty or thirty years from now, people will look back at present laws and policies and be amazed at how such injustices could have prevailed and have been tolerated.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
“A Just Society?” 2005: Victorian Law Foundation (Australia)
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/4/ceo-pay-executivecompensationdoddfrank.html
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/balancing-the-pay-scale-fair-vs-unfair/
http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/2015/05/26/average-salaries-australias-big-companies/
www.cornellhrreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/chhr-2009-cherrington-executive-pay-drama.pdf
http://fee.org/freeman/athletes-salaries-too-high-sports-fans-blame-yourselves/
http://www.critcrim.org/redfeather/crime/014rich.html
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/31431632/epl-star-mata-admits-footballers-overpaid/
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Every human being is born equal
and should not be viewed differently or prejudiced in any way or form.
However, some members of our society face socio economic, cultural, religious, legislated and daily prejudices based on their sexual orientation. People who are labelled as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI) are likely to experience intolerance, discrimination, harassment and violence from members of society who identify as heterosexual. In some countries, homosexuality is punishable by law and the severity of punishment varies from being ostracized, excluded, fined to even death.
The labelling or reference to people as “gay or homosexual” in their daily lives is totally superfluous, unnecessary and divisive, and needs to be addressed and clarified. People are not labelled as “heterosexual” in their daily lives, simply because it is who they are and that is accepted by society. People generally do not have to describe themselves as heterosexual, so why should a person with a different sexual orientation have to be labelled as “homosexual” and be expected to explain themselves at every turn?
Many, if not all, countries with so called “liberal” attitudes towards people who are labelled as homosexual, struggle to face and accept the reality of living in a world with people labelled as “LGBTI”. People have a mental hard wiring and attitude to homosexuality that has been etched into their psyche over many centuries and generations. The unrelenting mental abuse is possibly the most severe challenge facing gay people.
A young child who is labelled as gay looks to the parents to provide the acceptance and protection that every child needs during their childhood. Because of social conditioning, indoctrination and personal ego, some parents of the child initially find it hard to understand and accept the child for whom they are. Many homosexual people have been disowned by their families. So you would notice that the challenges facing those who are gay may start very early in life in the very home that is meant to protect and nurture them. Children who are gay may initially face quite different reactions from their parents ranging from total acceptance to outright anger, emotionally charged outbursts, mental breakdowns, threats, assaults and abandonment. Many parents, however, do eventually come around and support their children wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
While examining matters surrounding homosexuality, we need to spare a thought for the families of gay people. Parents listen to the inner voices of their own minds as they wrestle with their own conflicting feelings of acceptance, rejection, anger and guilt for a reality which is outside the boundaries of life that they have been accustomed to. Parents have dreams for their children to be treated with respect, have success at school and work and eventual marriage. These dreams, initially at least, turn into a nightmare until they adjust their mindset and skills to manage a situation that is foreign to their usual thought process and way of life.
In addition to their own thoughts and feeling, parents encounter the enquiring minds, curiosity and judgmental attitudes of relatives, friends and others who quite often have opinions about a reality over which they have the least understanding. Parents feel the pain of knowing that their child is under the constant scrutiny of others. I recently saw a brief television documentary on the parents of a young gay son who was a solicitor and studying to become a barrister. Their son had recently committed suicide because of the pressures of living and working as a gay person. It was sad to hear them talk with such pain about their loss. They were still sad and heartbroken one year on, yet they were dignified and showed no outward emotions of anger. The mother said that this was such an unnecessary death that should not have happened.
Homophobic people do not understand that homosexuality is not a disease, illness, temporary affliction or a matter of choice. It is who the person is. Like everybody else, people are who they are and they cannot and should not be describing or explaining themselves to others, because they are simply human beings. Just as importantly, our global community needs to understand this and end all the unnecessary chatter and public debate.
The pattern of homophobic abuse, bullying, social exclusion and humiliation leading to depression and suicide, occurs all over the world and is more prevalent in countries where there is little or no support for people labelled as GLBTI. Exclusion in various forms is one of the greatest causes of unhappiness, depression and suicidal thought among gay people. Exclusion from marriage equality is a significant area of concern and anxiety among people who are excluded from this basic right of two human beings, if they so wished to embrace the sanctity of marriage. I asked a friend who wears the label of being gay to comment and this is a summary of his thoughts on marriage equality:
Marriage equality means that people can grow up believing that they can find love, get married and have a family like everyone else and be treated equally irrespective of their sexual orientation.
Marriage means society’s acknowledgement and acceptance which is important to all human beings.
The happiest people are those who have healthy and loving relationships with other human beings, usually family, friends and partners irrespective of the gender of the partner.
If all individuals in the world had the opportunity for inclusivity, the rates of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, depression and suicide will be much lower.
As a person who works and contributes to society and the country at large, it is unfair that he does not have the same rights as the people that he contributes to.
On the issue of adoption of children, heterosexual couples who are unable to have biological children of their own are allowed to adopt. The situation for same sex couples should not be any different. There is no evidence to suggest that children would be disadvantaged by same sex parents.
Because of social exclusion, stigmatization, harassment and discrimination, gay people have limited opportunities in almost all human endeavours including family life, education, friendships, sport and work. According to the International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies (2014), this has resulted in gay people:
* Dropping out of school early
* Leaving Home and Family
* Being unable to find regular jobs, have less options than others.
* Being ignored in the community and isolated
* Being unable to access various services and being unaware of what they are
entitled to
* Having restricted mobility
* Lacking family and social support
* Migrating to other cities or countries to seek a safe livelihood and acceptance
* Being rejected by religious groups
* Attempting suicide
* Deciding to follow their parents to marry the opposite sex and then divorce
Many gay people who are mentally strong, assertive and confident live their lives happily in families and social circles as well as work, and function in the community with or without support. However, there are many that do not have the mental strength, assertiveness and confidence to manage their lives in this hostile homophobic world that we live in. Every day of their life is an obstacle course as they face the challenges placed on them by society. No individual should live their precious life in this manner.
To those people who do not accept gay people as deserving of every right of a human being, this must be said: It is a fact of life that gay people make a most valuable contribution to every part of our lives and there is no occupation on earth that they are not a part of. It is criminal that some of the most intelligent, creative, talented and good natured people who make such an outstanding contribution to the world in which we live in, face such enormous personal challenges placed on them by an ignorant yet loud minority, because of their sexuality.
It is quite bizarre that an unemployed heterosexual couple, while walking hand in hand down the street intoxicated, enjoys more acceptance and respect from some sections of our public than a respectable tax paying couple of the same sex who walk hand in hand.
Laws have to treat gay people in the same way that they treat every other person and just as importantly, society needs to do the same.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
www.ijims.com/process/downloadPDF.php?id=185
http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Homophobic-Parents#/Image:Deal-With-Homophobic-Parents-Step-8.jpg
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/face-facts-lesbian-gay-bisexual-trans-and-intersex-people
http://www.vocativ.com/culture/lgbt/transgender-suicide/
https://gactupdate.wordpress.com/
ABILITIES AND DISABILITIES
The only special need that I have
Is to be loved and accepted
Just the way I am
-Unknown
It is common knowledge that every person is different and has different skills, abilities and talents. A high school offers academic subjects such as Mathematics, English, Science and Physics as well as practical subjects such as Woodwork, Metalwork, Hospitality, Art, Photography and Physical Education, to name a few. There are not many students who would excel in all disciplines. However, society judges the intellectual ability and success of students and people in general on their performances in the academic subjects or vocations. Society forgets or refuses to understand that it takes the brain to influence success in all areas of studies and subsequent vocation.
In a wider context, cleaning windows, clearing rubbish, constructing roads and buildings, providing goods and services, selling, teaching as well as providing legal and medical services are all important and one cannot exist without one or the other. Unfortunately, society does not treat all occupations with the respect that they deserve. People in some professions and occupations are treated with god like respect and reverence while others are viewed as mere mortals and often treated as second class citizens.
There are more than one billion people in the world who live with some form of disability or special need. Discrimination against people with disabilities or special needs is one of the greatest social injustices in the world today. It is also one of the least publicised and most neglected social issues that confront the modern world. People with disabilities are generally viewed and talked about in negative terms, are stereotyped and are treated differently to people who are not seen as having a disability. The issue of disability rights and recognition transcends race, ethnicity, education, social standing and wealth. The term disability is also misleading. People can become impaired through physical, mental or sensory limitations, but that does not become a disability until they are unable to participate in community life.
Those who have a disability are generally invisible to the public. Even where governments and societies are proactive in providing support and facilities for people with disabilities, out of sight and out of mind is the way in which people tend to deal with the disabled community. Unfortunately, there are accounts of people with disabilities who have been treated differently or harshly by their own families. The only way to confront the issue of discrimination against people with disabilities is through social awareness, education and acceptance of those who have a disability. Almost everyone on the planet will experience some form of temporary or permanent disability of one form or another. A computer programmer or a famous sports star may have an accident and seriously injure their leg or hip. They may have a temporary disability and be wheelchair bound but society views them more sympathetically than they would view people with lifelong disabilities.
People who have intellectual disabilities tend to learn in a way that is different to what our society typically considers “normal”. Some people take longer to learn than others and this does not make them inferior or second class. If society treated people with intellectual disabilities as incapable and inferior, then all of us would be regarded as having an intellectual disability and feel incapable and inferior when compared to brain surgeons or nuclear physicists.
While much of the discussion on children with disabilities rightly focuses on the children themselves, we need to spare a thought for their parents who have a 24/7 task of providing the care that the kids need at home, at medical centres and when they are out in public at functions, parks, shopping centres and on holidays.
I spoke to a parent of a 16 year old boy with high support needs. She indicated to me that she and her husband were able to have their rest and relaxation at about 9pm in the evening when their boy had gone to bed. She also said that the mental and physical drain on parents (some of them single parents) is quite indescribable and one had to experience it to know or understand their plight
I read an article on the subject that had the headline:
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR PARENTS OF A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS? OTHER PEOPLE.
The article quoted a parent who explained how her son was constantly gawked at by children and adults in public places. Her son had severe autism and learning disabilities and he would often act out and it seemed as if he was simply a badly behaved child. People’s mouths would drop and they would just stare as if in disbelief. It appeared to her as if there were hundreds of pairs of eyes on them, everywhere they went. She felt that if they were given some support or even some space, she would be appreciative and grateful.
Many parents of children with disabilities offered their thoughts about what they encountered every day. Their common plea was that they had a lot on their plate caring for their child with a disability and if people were supportive in any way possible, including just treating them like anybody else that they come across daily, it would make them feel that much better.
It can be argued that folk who do not live in a household where a child has a disability, will not have any way of knowing what a typical day of caring for such children would be like. Therefore, I have put together a list of some of the daily tasks of parents with children who have special needs and are attending school.
The list is by no means exhaustive:
Managing the morning routine of getting the kid out of bed, shower, getting dressed, breakfast, medication and transportation to school.
Regular medical checkups involving different medical disciplines, depending on the nature of the disability.
Building alterations and specialized equipment.
The employment of carers at added cost.
Visits to school for routine matters as well as emergencies.
Managing behavior issues or melt-downs including disputes with siblings.
Supervision of activities.
Managing the evening routine of dinner, medication and getting ready for bed.
Attending meetings of support groups.
It must be remembered that the needs of other siblings who do not have disabilities sometimes gets forgotten. Parents of children with special needs are under added pressure to manage the lives of the other siblings so that their needs are met. The fact that siblings may be older or younger has to be considered in the mix of physical and emotional challenges for both the parents and the children. Parents may not be able to devote the time and energy that the other kids deserve and this affects their mental and emotional state. In families where one or more children have special needs, the other siblings are in fact relied upon to assist the parents and provide additional support.
Other family members such as grandparents, uncles and aunts as well as neighbours and others need to be understanding of the plight of these families and offer some kind of support to the child with special needs, the parents and the other sibling. Any support what so ever will always be welcomed by the family. Support may be in the form of a phone call, a visit, preparation of a meal, an invitation to dinner or childcare so that the parents may have a break, a night out or even a holiday.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://thoughteconomics.com/disability-the-injustice-facing-over-1-billion- people/
http://hubpages.com/health/Confronting-Societys-View-of-Those-with-Disabilities
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/raising_a_child_with_a_disability.html
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beauty is only skin deep
Everything and everyone has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
The beauty of a person is not in the facial mode but is reflected in the soul
Beauty never fades or grows old
People who are regarded as attractive in a physical form have what can be called social capital. Whether we admit it or not, there is a conscious and subconscious preference for the physically attractive and this applies to men, women and children. This issue transcends nationality, race, culture, age and education. People who are regarded as being physically unattractive are subjected to the serious predicament of being invisible or dismissed in a social context. Similar to being born into a wealthy family, physically attractive people have better opportunities, better social connections and initially command more attention and respect. They find it easier to achieve long term goals such as a career, friendships and marriage. All things being equal, a person who is regarded as being tall, dark and handsome will generally have greater opportunities for success in finding a job or marriage partner than someone of equal ability who is regarded as short, dark and not so handsome. Does this mean that we are all shallow and superficial? I think not, because this attitude to physical appearance seems to be a natural tendency of all humanity and may be explained by the way the human brain is wired, over which we may have no control.
Following a healthy diet and exercising at home or in a gym obviously enhances our physical and mental health but it cannot be denied that they are also pursued to improve our physical appearance and appeal and the social and career opportunities that may follow. Physical appearance is a rather awkward and sensitive topic to talk or write about. People may say that they do not focus on physical appearance of themselves or others for cosmetic reasons. They may also deny that they focus on the physical appearance, professional standing and social status of others when determining friendships or short and long term relationships. However, their actions in real life speak much louder than their words which do not support what they say.
It is with great certainty that one can say that good character, virtue and kindness are more valuable traits to possess in the long term. Therefore, people may look at this discussion and say that it is trivial and be dismissive about it. It must be remembered that the discussion is not about the one trait or the other but about the disadvantages of being regarded as physically unattractive assuming all other variables remain constant. Discrimination based on physical appearance means that discrimination is based on characteristics that are difficult or impossible to change such as height, facial features, hair and physical traits of the body that people are born with or traits that develop as they grow older.
Deborah J Rhode (2009) makes some interesting comments in the Sanford Law Review. She states that the significance of appearance begins early and that less attention is given to less attractive infants and children, and they are less likely to be viewed as good, smart, cheerful, likeable, and academically gifted than their more attractive counterparts. Children themselves quickly internalise these judgments as well. They ascribe better personality traits to better looking kids and prefer them as friends. Generally, the overweight kids in early school are not sought after for participation in schoolyard activities and games. This, together with teasing and ostracism that less attractive and overweight children experience, can lead to further withdrawal and lack of confidence in themselves. This may lead to withdrawal, anti-social behavior, lower grades and also shape their psychological make up and personality as they grow older.
According to Deborah J Rhode, less attractive people are less likely to be viewed as smart, happy, interesting, likeable, successful, and well-adjusted. I would like to add that this may be so unless they are exceptionally brilliant or gifted and talented. Rhode also adds that they are less likely to marry or marry someone well off. There are millions of men and women with exceptional talents, skills, intellect, personalities, knowledge and qualifications who are denied opportunities to excel and become leaders in their fields and in their communities because of society’s prejudiced views of them.
I saw a sitcom and the episode was about single men and women who attended a Valentine Day Party for single people. The dialogue focused on their single status and, being a comedy, was quite funny. It drew laughter from the people at the party and obviously from us viewers. At one stage one of the men called for silence and addressed the party. He suggested that although they were single, they should be happy and proud of whom they were and the friendships that they had with other single people like themselves and with their families and friends.
Brownell and Puhl (2006) have documented that overweight people consistently experience prejudices and disadvantages at school, at work and beyond. Beyond would mean disadvantages in their personal life such as forming friendships and long term relationships as well as having a healthy family and social life. Sometimes, behind the light heartedness and laughter there are many lonely and depressed individuals.
Unattractiveness may also be related to having an ethnic name or accent that is not similar to those who are the dominant culture of a society or country. There is strong anecdotal and research evidence that people have shortened or changed their names to suit the dominant culture of the country where they live and work in order to gain acceptance in that society. People who have an accent that is different to the dominant culture find it difficult to find jobs even when the job does not require much speaking to colleagues and customers.
We need to look deep within and be brutally honest with ourselves as we ponder this topic. It is rather perplexing that the world openly enters into a conversation about problems related to racism, corruption, poverty, pollution and so on but the topic of injustices because of physical appearance is a place that is not visited. Even if we cannot change how society views the physical attributes of people, giving it thought and discussion may help to slowly change attitudes to this pervasive and seriously insidious problem that affects so many people’s lives.
It is quite amazing how individuals from all walks of life including rich and poor, old and young, people with high educational and professional qualifications, academics as well as religious and non-religious people bear prejudices of various kinds based on nationality, religious beliefs, appearance, sexuality, social class and almost every area where an individual is perceived to be different and not a part of their “group” that is created in their minds. The group that people create as the one that they belong to, can take many forms depending on circumstance, time and place.
Because we co-exist, the people whom we stereo type and about whom we make age old generalisations and negative comments when we are in our “own” groups, are really the people who may have made important contributions to our wellbeing and lifestyle in some way or other during our lifetime. Some may have been our teachers when we were at school. Others may have been the doctors who attended to us or did life-saving surgery on a family member. Many would be the hardworking taxpayers who contribute to the welfare payments of welfare recipients. Others may have repaired our car at a breakdown on a remote highway. The list can go on and on while people continue with mindless chatter and negativism about those who are “different” from them.
We should not be judging others but ourselves, but if idle minds decide to become judges, then we should look at people and their actions as individuals. If we have had an unpleasant experience with an individual, then we should direct our feeling at the individual and not the group that we perceive that the individual belongs to.
All of us need each other in order to make our lives complete as we co-exist. We may seemingly speak a different language, belong to a different religion, come from a different country and look different, but we all really belong to only one group and that group is called humanity.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
Stanford Law Review Volume 61, Issue 5 - March 2009
https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1gqptl/
http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/print/article/injustice-appearance
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/20/AR2010052002298.html
WASTAGE
I only feel angry when I see waste.
When I see people throwing away things we could use.
– Mother Teresa
In the world that we live in today, we are saturated with news and talk about politics, war, crime, famous people, the latest invention and the list goes on, but hardly a word is said about one of the greatest scourges that stares us in the face daily which is wastage. It costs households thousands of dollars every year and when we add the cost of wastage in communities, businesses and the entire world at large the cost of wastage rises to billions of dollars. It is argued that elimination of wastage can result in savings in the world that could eliminate starvation among the world’s poorest, which is food for thought.
Water is probably the most precious and essential commodity that we have. The actual feel and properties that water possesses is a natural wonder of the world. It feels good to touch, pour over our hands or body, swim in, play sport, irrigate our crops and most importantly to drink. We will die if the rains stop and the dams dry up, yet we do not even bother when we see water simply flow down our kitchen sink from a tap that is opened longer than it should have been. People often wash dishes under an open tap while having a frivolous conversation with others. People know that they can turn on the tap and the water will simply flow out in the same way that the sun rises every morning. There is usually a look of concern when a few milliliters of soft drink are accidently spilled down a kitchen sink but there is no such bother when many liters of water are spilt. In a single family, thousands of liters of water are wasted annually when we shower for longer periods than we need to.
Sadly, apart from signs that go up on billboards and in the media when there is a drought, there is no ongoing campaign by governments, local councils and the education system to bring about an awareness of the importance of conserving and using water wisely. The greatest use of water is while using a garden hose, sprinklers, washing cars, having a bath, from leaky taps and inefficient use such as running water from a tap. The construction of a rainwater tank in every household is a great environmental investment. Ongoing education of adults and children through the education system, the media as well as government initiatives and incentives would be other solutions that need to be explored urgently.
The acceptance of wastage in our daily lives has become so embedded into our physique and it has become a way of life for the rich, middle class and others, to prepare more food than our daily needs and throw away left overs. People have become desensitized to the wastage of food by themselves and others which means that they subconsciously view it as normal. It simply does not occur to them that they are in fact actually wasting food as well as their money. Individuals can be pardoned for believing that they are helpless in stopping wars, crime, global warming and pollution, but it is within our capacity as ordinary citizens to limit or eliminate wastage firstly at home and thereafter in the environment where we work and live our lives.
The world buys and consumes far more food than the body requires for healthy living. One only needs to look at shopping trolleys being wheeled out of supermarkets to understand the extent of the problem, yet people do not view it as such. Compared to many decades ago, the varieties of food products, their packaging, advertising and pricing has led to more food products being purchased and consumed to the detriment of our wellbeing health and our pockets. Consuming food the way we do, does not occur only out of need but because of lifestyle and cravings. Some may describe it as greed. This brings us to yet another sobering observation. People’s addiction to smoking, alcohol and gambling is well documented but an addiction that affects far more people is our broad addiction to food which kills thousands of people every year through various illnesses. It is argued that if people purchased and consumed food according to their basic physiological needs and not through lifestyle needs, the food and hospitality industries would be in deep trouble and affect a country’s economy. This begs the question: Continue as we are at what cost?
Food wastage is an anomaly that is virtually impossible to understand. An individual would not ever throw even a dollar into their rubbish bin at any time, yet large quantities of unused fruit, vegetables or cooked food worth tens of dollars land up in a weekly rubbish bin in ordinary households. People do not bother when they throw away their money into a rubbish bin as long as it is not in the form of notes and coins. Unplanned purchases of household food items especially during specials and sales lead to wastage of world resources and hard earned money that is really underestimated. Grocery items that find their way to the back of cupboards lay there for months or even years and are eventually thrown out because of use by dates. Many households have overstocked fridges with meats that also need to be thrown out after a few months. Does this sound familiar?
The Foodwise website provides some interesting facts about food wastage in Australia and these figures would be similar in other industrialised countries in the world: Australians discard up to twenty percent of the food they purchase. The average Australian household throws away about a thousand dollars of food every year. Australians throw out about eight billion Australian dollars of edible food every year.
One solution is for individual households to make a decision to stop purchases of food items until the refrigerator and pantry stocks have all been used up.
People go to restaurants and pay for expensive meals. A glance at some plates being cleared at the tables by restaurant staff tells a sad tale of wastage as people do not finish the meals that they ordered. The wastage of food at buffets takes the problem of greed and wastage to yet another level.
Studies have found that in countries in the Asian and Indian subcontinent, wastage at buffet dinners at wedding parties is extremely huge because of the varieties and quantities of dishes being offered and the fact that people therefore place more food on their plates than they can eat and the leftovers are thrown into the bin. Millions of people in the very same countries live on just one meal of scraps a day and go without food on some days. Magazines and newspapers describe the wastage at wedding dinners as “colossal” and “criminal” because it occurs against a background of extreme poverty, begging, scavenging in rubbish bins, starvation and even death.
In countries all around the world, we read about large expensive weddings with hundreds or thousands of guests and lavish dinners, costing tens of thousands of dollars as people show off their wealth and status in society. Apart from the physical wastage of the actual food, the cost of these weddings themselves amount to what can be described as wasteful.
Because of the nature of people, cultures, traditions, wealth and social status it is difficult, if not almost impossible, to reduce food wastage at large festivities. One solution may be for government regulation that all function organisers and caterers have a plan in place to pass on food that has not been eaten to listed charitable organisations in a controlled and hygienic manner. As mentioned earlier in the book, another solution to food wastage would be to implement government programs to highlight the problem of wastage through the education system for the school going population and extensive advertising on television, radio, newspapers, billboards and social media for the general public.
The application of simple common sense would be the most suitable solution to wastage.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://listdose.com/top-10-ways-people-waste-water/
http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/
http://www.dawn.com/news/746508/food-wastage-at-weddings
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/21/india-weddings-food-waste_n_906119.html?ir=Australia
ORDINARY WORKERS
Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement
Depends on a community of persons
working together.
It is a sad but common fact that owing to countless reasons, there are millions of workers across the world who do jobs that are a long way below the level of their formal certification, skills, talents, experience and work ability. The flip side to this fact is that there are many millions of workers who hold jobs for which they do not have the requisite qualifications or work ability. Worse still, there are people across the world that are unemployed but have the requisites to be excellent workers if they are employed. One famous individual who addressed a groups of university students said that the world an unfair place so get used to it.
It is common knowledge that all professions, businesses and workers are valuable in the pursuit of providing goods or services for the world at large. However, while some professions and occupations enjoy great financial rewards and social status that go with it, there are many occupations that are undervalued, underpaid and forgotten by the general public, yet they provide goods or services that the world cannot do without. This chapter aims to focus on some of these occupations.
FARM WORKERS
Farming as a business or occupation may be the most important human endeavour on earth because they feed the world. Farming as a business is quite daunting at the best of times and is a monumental organisational task because it requires a large capital outlay, specialized equipment and knowledge, recruitment of staff from a limited pool of individuals and legislative challenges to name a few. Life in a rural setting hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from the cities carries its own challenges that city folk are often unaware of. Farmers are faced with natural challenges such as seasonal hazards, droughts, floods, fires, crop failure and pests. They also face other challenges such as recruiting suitable workers, competing for the best prices from large supermarkets, safety hazards, loneliness and a lack of leisure facilities that are taken for granted in the cities.
Farm workers and their families face a tough life at work as well as away from it. Farm workers work long hours starting from the break of dawn until the sun sets, especially in the growing and harvesting seasons. Their work is very physically and mentally demanding as they brave extreme cold as well as extreme heat. On a typical day a farm worker may walk long distances, dig, push, pull, climb, lift heavy objects, ride tractors or heavy vehicles, ride horses, work with chemicals as well as tend animals and crops. Farming appears on the list of top ten hazardous jobs in nations around the world.
Family members of farm workers are often forced to work on the farm as well, because work opportunities in rural areas are limited. Children are often bussed to school that are tens of kilometers away from home so it is a long day for the kids as well. Playing week end sport is limited, for kids as well as adults. Post school educational options are often limited and kids have to go to the cities to attend college or university. Family life is as tough as a working life on farms.
An International Labour Organisation (ILO) Report states that agriculture is one of the three most hazardous sectors of activity along with construction and mining. According to statistics compiled by the Bureau of Statistics in the United States, agriculture has been listed among the most hazardous occupations. Farming is listed as one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia, according to a Victoria State Government report. It states that only one in ten workplaces is farming, yet it accounts for a quarter of all work related deaths. Any amount of statistical information does not properly describe the tough, hazardous as well as the physically and mentally draining life of farmers and their families.
Apart from the tough working conditions related to the physicality of farm work and the natural elements, the legislated working conditions for agriculture vary from country to country. In most countries only some categories of agricultural workers’ conditions are covered by legislation and because of the remoteness of the workplace location and other related factors, the legislation is loosely and sporadically applied. One of the most vulnerable groups of workers anywhere in the world are farm workers working on family subsistence farms, daily paid labourers, seasonal and migrant workers as well as child labourers.
A report published by the NC Farmworkers Institute (2007) in the United States makes the following comment which is quite true for almost all nations across the world: “Farmworkers are some of our nation’s most vital workers as their labour enables us to enjoy high quality, low cost, fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. Despite farmworkers economic and cultural contributions to the communities where they live and work, they continue to be some of the lowest paid, least protected and unhealthiest workers in the United States”.
So when we sit at our dinner table or sample extravagantly prepared food at a restaurant or party we need to silently remember and give thanks to the many farm workers who have toiled to bring food on to our tables.
MINEWORKERS
The working life as well as the family life of a mine worker is extremely challenging even under good working conditions and during mining booms. They often work twelve hour shifts because of the logistics of running a daily mining operation. Workers may often work seven day shifts before getting a break. The work is physically and mentally strenuous and very hazardous and extremely dangerous. Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and features prominently on all lists of the world’s most dangerous jobs. People travel deep underground and work in confined spaces facing extreme heat, high atmospheric pressure and gases as well as fumes of heavy machinery and vehicles. The threat of disasters such as fires, cave-ins, gas explosions and machinery accidents are ever present. Mining can cause a range of long term disabilities such as respiratory problems, tuberculosis, bronchitis and lung cancer.
Because mines are located in remote areas far away from the cities and away from schools and business districts, mine workers often leave their families behind in the places where they live, usually closer to the bigger cities and towns. There is often temporary separation from spouses and children for weeks or months at a time. In many countries, workers visit their families once every year. We may say that this is not the situation in the country where we live, however we use the products of mining from all over the world.
So when we build our houses, switch on the lights, use appliances and machinery, travel in vehicles and wear special jewelry, spare a thought for mine workers and their families who make them all possible. They are just as important as the people in glamorous professions and jobs who attach such self-importance to themselves.
CONSTRUCTIONS WORKERS
To understand the importance of construction workers in our lives, it is important to have a general understanding of the industry. The construction industry is divided broadly into three categories: general construction, heavy construction and speciality trade contractors. General building construction workers build all the buildings that we see around us. Heavy construction contractors build roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, dams, sewer systems, harbours and other extensive construction projects. Trade speciality workers include plumbers, electricians, carpenters, tilers, painters, carpet layers and all other trades involved in the completion of a structure.
Construction workers perform one of the most physically demanding jobs in the world. They work mainly outdoors and encounter oppressive heat, extreme cold, wind, rain, dust and all other elements of the great outdoors. They work at staggering heights, in cramped spaces, in dirt and grime and handle dangerous equipment and machinery. They are constantly lifting, pulling, pushing and bending. By the end of their working day they are often tired, exhausted and ready for some well-earned rest only to do it all over again on the following day. Another factor they have to live with is the fact that construction work is temporary and there is always a possibility that jobs may dry up. A sobering fact is that construction workers feature high up on any list of injuries and fatalities all over the world.
In our travels by car we have all witnessed firsthand the conditions that road construction workers work in. They work in extremes of heat, bitter winds, rains and biting cold. I have seen road construction workers work in overalls and boots in open sunshine in extreme heat performing dangerous physical work to build roads and highways that make travel safe for all who use our roads including our pompous professionals, CEO’s and our rich and famous rock stars, actors, sports stars and politicians. They make our road travels convenient and safe, yet they are the “invisible” citizens of our society.
During one of my travels I noticed about six workers fitting solar panels on the roof of a double story house. It was a rather hot day but worse than that, they were handling large, heavy panels while they moved precariously across the rather steep roof. These men put their life and limbs on the line in the course of their duties, climbing ladders and negotiating the roof to do their work. It is quite clear that people in grossly overpaid jobs who overestimate their self-worth to society, do not and will not put their life at risk while performing any work.
SHIFT WORKERS
Millions of people around world do shift work often not out of choice but out of necessity for themselves and ultimately for the world at large. There are many organisations such as hospitals, paramedics, police, hospitality, emergency services, some industries and others that have to provide services 24 hours a day 7 days a week to meet the needs of people.
The life of a shift worker is tough at the best of times in terms of their health as well as their family and social life. The health effects of shift work are not only related to sleep deprivation but also to the effects on their internal body clock that is keyed in to natural daylight and darkness. The rest and relaxation that the brain gets at night is much greater than when a person sleeps during the day. There is strong anecdotal and research evidence that shift work affects the health of workers in terms of heart diseases, diabetes, ulcers, depression and the risk of physical injuries because of sleep deprivation and abnormal routines. According to the National Sleep Foundation in the US, the difficulties faced by a shift worker are not confined to just night work but to all shifts outside a nine to five schedule.
Shift workers pay a heavy price in terms of spending essential and quality time with their families including parents, partners and children. They do not get the opportunity to spend time assisting their children with school work, teaching them new skills, watching them playing sport and shaping their personal development as they grow up. They spend less time with family and friends at sports events, functions, and parties and actually participating in sport and leisure events.
Nine to five workers need to stop for a moment and spare a thought and give thanks to shift workers in our communities. When we are at a party or other social event, we need to share a conversation not only with the rich and famous but also with those shift workers present on their lucky night off.
OTHER WORKERS
The list of ordinary workers in our communities who perform extraordinary work to bring us essential goods and services is endless. It includes people working in factories, retail, hospitality, cleaning, mechanical, transport, travel, government departments, marketing, information technology, finance, casual work, outdoors and many more.
I walked into a butcher shop to buy some meat and witnessed the humble butcher at work, slicing meat on his band saw and I quietly admired him for his skill and bravery as he put his fingers on the line. He continuously risked serious injury every minute of the day as he went about his work on the band saw. He is obviously an unsung and forgotten hero of many a barbeque that we have all enjoyed at many parties and social events.
The world’s greatest entertainers that we hear so much about even after their death, would not have achieved what they did without the backup of songwriters, musicians and countless support staff during their recordings and while they toured the world. Many of the talented musicians who provided them with such great music do not even get a mention or a fraction of their wealth and serve out the latter part of their lives in oblivion in some tiny town or aged care facility.
Society needs to value every person equally no matter what job title they have, where they live, what wealth they possess, what car they drive or what fame or social status they carry. We need to move away from a world of self-importance, economic and social prejudices and superficiality, and wholeheartedly embrace the beautiful world of a classless society. We need to get rid of our ego and feel as much pleasure talking to a factory worker as we would feel talking to some rich, “prominent” person who may be present at the party.
I recently went on a cruise and enjoyed a great holiday. This was made possible by the good food, wonderful entertainment, excellent housekeeping, spotlessly clean surfaces, maintenance and safe travel. This would not have been possible without the efforts of all the crew on board. Interestingly, the crew hailed from virtually every continent in the world and was contracted to work on board the ship for about eight months before they had leave to be with their families. I spoke with many men and women who had school going children whom they would not see for eight months at a time. These were the people who made our holiday such a fantastic experience. While guests on the cruise partied and reveled, these workers quietly went about their work.
We must cultivate a mindset where we acknowledge the staff on the ship, as well as staff in all other domains, with the respect, dignity and appreciation that these “invisible people” deserve.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://www.ilo.org/safework/areasofwork/hazardous-work/WCMS_110188/lang--en/index.htm
http://southwestfarmpress.com/cotton/farming-among-most-dangerous-occupations
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/farm-safety-risks-and-hazards
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/shift-work
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/shift-work-and-sleep
ADDRESSING POVERTY
There are people in the world so hungry,
That God cannot appear to them
Except in the form of bread.
Many books, journals and research articles have been written about poverty and the measures to address or avert poverty. They are well documented in Governments and United Nations reports, university chronicles, magazines, newspapers and many other reports around the world. The literature on the topic of poverty can only move on from being just wasted words on pages and pages of paper, when people around the world start moving away from a state of desensitization to poverty and start showing compassion and genuine interest in other human beings who live in poverty.
Not just the “wealthy” but every person who has a job and every family should develop a culture of compassion and altruism and regularly contribute in some way or other to people in need. That contribution may be made to a neighbour, a family in the local community or to people within the country or overseas. Contributions may be done directly or through hundreds of genuine charities throughout the world. People do contribute to disaster relief appeals when there is a natural or other disaster anywhere across the world but not so urgently to ongoing poverty. Poverty and starvation is the world’s greatest disaster and should be viewed as such.
Many concerned citizens around the world are willing to support aid agencies and contribute their time and money but are reluctant because they believe that aid goes to countries whose leaders and other powerful people live in luxury and opulence from the spoils of power and corruption while their people starve. Any amount of aid from around the world would only provide relief and not a solution to the problem. The problem of poverty and starvation can only be truly minimized or even eradicated if the world, through the United Nations, challenges and gets rid of corrupt governments, manipulative businessmen, dictators, warlords and gangs who are the major cause of poverty, especially in the developing world. This first task is not an easy one but there is no other way.
The second major task in pursuit of reducing or eradicating poverty and starvation is to tackle the problem of global food production. The Oxfam Briefing Note (2012) calls for global action in the area of food production and outlines steps to address the problem. These steps include exposing failed governments and powerful speculative business interests in food production, developing small scale agriculture in rural areas of developing countries as well as a strong focus on women as stakeholders in food production and distribution.
Success in averting poverty is possible if spoken and written words are turned into action.
All individuals who make a contribution in whatever form to address the plight of the world’s poorest are to be acknowledged and commended for attempting this selfless task. However, I want to focus on the role of some of the worlds’ billionaires who are making a genuine and wholehearted attempt to address the problem of poverty and are trying to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. It is heartening to note that in recent years many billionaires have come forward and started, not just a conversation but what seems like a conscious effort towards addressing world poverty that includes lack of food, housing, drinking water, medicines and education.
THERE IS MORE.....
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I read a report by Alan Feuer (2015) that was headed:
'Zillionaires' warned: Wake up, it won't last’. It states that it was not right that the wealthy should raid the world’s spoils and that it was unfair and unsustainable. The report also states that there is a small but vocal band of billionaires who have become advocates for reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. The report goes on to state that "When people of modest means complain about inequality, it usually gets written off as class warfare, but when billionaires complain, the problem is redefined"
A good example of an organization formed by billionaires to address the needs of the world’s poorest is The Giving Pledge. Its main benefactors are Melinda Gates, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. It invites the world’s wealthiest and their families to commit to giving a substantial part of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Anonymous donors have always been a part of philanthropy but The Giving Pledge is very public because the feeling is that it will create an atmosphere that will draw more people of means towards philanthropy.
Billionaire Warren Buffet who is one of the world’s greatest philanthropists has said that he has not given away a penny that had any utility for him. He also suggested that people would not have any trouble living on $500 million and the rest of their millions could be put to better use for the good of humanity. He put things in perspective when he accepted an award for his philanthropy, on behalf of the millions of people who actually give away money that is important to them because they see others who need it more. There is therefore no reason for somebody on an ordinary wage not to give even a small portion of their money to others who are needy.
I read an article many years ago about a billionaire who was being acknowledged at a function for his philanthropy and was being applauded and thanked by everyone he met. During his address he thanked the people for the acknowledgment but said that he was confounded by it all because he was being thanked for something that he thoroughly enjoyed doing and got the most pleasure from.
There is a feeling among billionaires themselves that it is also in their self-interest that they spread their wealth around so that economies become sustainable. In a hypothetical case, a country that has a few billionaires may have massive unemployment, lack of suitable infrastructure, unstable financial system, food shortages, crime and corruption. All the money in the world would not buy billionaires the comforts and conveniences that they would so desire in such a country. It’s great to own a Ferrari or a private jet but it is of little use or utility if there are no suitable roads or airports and no mechanics to service or fix these expensive and extravagant possessions. There has to be suitable infrastructure so that the wealthy may build their expansive businesses and palatial homes. It also makes no sense to the wealthy if they cannot walk down the street because they may get mugged or accosted by locals who have no jobs or money. So it is in their own interest to ensure that the country that they live in has a stable government, a viable economy, good infrastructure, low unemployment and low levels of crime.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
http://www.executivestyle.com.au/zillionaires-warned-wake-up-it-wont-last-gi5vbj
http://alldownunder.com/australian-websites/charity-aid.htm
www.globalcorps.com/jobs/ngolist.pdf
http://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/Where-to-Donate?gclid=CJy8stz0xMoCFQF7vQod65oKdA
https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/averting-tomorrows-global-food-crisis
CONCLUSION
It is neither wealth nor splendor
But tranquility and occupation
Which gives you happiness
-Thomas Jefferson
The ultimate purpose of all human activity
Is to achieve happiness
The happiest people in the world
Do not own the most
They need the least
Having examined the issue of earnings, wealth and power and all the physical and material trappings that go with them, it is important to consider the purpose of all human activity which is to achieve happiness in our lives. Ironically, in terms of happiness, those who do achieve wealth, power and higher social status are on the same playing field as all others who may not be wealthy or powerful at all, because wealth and power is not a barometer of true and long lasting happiness. Peace of mind and good health are more important prerequisites for happiness than wealth and status.
According to David Mitchie (Internationally published writer and meditation coach) if we do not have peace of mind and wellbeing then we have nothing at all.
Many people who have achieved a high level of educational qualifications and accompanying jobs and wealth, have moved away from the essentials of life that brought them the most happiness as they search for bigger and better possessions to justify their new found wealth and social status. Mitchie describes the contrast between “conspicuous consumption” and “inconspicuous consumption”. Conspicuous consumption is the luxury house, cars, expensive clothes and kitchen appliances that affluent people seek to acquire, not just for their utility, but also as a status symbol. Human nature is such that these pleasures soon become old and outdated and need to be replaced by newer and bigger “necessities”. Inconspicuous consumption by contrast are the things people value for themselves such as quality time spent with family and friends, gardening, time spent together playing sport, listening to music, having a swim and admiring the natural beauty around them which never costs much. These pleasures do not get old and outdated and never have to be replaced because they last forever.
Human activity basically has two types of goals – extrinsic goals such as acquiring material possessions and intrinsic goals such as experiencing personal growth and development, happiness as well as family and community wellbeing. The Habits for Wellbeing website states that extrinsic goals are focused on obtaining rewards and positive evaluation from others that include financial success, image, popularity and conformity. It states that some intrinsic goals include self- acceptance, community feeling, affiliation and physical fitness and they satisfy our innermost, innate psychological need for wellbeing. It is quite understandable that people cannot achieve intrinsic goals when they live in abject poverty or in a catastrophic war zone but that aside, ordinary people around the world can achieve the intrinsic goals of life by cultivating a mindset and lifestyle that can lead them there. Nobody and no social structure can determine the true happiness or otherwise of any individual human being but themselves. With regard to happiness, sadness, love and hate, the more we give the more we get.
When we seek pleasure by taking from the world, our happiness is short lived. On the other hand, when we seek pleasure by giving to the world our happiness is enduring and we have a profound sense of wellbeing. We need to be good, even to people whom we feel have hurt us, in the same way that the fragrance of flowers is greatest when they are crushed under our foot. True happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.
The power to make this world a better and a happier place is in the hands of ordinary folk. We must realise that we are all interdependent and we need people from all nationalities, races, religions and occupations in order to live our lives comfortably and satisfy all our needs. What we see as reality may be just our perception based on our nature, upbringing and experiences in life that create our filters through which we see the world. To cultivate and maintain a proper sense of virtue and wellbeing we need to understand that our opinions and attitudes to other nationalities, races, religions and people generally, are merely our opinions only, and they are based on who we are and not the people we judge.
If the world is looking for real life heroes, they are not to be found among sports stars, movie stars or among the rich and famous. They can be found in our schools, hospitals, farmlands, factories and among people trying to lift their communities out of the ravages of war or poverty. These people do not stand on a pedestal or red carpet waiting to sign autograpghs. They can be found amongst all of us as we go about our daily lives, so we need to take the opportunity to honour and value their presence in our society.
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
Why Mindfulness is better than Chocolate – David Mitchie
Living Intuitively – Bruce Way
http://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/intrinsic-and-extrinsic-goals/
http://www.livingwell.org.au/mindfulness-exercises-3/
I want to share a poem that I wrote many years ago, which would make an appropriate conclusion to this book:
REFLECTING ON OUR LIVES
The world is a stage
All of us both audience and actors
Playing our parts so carefully
Families and friends
Politicians and priests
Businessmen and beaurocrats
Judges and journeymen
Teachers and preachers
Rich and poor
All different but all the same
When the sun sets and the lights fade
When darkness sheds new light on our lives
That crucial time
As we rest our weary heads on our pillows
We remove our social masks, our cloaks and our daggers
A time when we are alone with ourselves
Our thoughts and fears
Our expectations and hopes
A time to reflect on the ones we love
On the past, the present, the future
To look at what might have been
To look for answers
A time to search for the truth
And the good within
As sleep overcomes
The curtains are drawn
The stage is empty
The audience has gone
The sun rises
Another day dawns
And so to
The darkness from within our souls
We leave the sanctuary of our pillows
And put on our social masks
Ready to embark on our worldly ways
The world is but a stage