Task One

Part One (Poverty In Australia & China:) Poverty in Australia doesn't get reported on a lot these days, but it happens. Though there isn't much clear data for poverty in Australia, Bob Hawke was quoted in 2005 to say that that one million people live in poverty:

"We're a very affluent country but there are, at least by the
most conservative estimates, a million people living in poverty."

Which according to the most recent Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development data, 12.9% of Australia's population are living in poverty. Also according to the Melbourne University, as of June 2008 - the poverty line is $710.14 per week, for a family of two parents & two children.

In the 1970's, the World Bank estimated that in China, 60% of the population was living in poverty. Since the economic reform, that number has declined to 10% in 2004 - meaning that 500 million people are living above the World Bank's poverty line of $1 a day, though there are fears from the World Bank that due to the economic reform - people living in poverty, in China will be left behind by the government.

Part Two (What does the Australian Government do about poverty?:) The Australian government has predicted by 2010 that 0.36% of gross national income, $400 million will go towards aid money, but short of an internationally agreed target of 0.5% of GNI by 2010 & 0.7% in 2015. This along with $3.155 billion dollars in official aid money, meaning that each week we put $2.40 into aid money.

In the past, Indigenous Australians haven't been treated that well but before the Howard era ended, they started to put in place a series of measures which would improve living conditions though this is under review by the Rudd government, which earlier in the year, apologized to those affected by the Stolen Generations issue.

Part Three (Salvation Army:) The Salvation Army is a charity which helps not only poor people but people who are hungry and/or need somewhere to sleep, but the doesn't mean that they don't help people who are living in poverty - in fact, it's one of its main objectives:

The advancement of the Christian religion as promulgated in the religious doctrines. . . which are professed, believed and taught by the Army and, pursuant there to, the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole.

So following with that statement, the Salvation Army has been doing a lot, not only to promote the cause with some of the money from annual "Red Shield Appeal" going to poverty causes but by influencing the Australian Government to introduce measures to reduce poverty in Australia.

One such example is last year, when they held their "Connections 07" meeting - one of the ideas that came up was development of a national anti poverty strategy, which would include appropriate processes and structures that will overcome the impact of social problems in local communities.

With the connections that the Salvation Army has with many major business & organizations, they use some of that support to help lift people out of the poverty cycle, for good. Like Cadbury, they donate thousands of boxes of chocolates each Easter to give people living in poverty, a chance to experience the joy's of Easter when without their generous support, people wouldn't experience the joy that Easter brings to people's lives each year.

It's organizations like the Salvation Army which really makes a huge difference to help people out of the poverty cycle in whatever way they can & if we all just donate $1 - imagine how many more people's lives can be changed, for good?

Part Four (Poverty In Victoria:) The numbers on people living in poverty in Victoria are both good news & bad news - while in 2003/04 we're =3rd on the Henderson Poverty Line (the line which Melbourne University's annual "Poverty Lines" publication uses,) but we're the second highest state/territory with people living 50 per cent under the median poverty line with 10.7% & remains the same a year later in 2004/05, when it jumps up to 12% but Victoria drops to 3rd on the list (without any exclusions.) Victoria can be proud of the fact that when certain benefits are taken into account, we are quite low compared with some of the other states - especially Tasmania which has really high levels of poverty.

One thing that Victoria & most likely, every state & territory needs to make sure not to happen is to let the elderly & children/teenagers enter the poverty cycle in Victoria due to an argument or a fight.