Quality of life and dignity of individuals at the UN

In early February, Maryann Broxton, an activist from ATD Fourth World and UMass-Boston’s Center for Social Policy, spoke at the Civil Society Forum at the United Nations on the theme “Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world.” We invite you to understand with Maryann the importance of dignity and quality of life in overcoming extreme poverty:“The phrase, “the contemporary world” in the title of this forum, gives me the impression that we are looking at issues that are beyond the issues of basic survival. It implies that the issues of basic survival have already been solved and we are now looking at issues on a higher plane: gender and racial equality, a living wage, assurance that each individual can reach their full potential or self-realization, and so forth. But in actuality, we are still trying to meet the basic survival needs: food, water, housing, and safety.I realize and appreciate how difficult it is to have many diverse countries come together to make agreements. The fact that they come together to set the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which affirms that every individual has a right to the basic survival needs, is an accomplishment in itself.Personally, I am more concerned with the implementation of the goals. Every member state may agree on the central idea that their citizens should have food, water, shelter and education, but do they have the political will to rectify the issues that would close gaps and achieve these goals? Political will is crucial, due to the fact that prior to initiating programs, states would first have to agree that the individuals whose lives will be directly affected by the achievement of these goals are actually “worthy” of such things. The idea of a “deserving poor” and an “undeserving poor*” negates actions and the political will necessary to achieve the majority of these goals and is part of what has stood in the way of implementing and accomplishing them to date.

* "The undeserving poor" is the idea that some individuals are at personal fault for their own poverty (e.g. low moral standards or lack of character) and is often used as a means of deterrence to save money on safety net programs.

It’s challenging to talk about these issues because I know I am privileged and live in a developed country. Even so, there are parallels.I have access to a refrigerator to prevent pathogens from contaminating my food, but more often than not, it is empty. My country has compulsive education for every child, but the quality of that education differs greatly depending on the geographic location of a child. We have “clean” water, but access to it also depends on the geographic location and socio-economic status.The list continues. Through ATD Fourth World, I have learned that in order for some individuals to obtain a birth certificate in their country, they must pay for it. Without it, they remain excluded from education, employment, and basic civil participation, possibly for life. Here in the US, some states have voter ID Laws, which prevent individuals without a valid state ID (which costs between $25-30) from having a say in their political representation. Therefore they are excluded from the governing process.The UN currently has a campaign to end open defecation by creating facilities in developing countries. Recently, I have met a man who is currently experiencing homelessness in New York, but has difficulty finding a public restroom. Too often he has to purchase an item in a café in order to use the restroom.Even though an individual may live in a developed country, if you don’t have access to facilities, there’s no difference between you and someone who doesn’t have them.The UN has stated that extreme poverty worldwide has been reduced. But if that is based solely on income – $1.25 a day for developing countries and $2 a day for developed countries – it inflates the number of individuals who are “out of poverty,” without examining their true quality of life. If people here in the US have $2.50 in their pocket, but have no place to sleep and no food in their stomach, are they really out of extreme poverty?Poverty is not only objective; it also matters how people feel it. Quality of life and the dignity of an individual are also paramount in implementing these goals. I have not noticed anything in reports about quality of life or dignity.I believe the developed countries should be held to a higher standard when determining the outcomes of the SDGs. My country has met these goals technically, but in actuality still falls short from alleviating poverty and assuring the same quality of life standards between individuals experiencing and not experiencing poverty.Therefore it is crucial to look at who is sitting at the table when means of implementation of these goals is being determined. Individuals with lived experiences of poverty know firsthand if a policy works in reality, compared to how it was designed to on papers. Their input and knowledge are crucial to a successful outcome of these goals.”