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INVESTING IN CHILDREN, BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY

Explore the complexity of poverty affecting children in Norway, its forms, impact, and potential solutions, emphasizing the critical role of support networks, education, and societal policies.

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INVESTING IN CHILDREN, BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY

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  1. INVESTING IN CHILDREN, BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY • KIRKENS BYMISJON OSLO/PMV – MULTICULTURAL CENTRE FOR HEALTH, DIALOGUE AND DEVELOPMENT • INGER JOHANNE AAS AND RUTH PAINTSIL • 23-3-2017

  2. NORWAY – The happiest Country On earth • The report was prepared by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an international panel of social scientists convened by the United Nations. It was edited by Helliwell; Jeffrey D. Sachs, a Columbia University economist; and Richard Layard, of the London School of Economics. • The authors found that three-quarters of the variation among countries can be explained by six economic and social factors: gross domestic product per capita (a basic measure of national wealth); healthy years of life expectancy; social support (having someone to rely on during times of trouble); trust (a perceived absence of corruption in government and business); the perceived freedom to make life choices; and generosity (measured by donations) • Research – NOVA, SSB, SIFO

  3. Poverty affecting children in Norway • Poverty can take different shapes. • On the Increase today, both in proportions and in numbers. • Definition or concept of poverty – a complexity • Abject or extreme poverty - condition of living with an income of less than $1.90 a day (World Bank def.) • Relative poverty - not defined by living above or below a set dollar amount but is based on a comparison to others in one’s country or region • Child poverty • Children in poor families • Researchers often use the EU definition – the total income of the household should be under 60% of the national median income to belong to the poverty threshold!

  4. Who are these children? Children of • Social assistance recipients – often as main income • Single parents • Immigrants • Parents with low or no formal education The living conditions for these groups are measured by various indicators that seek to illustrate economic difficulties, interest and debt burden, economic activity, housing economy as well as health conditions. Is the system creating poor children?

  5. Consequences Low self esteem Social outsiders Voluntary Exclusion to protect parents, or to hide embarrassment No birthdays, few or no invitations either Homework Material stuff – accommodation (many children in small apartments), PCs, clothes… Language – a barrier to helping children When you are surviving as a parent, you cannot be resourceful • Isolation • Exclusion • Outsider feelings • Seldom or never anticipate in extra curricular activities • Health issues • Few or No Friends • Safety issues • Trust issues • Victims of Bullying

  6. Kirkens Bymisjon – Projects, Efforts • Advocacy – on a political level • Collaboration – External and Internal – International organisations, Institutions within • Batteriet – Conferences, collaboration with other orgs – welfare alliance, single parents’ union, National organization for friends of children in social care (BV) - Housing, Education,advocacy for changes in the social laws, connecting disparities (linking education to overgangsstønadf.eks), facilitating and writing appeals and statements to the powers that be, etc • PMV – Activities for families, most often single mothers with many children – Hudøy, ICDP, Disney on ice, film tickets, Empowerment, arena for networking, link-work, meeting place for men/fathers, projects (they all have a family focus)

  7. Summing Up! • People in Norway tend to have a great deal of social support, trust their government, and live a long life. • Yet, according to the EU definition, 10 % of the Norwegian population is living below the poverty line • Researcher SindreBangstad of the Frisch Institute in Oslo stated: • “A number of recent studies have shown that socio-economic inequalities continue to rise in Norway. Inequality is due to extensive tax cuts for the wealthiest 5 percent under the present right-wing government. •  Aside from tax cuts, Norway provides a massive amount of social welfare programmes, and many regular citizens are able to find help.. • At the same time, 4 in 10 immigrant children live in poverty in Norway. According to the CIA World Factbook, over 27,000 refugees reside in Norway, who arrived from Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan. “Poverty is increasingly racialized in that children of immigrants are much more likely to grow up in poverty than children of white Norwegians born here,”.

  8. Norway! The Happiest Country on Earth!

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