Poverty knows no datesThe work of the international conference promoted by the Centesimus Annus-Pro Pontifice Foundation (CAPPF) and dedicated to "Inclusive Growth to Eradicate Poverty and Promote Sustainable Development and Peace" will be inaugurated tomorrow afternoon at the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome. On Friday, the contents of the initiative will be the subject of in-depth and wide-ranging discussions among experts from various parts of the world. On Saturday 8, participants will enjoy a moment of prayer and listening at the Apostolic Palace: Holy Mass celebrated by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and a private audience granted by Pope Francis.
Causes of poverty
There are numerous causes that determine poverty and call for incisive and timely action: geopolitical, economic, climatic, digital, spiritual, educational and health situations. Both the words of John Paul II - "...there are many other forms of poverty, especially in modern society, not only economic, but also cultural and spiritual" (Centesimus Annus, no. 57) - and those of Francis - "Modernity has to reckon with three types of 'destitution'. This one of poverty is much worse because it implies a situation 'without faith, without support, without hope'" (Message for Lent 2014) point to the seriousness of the problem.
The focus on the study and implementation of activities in the field of socio-economic dynamics characterize the special heritage that CAPPF has been promoting since its creation in 1993. "It is committed to confronting itself - reads the press release presenting the three-day event - with the real world, carrying out its mission of disseminating knowledge of the Social Doctrine Christianity among qualified people for their entrepreneurial and professional responsibility, involving them so that they themselves become actors and actresses in the concrete application of the Social Magisterium".
With the goal of truly inclusive growth, to recall the title of the conference: that is, generating decent jobs and offering opportunities to all, in the name of a fairer and more respectful, I would say more civilized, economy. The 2030 Agenda itself proposes the elimination of poverty in all its manifestations and aberrations on a global scale, a prerequisite for any hypothesis of sustainable development.
What can be done to eradicate poverty?
Experts will gather in Rome for Centesimus Annus to discuss the central themes of the conference: the actual situation of the different dimensions of poverty; new forms of poverty; measures to achieve an inclusive economy; solidarity, subsidiarity and sustainability in the fight against poverty; the role of governments and institutions in the fight against poverty; agricultural markets and the food value chain for inclusion and sustainability. On this last point, and its impact on the challenge of sustainability, it should be noted that the food sector constitutes approximately one-fifth of the world economy and is the largest source of income and employment in the world.
Yet hundreds of millions of people lack food security. Poverty disproportionately affects rural populations, whose livelihoods depend heavily on agribusiness. Women make up nearly half of the agricultural labor force and many manage small-scale agricultural and non-farm activities. More than half of young workers in developing countries are employed in the agri-food sector.
The effects of the pandemic
The pandemic not only reversed gains in global poverty reduction for the first time in a generation, but also deepened the challenges of food insecurity and rising food prices for many millions of people (World Bank, Global Economic Prospects, June 2021).
The effects of the pandemic and the war of aggression in Ukraine are other aspects to be discussed at the conference, which will also address the role of sustainable finance and business in the fight against poverty. Here, major changes are required in strategic objectives, business models, production processes, human resource management and leadership styles.
Let poor countries grow
One issue that needs to be addressed with particular care is that of a just and sustainable transition, especially in poor countries, for example in Africa. One of the unintended consequences of the emergence of Covid-19 is that Western governments and companies have begun to promote a decarbonization agenda. However, if pushed too far, African countries could be deprived of the energy they need for their industrialization processes.
The question, therefore, is how to combine the process toward environmental sustainability with the need to protect the poorest and most vulnerable people and nations. Specifically, avoiding empty commitments and unfulfilled promises. For "if the poor are marginalized, as if they are to blame for their condition, then the very concept of democracy is undermined and any social policy will fail". With great humility, we must confess that we are often clueless when it comes to the poor. We talk about it in the abstract; we dwell on statistics and think we can move people by making a documentary.
Poverty, on the contrary, should motivate us to creative planning, aimed at increasing the freedom necessary to live a life of fulfillment according to one's own capacities. It is an illusion, which we must reject, to think that freedom is born and grows with the possession of money. Service to the poor effectively impels us to action and enables us to find the most appropriate ways to nourish and promote this part of humanity, too often anonymous and voiceless, but which bears the face of the Savior who asks for our help" (Message of Pope Francis for the Day of the Poor - 2021).
