Maravi

Speaker speaks for the poor

Speaker speaks for the poor
By Editor
Wednesday April 16, 2008 [04:00]

Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa by saying the poor should be given a voice to articulate the issues that affect them and that they should be involved in the design and implementation of poverty reduction strategies has made an explicit preferential option for the poor – against poverty and in favour of social justice.

No one with a sense of justice can disagree with Speaker Mwanamwambwa when he says that efforts to reduce poverty should be broad-based and take into account important aspects of human development, empowerment and security and that this should be followed by provision of social protection or security to the poor.

From among the poor we see with ever-greater clarity that society must undergo structural transformation. We have no concrete political or economic strategy; we are, like Speaker Mwanamwambwa, simply calling for greater participation by the people in national decision-making. And we support all those, like Speaker Mwanamwambwa, who call for greater justice in living conditions and foster that struggle for a society that is just and fraternal.

We have an undisputed social mission; and we do involve ourselves in the fostering of a more democratic society in which all people and not just those social classes that benefit from the present socio-economic system can be makers of their own destiny.
Our Parliament faces a challenge of unprecedented historical magnitude. It cannot turn its back on the plight of the poor who constitute more than 70 per cent of our population and at the same time claim to be the true and authentic representatives of our people. This is an option or a special form of primacy in which the exercise of political responsibility by our members of parliament is very important.

Today, given the dimension which the social question has assumed, this love of preference for the poor, and the decisions it inspires in us, cannot but embrace the immense multitudes of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without medical care and, above all, those without hope of a better future. It is impossible not to take account of the existence of these realities. To ignore them would mean becoming like the “rich man” who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying at his gate (Luke 16:19 – 31).

Our daily life as well as our decisions in the political and economic fields must be marked by these realities. Likewise, our political leaders while they are obliged to keep in mind the true human dimension as a priority in their development plans and daily economic management of the country, should not forget to give precedence to the phenomenon of growing poverty. Unfortunately, instead of becoming fewer, the poor are becoming more numerous in our country.

It is necessary to state once more the characteristic principle: the goods of this country are originally meant for all its people. The right to private property may be valid unnecessary, but it does not nullify the value of this principle. Private property, in fact, is under a “social mortgage”, which means that it has an intrinsically social function based upon and justified precisely by the principle of the universal destination of goods. Likewise, in this concern for the poor, one must not overlook that special form of poverty which consists of being deprived of fundamental human rights, in particular the right to freedom of economic initiative.

The motivating concern for the poor must be translated at all levels into concrete actions, until it decisively attains a series of necessary reforms. Each situation will show what forms are most urgent and how they can be achieved. And those demanded by the situation of international imbalance must not be forgotten.

We need to reform certain unjust structures and in particular our political institutions, in order to replace corrupt and undemocratic forms of governing our country by democratic and participatory ones, especially by the poor. For the “health” of a political community – as expressed in the free and responsible participation of all citizens in public affairs, in the rule of law, and in respect for and promotion of human rights – is the necessary conditions and sure guarantee of the development of the whole individual and of all persons.

But none of what we have said can be achieved without the collaboration of all in the framework of a solidarity which includes everyone, beginning with the most neglected. But at the same time solidarity demands a readiness to accept the sacrifices necessary for the good of the whole community.

We shouldn’t forget that peoples and individuals aspire to be free: their search for full development signals their desire to overcome the many obstacles preventing them from enjoying a “more human life”. Human beings are totally free only when they are completely themselves, in the fullness of their rights and duties. The same can be said about society as a whole.

We wish to appeal with simplicity and humility to everyone, to all men and women without exception; we wish to ask them to be convinced of the seriousness of the present moment and of each one’s individual responsibility, and to implement – by the way they live as individuals and as families, by the use of their resources, by their civic activity, by contributing to economic and political decisions, and by personal commitment to national and international undertakings – the measures inspired by solidarity and love of preference for the poor. This is what is demanded by the present moment and above all by the very dignity of the human person.

It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental needs to remain unsatisfied. Living conditions must be improved especially for the low-income earners. There are more than 70 per cent of our people who each day cannot meet the basic needs for a decent human life. They are all entitled to a standard of living worth of human dignity that includes enough food, clothing and adequate housing.

All citizens are called to participate actively and responsibly in the affairs of our country. We should all value the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of all citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate. The pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of our nation.

Labels: POVERTY

posted by MrK @ 3:56 AM