Top UNO+CoE Officials to EuroFora: Human Rights Violations+Corruption cause Poverty versus Democracy

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/21-22.2.2013/- Human Rights' Violations, Corruption and other Crimes can provoke Poverty, to the detriment not only of Persons targetted for Political reasons  but also Massively, against entire Populations,  while, at the same time, even Socio-Economic events leading to Extreme Poverty may reach a level of Human and/or Social Rights' Violations, denounced in substance, International and European Top Officials, speaking to "EuroFora" and in various statements on the occasion of a timely  EU/CoE 2 Days Conference on "Poverty and Inequality in Societies of Human Rights", denouncing a sometimes scandalous "Paradox of Democracies", resumed in a Logo picturing the Revolting reality of a well-dressed and young-looking individual equiped with IT Computers, his hair done nicely, etc.,  ...sitting on the back of a woman whose youth had been stolen, covered by ruggs and obliged to bow down and beg : Both at the same Time, in one and same Location...
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    - CoE's keynote speaker on "Combatting Poverty or Inequalities", UNO's Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Magdalena Sepuldeva, a Legal Expert from Chile, (Latin America), agreed from the outset with "EuroFora" that serious Violations of Human Rights can be the cause of Poverty in case of Persons targetted for Political reasons, or Massively affected People as a Socio-Economic consequence of Corruption and other Crimes, "including, f.ex., grave Discriminations against various Minorities", etc.

    - That's one more reason why, as a matter of general principle, "a Human Rights' approach to Poverty is of Crucial importance", as UNO's competent Rapporteur pointed  earlier.

Otherwise, the risk exists to provoke "deep Stigma and Prejudice" even against innocent Poor People, and to adopt the "Wrong, inefficient and ineffective Social Policies", "violating the Human Dignity and Worsening the situation" of victims, she warned.

+ Meanwhile, concerning Family and inter-Generational Solidarity with Poor People, it seems that Latin American Countries are rather better prepared to support Poor People, than in Europe, as it was seen, f.ex. during the 2003 Exceptional Heatwave which killed more than 15.000 People in France, mainly isolated Old persons. On the contrary, in Spain, f.ex., a stronger Family Solidarity "avoided the Worse", Today,

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- However, even after acknowledging the Fact that "Causes (of Poverty) are Not purely Economic", i.e. also Violations of Human Rights, Corruption and other Crimes or War, etc., CoE's new Democracy Director, Svetlana Samardjic-Markovic, speaking to "EuroFora", observed that, nevertheless, "while awaiting the results of the necesary Fight against Corruption, Human Rights Violations and other Crimes, Victims have also Urgent Needs, f.ex. to Eat, find a Shelter, Health care, etc, as long as they face a provoked Poverty.

=> - Otherwise, if such situations are prolonged, (f.ex. with EU's current "luke-warm attitude vis a vis Poverty"), this threatens to "create a New Social Class : that of Precarious People", even "for Many Generations", as Markovic (from Serbia) went on to add, Warning "EuroFora"...

Nevertheless, she didn't touch yet upon situations such as that in Greece, where, on the contrary,  the severe Cuts imposed to the detriment of Poor People (and productive Businesses), even by putting Human Health at Risk, in order to pay the Huge Debt provoked by More than 30 Years of Salaries ²1for a Mass of Counter-Productive Cushy Job Holders, many Political Lackeys and several Corrupted and/or other Criminals notoriously apointed by former Clientelist and/or Nepotist, in previous Governments, mainly of PASOK.

But, obviously, there cannot be any real Economic/Financial Solution without urgently slashing the Disproportionate Number of Unproductive Political Lackeys, Corrupted and/or Abusive Civil Servants currently still at the expense of the Greek State, (which has also to pay yet the Interests of heavy Loans already contracted during the Past 30 Years : 1981-2011. Because the only other way to find the Money which lacks would be to pressure wit even more and even heavier Cuts to the detriment of Productive Businesses Businesses and and Poor People, which has already outpassed critical limits !.

=> Therefore, in such situations as currently in Greece and elsewhere, the Fight against Corruption, Abuse and other Crimes (which is the only able to provide a Crystal-clear and Unquestionable Criterium as well as a Legitimate Foundation for the Choice of those Civil Servants who must be, at last, sanctioned for Scandalously abusing of the Public Sector during 30 Years (1981-2011+) has become now an Urgent Condition also for the Fight against artificially provoked Extreme Poverty... 

                                                          
- But "this affects the very Foundations of EU Values, and is a Threat to EU Democracy, which becomes also a Big Risk against EU Security", Markovic warned in conclusion
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    + Usefully associating a Grassroots Practical Experience of an International NGO Humanitarian Network linked to CARITAS, present in 52  Countries in Europe and all over the World, welcoming in Strasbourg People in need of various origins, and particularly fragile Women, with the overal view of CoE's INGO's Human Rights Committee's Rapporteur, Maritchu Rall, of the International Association of Charities (IAC), agreed with "EuroFora"s observation that, if the attitude vis a vis Victims of Human Rights' Violations (f.ex. Political Refugees and other Persons harassed for Political motives, or even simply People obliged to masively flee really Violent Conflicts, destructive Wars, Foreign Military Invasions/Ocupations, etc), was limited merely into treating them as "Poor" People, given the consequences provoked by the Crimes earlier committed against them, then, this risked to help Hide even horrible Crimes, i.e. to perpetuate a scandalous and Dangerous Impunity, (instead of Denouncing them, and helping to Find and Punish those Responsible), so that they would become a kind of "Crime Parfait" ("Perfect Crime")...

However, this should go hand by hand together with restoring Victims' Human Dignity, and Responsibility, inter alia by helping them to re-integrate Society and progressively become anew independent, while also encouraging the return of inter-generational solidarity. (...).

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But, it's not only a matter of Charity :
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+ When "EuroFora" asked CoE's Social Charter Committee's President, prof. Luis Jimena Quesada, the main reason for which he had just agreed with the PanEuropean Conference of INGOs (International Non-Governemental Organizations, such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, etc) to make a thorough review of the overall situation today vis a vis Article 30 of the ESC, according to which : - "Everyone has the Right to Protection againbst Poverty and Social Exclusion", his reaction was adamant :

- "It's simply in order to make it crystal-clear to everybody that the Fight against Poverty is a Right, and not a Charity !", President Quesada stressed in his reply to "EuroFora"'s question.

=> INGOs have recently aquired, indeed, a Legal Competence to eventually lodge Collective Complaints, against one or another COE's Member Country, to its competent Committee (chaired by Quesada) due to check Violations to the European Social Charter.

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    - Indeed, today, "the Facts are Disturbing", denounced earlier CoE's Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland. :

- "Inequality is on the Rise in all European Countries".

 - "Some Suffer from MalNutrition and Poor Housing, while, at the same time, 30% of the Food produced in Europe is Discarded, and Thousands of Homes remain Vacant",
=> But, "Divided and Unequal Societies are not only Unjust, they also canNot guarantee Security", Jagland has also warned.

- "Only in the EU, more than 80 Millions Europeans live in Poverty" today.

- "In some Countries, the Economic Crisis has plunged People into new Depths of Poverty" : - F.ex. "in Greece", today (i.e. after 2009/2010), "over 20% of the Population is living below the Poverty line", (while in the past it wasn't at all the case). "This percentage is Higher than that of Iran, Mexico and the West Bank" !

>>> But, "at the same time, Greece is among the EU Countries with the Greates Inequalities : The Richest 20% of the population have an Annual Income that is X 6 Times that of the Poorest 20 %" !!!!!!......

But, "this is not just a Greek problem : Throughout Europe, the Gap between the Extremes in Income and Wealth is Growing at an Alarming pace", Yagland denounced.
+ To this is even added an "Increased Unequal distribution not only of salaries and weath, but also ofo the Capacity to Access Quality Education, Housing, Public Services, and Social Protection", COE's Head criticized.

F.ex. "in Spain, Unemployment has reached an all time High of 26%. The Jobless rate for Young People is even More Schocking : 56% !"

+ And even "those who do have Work, are often Trapped in Low-paying or Temporary Jobs"...

=> In consequence, "Families are left Exposed to the full brunt of the (Global) Crisis", and "we read about Young Families who can't pay for Heating, caN't pay for their Childrens' Clothes", etc., while "recent Figures show that Severe Material deprivation has surged to 31% in Latvia and 44% in Bulgaria"..  

"These Numbers are Deeply Disturbing", Jagland criticized.
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+ "It's not only because of the Economic Crisis", observed also CoE's Secretary General Jagland, speaking of People seriously Discriminated against, such as Roma and various other Minority groups.

+> More widely, "Man's inclination to Injustice makes Democracy Necessary", Jagland pointed out.

- "It is Unacceptable that People in Poverty have Lesser Rights than those living in affluence", CoE's SG denounced.
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    => EU Commission just yesterday adopted a new policy initiative called "Social Investment" package, in order to have (EU) Member States invest in the Social Consequences of ...., which we know are very serious, and risk to make it  harder to reach the Objectives of "2020 Europe", where, Unfortunately, .. in most Member States the situation has not improved, but became even more difficult", anounced from the outset the competent EU Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs a    nd Inclusion, Laszlo Aldor.

    => "We (EU) have to use more efficiently the existing EU Funds, as the Social Fund, etc., and "We (EU) need more instruments if we want to achieve desired results", he stressed.

    - That's why, "EUCommission proposed to give at least 25% of  Cohesion Policy Funds  to the Social Fund, ... We also said that at least 2O% of the (EU) Social Fund should be going to programs in the area of Social Inclusion and the Fight against Poverty, to Integrate Marginalized Groups in the Labor Market and in Society, which are Highly Relative Today", Aldor reminded.

    + "But, the most Important is that the Practice can be Improved", so that "these EU Funds can be Used more Effectively", he added.

    - In this regard he pointed f.ex. to "Policy Coordination via EU Semester, which  gives to EU Commission an opportunity every year to make Proposals on how to implement Structural Reforms, and Reforms that can lead to a Better Social Outcome, to improve the Effciency of (EU) Member States, etc.

    - And he also advised to - "Address the situation ... in full front, not just one, Education, Employment, Housing and Health care, f.ex. on Roma People, etc., i.e. an area where the Efficiency .. can be further improved", as Andor observed later. ----------------------------------

    + CoE's Secretary General, Jagland, strongly supported Andor's approach :  - "(EU) Commissioner Andor has Rightly pointed out yesterday at the Launch of the EU's Social Investment Package", also because "Investment in Human Capital and Social Cohesion is key to ... emerging Stronger from the (Global) Crisis ".

     - But, moreover; "Important Questions" are raised, such as : .. Whether our (CoE's) existing Human Rights framework is Sufficient tp Protect People from Poverty : - "Sadly, the Answer ... is a clear "No !". We are Falling Short !", Jagland warned, pointing at the need for New Tools.

=> - On this regard, "CoE's Guide for a renewed Strategy against the Heigheting of Poverty and Inequalities, that we are Launching" these days, points out that "It's also important to provide a Legal Framework for Common Goods", for "a New Approach", currently "needed", in order "to ensure Equal Access to material and Immaterial Resources", "including  "to QUality Services, such as Education, Health, quality Housing, such as Energy and Water, as well as to Knowledge and Education".

+ >>> In parallel, "we need to Strengthen Democracy by giving a Voice to all Citizens - Poor and prosperous alike", the Head of the PanEuropean Organisation

 - Because "those who took to the Streets and occupied Squares of Europe are a Powerful Reminder that we Neglect Segments of our Society, at our own Peril", as he denounced. "Fuelled by Frustration with the Crisis, many Europeans are Angry : ... They think that their Future has been Stolen from them", and "they have Lost Trust in the capacity of our Democratic Institutions to protect their Right to live in Dignity", Jagland stressed.

=> "It's High Time that we Restore that Trust. It's Time that we gave them a Voice !", concluded CoE's Secretary General.

- "Otherwise, we Risk Falling into an Enormous Poverty Trap", Jagland warned. ---

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- Currently EU Commission is under heavy Pressure on Social issues, and we (CoE) try to help resist from a Human Rights' point of view", resumed in substance the experienced CoE's Head of Social Cohesion unit, Gilda Farrell, speaking to "Eurofora" just a few Days after the latest EU Summit just hammered out, last week in Brussels, a first compromise on the controversy about EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives 2014-2020, which will start to be now negotiated with EU Parliament.

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+ Meanwhile, New Popular Movements like that of Beppe Grillo in Italy : called "5 Stars Movement", which claims to Fight Corruption and slash State Bureaucracy's and Politicians' privileges and expenses, impose real Transparency and direct Accountability of Bureaucrats and Politicians to Citizens, as well as to ensure at least an elementary level of livehood for all Citizens, (etc), might start mushrooming throughout many EU Countries, timely said to "EuroFora" the President of EU's Experts NGO "EUE-AISBL, experienced Enzo Reali : 

- "For the 1st time, Polls predict up to 20% of votes to such a 5 Stars Movement !" of Citizens, Reali told us smiling, just 2 Days before the forthcoming Elections In Rome, on Sunday February 24, (without making it however absolutely clear if it was a Warning or a Wish...) 

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 (NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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