Poverty and MGD

Right to life is the most important universal and unalienable right enshrined by Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Along with UDHR, national and international human rights instruments like fundamental rights provided by state constitutions of most of the countries, and the provisions made under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 have been promoting Right to Life of the people of the world, though several incidents of violation and abuse of this right are evident in present world.  

Right to life is associated MDGs in many respect. In reference to MDG 1, i.e. halving the poverty by half, cannot be achieved without ensuring the right to be nourished and ability to kill hunger to be survived. Though remarkable progress has been made in this regards since the announcement of MDGs in 2000, results demonstrate variation in achievement, and the neediest segment of population is still out of such security. Limited period is left to achieve expected goal (3 years left) demonstrates achieving this as herculean task.

Interim constitution of Nepal has guaranteed right to food sovereignty. However, its translation in practice is remained in low profile. The Government of Nepal has emphasized for eradicating poverty in its development policies and program since several years and recent 3 periodic plans are directly associated with this target; however, government documents defined poverty in narrow sense probably to demonstrate achievement. This is evident that Nepalese Government claims poverty in Nepal reduced to 25 percent, meantime, another study conducted by Oxford University in 2010 that sees poverty from wider perspective found 65 percent of poverty incidents. Though poverty has already been defined from wide perspective, Nepalese government still accept per capita income to ide its poor performance towards achieving the goal.  Events associated with hunger in remote areas of Nepal also show that Government’s efforts failed to break the vicious cycle of poverty. Far away from breaking it, viciousness has not even loosen-up.

·         Bashuli Bishta from Sunkada VDC of Far-West remote Hilly district, Bajhang committed suicide by hanged herself on the roof of her house on 21 May 2010 in after killing her minor daughter because of poverty.

·         In July 2010, Snju Devi Pujara, 35, of Lekgaun VDC, Bajhang District killed herself and her innocent two kids by jumping into Matekhola (river) of Bajhang District due to the incurable poverty in her family.

·         Similarly, in 15 Jun 2010, Kaushila Var, 22, of Sakarwali VDC-2, Nawalparashi (Central Terai) along with her newly born baby did suicide due to poverty.

·         In 10 August 2010, Kalpana Chaudhary,28, of Dagihat VDC of Morang District (Eastern Tarai) committed suicide by hanging herself since she could not manage the cost of treatment of her 10 years old daughter.

·         Miltimaya Rai,39, of Bahunidada VDC-4 of Khotang District (Eastern Hill) took poison to kill herself since she could not manage enough food to her children due to the poverty in July 12, 2010.

All these incidents (Reported in Newspaper) are just the representative cases of Nepal, with no differences in food-basket (Tarai) often perceived as well off groups (Brahmins) indigenous community (Rai) as well as the so called lowest casts (dalit). It means, poverty ignores social, geographical, administrative and caste/ethnic boundaries but gender. The feminization of poverty clearly evident that leading several women commit suicide along with their innocent children.

Among the Eight goals of Millennium Development Goals, Reducing the poverty is the first one.  The leaders of participating 186 countries agreed to reduce the rate of poverty by half by 2015 so designed the MDGs.  However, the Government document itself says that approximately Seven Hundred Thousand Nepalese earn less than 1 US$ a day, that obviously not enough to run their livelihood.

To be free from hunger is the fundamental human rights. To get rid from starvation is inherent rights.  To live in a dignified and healthy life people need sufficient of food.  However, half of the children below age 5 are suffering from malnutrition and nearly 6 million people in Nepal are in chronic poverty level.

All Human Rights are equal to all however, to enjoy other rights one has to be alive; and to be alive is only possible if he/she get sufficient food. UDHR assured the right to food and free from. Similarly, International Convention on Socio-Economic and Cultural rights 1966 emphasize for right to food to have descent life.

Estimation of World Bank shows 1.4 billion people in the world are living under extreme poverty. The global economic and financial crisis, which began in the developed countries in 2008, sparked abrupt economic recession. The impacts of recession varied across the countries.  Most of the advanced economies were hit severely whereas some emerging economies such as China, India could manage better to prevent the recession.  Better address of the recession in these emerging economies can imply that the many of the poor's of these countries could escape from the cycle of poverty.  Ten million people in China could escape line of poverty in last few decades.  MDG report mentions that robust growth in the first half of the decade reduced the number of people in developing regions living on less than $1.25 a day from 1.8 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2005, while the poverty rate dropped from 46 per cent to 27 percent. 

In South Asia, home of 30 percent of 1 billion people living below the $1 a day, millions are expected to come out of extreme poverty and improve their living standards in the region if a holistic and integrated approach is adopted towards achieving MDG goals.

Nepal's third report on MDG, 2010 mentions that Nepal is close to achieve several goals out of the eight by 2015. More expected better progresses are the reducing poverty, achieving universal primary education, promotion of health, and environmental sustainability. This progress is outstanding in context of a decade-long conflict and political instability. While there is striking progress in reducing poverty, in getting children into school and in saving the lives of children and mothers the national averages continues significant disparities across different ethnicity and ecological regions.  According to the country's third MDG Report, poverty came down to 25.4 percent in 2009 from 42 percent in 1996. The gains have been most impressive in the last five years with a 5 percent drop in poverty. Yet a quarter of the population still lives below the national poverty line and inequality is increasing. The proportion of working poor people who are working but earn less than a dollar a day is more than one in five. On hunger, nearly 40 percent of children below the age of five are underweight. 

Above information shows positive indications over the progress in MDGs. However, evidences presented from different parts of country demonstrated contradicted findings; hence, reported progress should be seen critically.  The World Bank’s report mentions that extreme poverty and hunger is still prevailed in some parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The report states that number of people earning less than one US$ increased by 800 thousand in Asia and by 9.2 million in sub-Saharan Africa demonstrating further widened inequalities.

Widening the economic progress is the foundation to fulfill and protect the rights to life and save people from hunger and poverty. Study of different countries show that political stability is the most important factor to gear up economic progress.  Therefore, youth of Nepal has the vital role in stabilizing the existing peace process and gaining political stability. It is imperative that all of the country's people reap the benefits of development, including the hard to-reach poor and those living in remote and at inaccessible areas, where delivering services is especially difficult. The well-being of those who are hardest hit by discrimination, exclusion, poverty and unemployment, is a major concern. It is expected that political stability will help to ensure the government services which will support poor people to claim and enjoy their rights. For example, government has declared free and compulsory education up to class 10 and distribution of 37 types of medicines free of cost from health post. Because of political liquidity the bureaucracy is escapable. When there is firm government youths can be empowered and mobilized for social work making people able to make their claims and enjoy their fundamental rights.  Gaining political stability will subsequently encourage the investment sector and it will have multiplier effects to widen the employment opportunities. The country has more than ten million youths.  Economic opportunities to this large mass of youth can really speed up the economic growth, reduce the extreme poverty, and secure the right to life as they will have sufficient food to eat.

As a youth leader I believe that youth can advocate for proper economic policies that can distribute the fruits of development to the ultra poor section of population. Enhancing employment opportunities, reducing inequalities, and eliminating social exclusion are the major challenges of present day Nepal. The more complex goals and targets that are not on track are full and productive employment of productive youth. Significant challenges also remain in areas like reducing hunger, women's empowerment, protecting biodiversity and in providing access to clean drinking water and maintaining sanitation. We know what needs to be achieved to turn these indicators around for good policies that are sustained from one year to the next, clear roles and responsibilities for all those involved, greater resources directed to the community level for allocation and oversight, and a laser-focus on results. Nepal has shown the way on maternal and infant mortality since achieving remarkable progress in it, in which role of youth cannot be undermined. Youth, now want to translate this success to eliminate the hunger, promote drinking water and sanitation quality, and reduce inequality.

Extreme poverty has a detrimental impact on all aspect of human development that needs to be eradicated to ensure a life with dignity.  However, evidences from remote villages and reports from national and international development agencies often do not tone with.  In a fragile political scenario neither the duty bearers nor the rights holders are capable enough to protect, fulfill and respect the universal human rights.  In this context, accountability of youths is vital to direct the country to peace, stability, growth, distribution and attainment of all human rights by all.