Anti-Poverty Week presents an opportunity to organise activities and events to shine a light on the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship and what can be done to address them.
Poverty is a particular concern in rural, regional and remote Australia. People living in rural and remote areas have lower average incomes than those in the capital cities and they may not be able to access essential services that other people take for granted, thus leading to a cycle of poverty and disadvantage.
The Productivity Commission has reported that the prevalence of deprivation is highest in large towns and rural areas and that residents of rural areas have higher rates of service exclusion, particularly in relation to medical and dental services, child care and financial services. The National Rural Health Alliance’s Fact Sheet on Poverty in Rural Australia (link http://ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/nrha-factsheet-poverty.pdf) sets out the picture of poverty, deprivation and hardship outside metropolitan Australia.
Anti-Poverty Week in Australia, this year on 15 – 21 October, is inspired by the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17). To enhance the breadth, flexibility and profile of activities that organisations and individuals might undertake, it has been expanded in Australia to include a full week and it addresses international as well as local issues.
The main aims of Anti-Poverty Week are: to strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and within Australia; and to encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.
The Week aims to encourage as many people as possible to express publicly their concern about poverty and hardship, particularly in a country as wealthy as ours. In this way it seeks to demonstrate that, contrary to assertions by many politicians and media commentators, most Australians remain concerned about these problems and want action taken to address them.
We encourage you to organise activities in your workplace, with partner organisations or in public forums. Speak out about poverty, its causes, consequences and the solutions, during Anti-Poverty Week this year.
Ideas for activities include speeches, exhibits, information stalls, performances, meetings and publications – on whatever issue reflects best your organisation’s concerns.
There is a range of resources that can be printed from the Anti-Poverty Week website http://www.antipovertyweek.org.au/resources/promotional-materials and they can send you posters, flyers and postcards.
Make sure you register your activity on the Anti-Poverty Week website (click on the red button on the front page – ‘Tell us of your activity’) so that Australia knows that many thousands of people in rural Australia care about this issue and want to do something about it.
For further information: phone 1300 797 290 or email [email protected] .
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