By Maeve McGoldrick
The TUC conference Challenge Povertyism on the 17th October included a workshop from our Need NOT Greed campaign: challenging perceptions of people working cash-in-hand. Povertyism has been defined as discrimination against people experiencing poverty, negative attitudes to people experiencing poverty and as Professor Ruth Lister describes ‘Othering’ In all these interpretations the media and politicians have a responsibility and a role to play in eradicating poverty in the UK.
Poverty in the UK does not gain substantial coverage in the news, on documentaries or in the press. Yet there are numerous anti-poverty organisations campaigning to eradicate poverty, over 130 turned up for the End Child Poverty Rally on the 4th October. There is increasing dialogue between such organisations and government around how we can eradicate poverty in the UK. There is a lot less dialogue between politicians and people actually living in poverty, families trapped in the benefits system or the most vulnerable who are completely cut-off from any support from the state.
This absent dialogue is so important for two reasons. Firstly to make sure to make sure government is on the right track and has a sound understanding of the complexity of poverty. Secondly and most importantly so that people living poverty are participating in the process of eradicating poverty and can be actively involve in creating change. For any policy changes to work and be effective we must break down the barriers between society, government and people living in poverty. For a participatory approach read Voices for a Change and Communicating Poverty Report.
There is an increasing interest in a partnership between the media and people living in poverty in the UK: watch this video. We will be attending similar events over the coming months to form better relations with the media and establish a more informed understanding of working cash-in-hand. We will also be working more closely with politicians and influencing policy makers. At the conference we launched our report on MPs understanding of working cash-in-hand.
The Need NOT Greed campaign seeks to involve people working cash-in-hand in the decision making process and work with the media to create better understanding in society.
To find out more … or to get involved:
contact maeve.mcgoldrick@community-links.org
