Debate on Poverty

On 13 April 2007 a small group met to detail further activities of the Commission on Health and Social Affairs which were decided on the Annual Meeting, 3-5 October 2006 in Rostock. In October the discussions took migration and integration into thorough consideration. On that occasion a core group of participants pronounced its will to continue working together and to join experiences in a project on Combatting Xenophobia in Municipalities. As this term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one's self, the theme shall be approached in a wider range. An application to the European Social Fund will be prepared to be handed in at the beginning of 2008.

"Economy Is Booming - So Is Children's Poverty", this could be found as one of the headlines in Süddeutsche Zeitung on 23 April 2007. This article was only one of several that German media felt urged to publish on a newly conducted study by an institute for labour market and youth welfare issues. Surely you are familiar with this kind of news in your own country.

The Annual Meeting of the Commission has just been held on 15-18 May in Kristiansand/Norway and was devoted to "Combatting Poverty and Social Exclusion of Children". As poverty is an increasing phenomenon in European cities it is necessary to put light into it and to learn what cities can do to meet the problem. Poverty of children is strongly correlated to the situation of the families they live in. It is often due to economical reasons that families drive off to social margin-alization. The consequence is a lack of chances for children to take an active part in social life with all its possibilities. Local politicians, social workers and executives were invited to the meeting in order to debate on this topic of high relevance.