RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
Opo

'One-third' of Maori children in poverty

Recommended Posts

So where's the settlement money going then? Have Te Maori got their hand out again?

-------

Maori children are being denied their basic human rights, Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres said.

The Maori Affairs Select Committee is holding an inquiry into the wellbeing of Maori children.

Mr de Bres this morning told the committee Maori children had basic rights to be free from discrimination, for their language and culture to be respected and nourished, to have an adequate standard of living and to health, education, safety and housing.

"This is not the case for many Maori children at present."

Of the quarter of a million Maori children in New Zealand, a third were living in poverty and hardship, he said.

He called on the Government to engage with Maori, including children, on an ongoing basis, to collect data on progress and the address barriers within public agencies that prevented Maori children having full enjoyment of their human rights.

Unicef spokeswoman Barbara Lambourn said it was disheartening that after years of talking about the crisis for Maori children had not been solved.

"I don't say that there has not been effort but we just haven't been able to achieve the results that we want."

New Zealand society had become more unequal and the solutions would have to be multi-faceted, she said.

But the state had a responsibility to children, who are "our most vital state asset".

There should be a basic standard of care for all children and then targeted assistance for those who most needed it, she told the committee.

Ms Lambourn called on the MPs to have political courage and will.

Regional Public Health team leader Mereana Wilson said the latest news about the Kahui twins showed how important this issue was.

"Those first six months are vital and we only know too well, watching the news this morning with the Kahui twins, how important that investment and supporting of our whanau and our tamariki needs to occur.

"It takes a village to raise a child."

Improving the lives of children started by wrapping support around their parents before they were born, she said.

The committee also heard from education and health experts who called for greater cultural competencies in both sectors.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7347389/One-third-of-Maori-children-in-poverty

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No concern then about white children living in poverty? Perhaps there aren't any.

By Laura Frykberg

A new report has found more than half of the 200,000 children living in poverty in New Zealand are Maori or Pacific Island.

Experts say if nothing is done to help this growing underclass there will be serious implications, not just for their health but for the country as a whole.

It might seem an exaggeration to liken parts of New Zealand to third world countries, but the report on child welfare reveals the comparisons are becoming a harsh reality.

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Report-shows-New-Zealands-child-poverty-problem/tabid/423/articleID/224443/Default.aspx#ixzz21ctYdDTP

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i strongly beleive. that more than one third of alll nz children live in poverty..let it be because the parents are just in general ****wits that are to lazy to work, or to dumb to keep a job.. or plainly just living beyond their means.. as a nation we have a duty to help the weak.. young and old alike. some of us may not like doing that.. some may like it even less because of the colour of some of their skins or releigon... but for me poverty has not barriers.it is only those that abuse the good intentions of the nation to provide for their own greed and nasty habbits,i always say,educate people in handling money,educate them into a life style they can substain,wipe away the predujice of colour, but most of all of being poor. that is more wide spread...

thank you i have said my peace on this matter... and that is all i will say.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Let me quote from Noel B. Holmes' book "Trek Out Of Trouble". It was his review of the 1960 tour of South Africa by the All Blacks.

"It was ironic that despite the vastness of South Africa that we spent our first few days a mile or so away from Sharpeville. I was surprised to find a fairly high standard of housing. The houses were of solid red brick and were built to last. There was a community centre and the place was clean. I have seen more squalid Maori settlements in New Zealand's back country." ((page 46))

That was fifty two years ago!

In 2012 many young Maori people are living in squalor and it is the fault of the ((insert any outfit that can give you money)).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Depends on how you define poverty.

Are they living on garbage dumps and scrounging for food. Are they living in cardboard shacks,under bridges. Are they without any Social Welfare handouts or any financial help at all. Are they without any possibility of finding work either now or in the future.

If thats the case, yes they are poverty stricken.

But we all know thats not the case.

Poverty is relative to the society it is percieved to be part of.

To me it is nothing short of gross parental negligence by an indigeous race of people who have access to all manner of help. Ingrained and generational

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

help our Kiwi brothers and sisters and correct the wrongs - lets show some social heart here -give, don't, make yourself feel good and support our fellow countrymen and women - colour is of no moment here

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.