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.pdfsame amount, 380 billions, but in this case are rubles and not dollars (equal to 12,4 billions of dollars). The minimum wage imposed by the government at the moment correspond to 150 dollars for month, despite a minimum real cost of living estimated about 6200 rubles for month, equal to 200 dollars. A Russian accounting company, the Fbk, recently has collocated Russia among the last positions of a rank of 52 countries, filled out depending on the relation between the minimum wage and the buying power, resolving that minimum wages are by far out of proportion compared with the cost of living. On the basis of the capital coefficient published by the Country's statistics services - an index that quantify the richest and poorest segments of the population - the rich have gone on making money, while the poor keep, more or less, the same position. In 1995 the coefficient was 13,5 and it has grown continuously (despite a stall due to the economic crisis) till it has reached 16,1 in 2011. "The index has kept on growing, as further proof of the fact that the gap between rich and poor, the higher and the lower social class, is getting wider - comments Anna Bogdyukevich, a macroeconomics expert and a fixed incomes analyst for Aton Capital society - That's been the trend in the nineties and in the later years, and this is the trend that goes on even now". If you dig a little deeper, you'll discover that the general context is multi-colored: the PIL (preferred item list) has grown from the equivalent of 260 billions of dollars of 2000 to the current 1860 billions of dollars and less and less Russians live underneath the poverty threshold, as a further proof of the fact that the living standards improve along all the pyramid.
According to Natalya Bondarenko, sociologist of Levada's center, at the middle of the nineties between the fifteen and the twenty percent of the Russians considered their income barely sufficient to take care of themselves, against the 5- 6 percent that today says the same. Also the composition of the poorest bracket of the population has really changed, says Bondarenko: in the nineties the poorest Russians were mainly civil servants and in particular retirees, while today are adults are able to work, that have a family but hadn't succeeded in the labor market or in finding a job. The reason of this is that the government, to alleviate poverty, has relied less upon legal measures and more upon welfare payment, and we can clearly see that in the retirement section: statistics indeed stress that last year there was a constant retirement increase, that has reached the average amount of 8.200 rubles for month. Natalya Bondarenko has also declared that the public outlay has brought national employees and retirees over the poverty threshold. But the government is very criticized for just placing money for this problem, without trying to solve adequately the main causes of poverty. Bondarenko, for example, recommends to increase minimum wage: "The government just pays money, but this isn't the politic followed by occidental politics. You don't give people the fishing rod so that they can fish by their own, but you just give them fish. As a consequence, people become addicted to this system, and are exposed to a certain kind of manipulation. And things go on like this."
According to Rosstat's statistic services, in Russia about 18 millions of people - equal to 13 percent of the entire population - live under the poverty threshold
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officially agreed by the government. Anyway, analysts say that the real number of poor population would be a lot higher. "Russian poverty threshold is very low" declares Anna Bogdyukevich. "But if we compare it with European indexes, we see that poverty threshold in Russia is considerably lower. It follows that the number of people that live in real destitution appears less numerous that in reality". Thanks to other Russian standards, the country is in a good position compared with other countries, even in terms of Gini's global coefficient, the index that quantify the income distribution, in regard of many wealth indexes, included the possessions. The more a country is near to the zero, the more fair is considered the income distribution. In 2010 Russia obtained 42 (worse than 2011, when she obtained 39,9), but she stood in a position of greater equality than America and other countries that are in the Brics.
Anyway, there are efficient explanations at the base of this pretty good Russian performance compared with this index, for example the collapse of the Soviet Union that has activated a fast and massive privatization of the demesne, when the government simply gave in the property of public apartments to its citizens. Statistics are easily misunderstood or eluded, and it's known that richest people often bring to foreign countries their assets and that some people, with the highest assets, guard their savings outside banks, and as a consequence their fortune escape from any quantification attempt.
Tom Balforth, Russia Today, 17 January 2013
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Read the article again and explain the following words:
1.insufficient
2.staying out
3.owe
4.underneath
5.collocate
6.by far
7.stall (застой)
8.PIL
9.barely
10.retiree
11.alleviate
12.constant
13.declare
14.public outlay
15.occidental
16.addict
17.entire
18.destitution
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19.income distribution
20.fair
21.explanation
22.demesne [di’mein]
23.elude
Answer the questions:
1.So, what do you think about who will fill the social gap?
2.Where do you think there is poverty in your daily life?
3.How we can eliminate poverty in Russia today?
4.What countries form the BRIC union? Is it an international or regional organization?
5.How Gini global coefficient is measured?
6.What we need to do to make the world better?
FOLLOW-UP
Make a short summary of the article using 4-5 sentences.
UNIT 5
WARM UP
How do you understand “relative poverty”?
READING
Skim through the text fairly quickly and tell the audience its main idea. ISHEN'S STORY
Although Ishen has a roof over her head and is able to go to school, she is one of the 3.6 million British children living in poverty. To her, poverty means seeing her mother struggle to make ends meet, being unable to go on school trips and feeling excluded by her peers because she is not wearing fashionable clothes and has no money to spend on outings.
Ishen's father left when she was a young child and her mother suffers from osteoarthritis and is too sick to work. While income support from the government allows covers her basic needs, Ishen lives without many of the things that her friends take for granted: she has no washing machine at home and she and her mother often have to think very carefully about meals.
When Ishen's school uniform gets old and shabby, she blows that her mother will find it very difficult to come up with the money needed to purchase a new one. So
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Ishen holds off for as long as she can, despite the fact that she often feels uncomfortable amidst her better-off peers.
"My friends at school can't understand what I go through because they have not experienced poverty first-hand, " says Ishen, "They do not understand that when I say I can't go to the cinema, it is not because I don't want to go, but because I simply can 7 afford to buy a ticket."
Ishen's plight is clearly not as extreme as that of many children living in developing countries where poverty is often absolute. However, childhood poverty has many dimensions which are not necessarily captured by the $1 a day measure. Poverty of expectation, of education and stimulus, of time and love and care, may all leave a child deprived in ways that have profound effects in both the short and long term.
Although it is widely assumed that child poverty in rich countries is on a steady downward track that is not the case. In fact, child poverty has risen in 17 of the 24 countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
www.unicef.org
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Read the article again and explain the following words:
1.outing(s)
2.(better-off) peer
3.osteoarthritis
4.amidst (amid)
5.poverty first-hand
6.plight
7.expectation
8.deprived
9.in ways that
10.profound effect
11.short and long term
12.widely assumed
13.on downward track
Answer the questions:
1.Can we think that Ishen's problem shouldn't be discussed because we have more serious problems (extreme poverty in developing countries, war and military operations)?
2.Is such poverty similar in Russia?
3.Why does Ishen feel excluded by her peers?
4.Why her friends couldn't understand her situation?
5.How many countries belonging to the OECD suffer from child poverty?
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6.How can we solve child poverty?
7.Have you ever felt "poor" in any situation?
UNIT 6
WARM UP
What is your solution to defeat poverty? And when do you think poverty will be defeated?
READING
Skim through the text fairly quickly and tell the audience its main idea.
ONU believes it: poverty can be defeated within 2015
Defeating poverty within 2015 "is possible", at least according to the United Nations report "Millennium Development Goals report 2011". According to the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, "from today till 2015 we must guarantee that the promises made will be kept". The intervention strategics, from the scholastic education expansion to the fight against childhood mortality and to the access to drinking water, according to the United
Nations "helped many people overcoming poverty". Almost twelve years ago, had been signed the "Millennium Declaration", and it had defined eight great goals, from the reduction of poverty to the schooling and health condition increase. In these days report, however, some distortions elements aren't specified. For example, many of the good outcomes obtained by the Asian continent derive from the great Chinese increase (a constant increase of 10 percent since 1990).
The helps that are effectively fitted seem to fail in social equity, like in the African continent, where many foreign 1 investments indeed increase the earnings in the country, but they arc linked to a consistent increase of inequalities, because of the present corruption. As a further proof of this fact, the Gini index (that measures income inequalities) records the highest values precisely in Africa. According to Giovanni Carbone, teacher of the Bocconi university, i researcher at the international political studies Institute (Ispi), the signals are encouraging, especially "the sharp increase not only Asian but also of Subsaharian Africa: 3 or 4 years ago indeed people were more skeptical about poverty defeat". Precisely in the general condition of the African continent "something is changing. Even if 2015 remains an ambitious goal, something has been put in motion, like testify the high growth rate recorded in the last 7 years. Surely we are no more in a stalemate". Carbone underlines the importance of the United Nations intervention,
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especially in the peace keeping processes that have obtained remarkable results in the last years, in particular in the democratization processes.
But is it possible to defeat poverty within 2015? The conclusive scheme, after so many optimistic words, raises some doubts. In the great diagram, UN paints green everything that considers reached or reachable within 2015, but most part of the goals has been reached only in North Africa and in Central Asia, that's to say China. Critical and very difficult remains the situation of the Subsaharian Africa, of the Asiatic south-east and of the Latin America. And by now it misses only 3 years to 2015.
Alessandro Moniesi LINKIESTA, 26 December 2011
COMPREHENSION CHECK
Read the article again and explain the following words:
1.scholastic education
2.social equity
3.encourage
4.ambitious goal
5.put in motion
6.high growth rate
7.stalemate
8.intervention
9.obtain
Answer the questions:
What do you think the most important from the eight great goals? (3 out of 8)
Do you think that poverty can be defeated in 3 years? Why or why not? Where do we see the highest corruption?
Why did the UN obtain remarkable results? Where does the situation remain very difficult?
Is there a best solution to defeat the poverty in the world?
What kind of concrete actions have you done to fight poverty around you?
FOLLOW-UP
Make a short summary of the article using 3-4 sentences.
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UNIT 7
WARM UP
Discussion. What is your place in life? Is it connected with your occupation? Why?/Why not?
READING
Read this short story of a woman and say how she was able to find her place.
I HAVE FINALLY FOUND MY PLACE
"Three years ago, I found myself jobless, but it was very hard for me to find a new job, as I didn't have much experience, moreover I had only finished primary school. I had to tackle very serious economic problems. I had heard that Caritas managed a sort of vocational training service funded by the European Social Fund. I went there and spoke to Concha, a social worker. After some interviews I understood that my professional goal was to work in the administrative field. It was a far-away dream! However, I was determined to fight, for my son and myself. I received a huge support from Caritas. I increased my self esteem, and I rediscovered my capacity to do things and meet people. The first jobs I obtained were as a house help and dish-washer in a restaurant far from home. It was hard. But Concha was always there to urge me not to give up. Every night after work I attended a course: marketing, accounting, IT! Last October I found a job as administrative employee in an agency offering services to firms. I started with a sixmonth contract, and then I was hired indefinitely. I am so happy! I have a job! I feel useful; I have found my place in society!".
Maria, 30 years old, CARITAS SPAIN
Read the story again and explain the following words:
1.Vocational
2.administrative field
3.self esteem
4.capacity
5.obtain
6.urge
7.indefinitely
Answer the questions:
1.What qualities helped her to achieve her goal?
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2.Was it luck or a determination that she found a job?
3.Take a time and find out what is Caritas.
Read what happened on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and tell the class what is important in this story.
COMMEMORATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE
ERADICATION OF POVERTY
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadero in Paris , where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day [1992]. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17th to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York (see the picture).
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Read the article again and explain the following words:
1.trace back
2.to honour
3.affirm
4.inscribe
5.unveil
6.replica
7.commemoration
8.homage
9.inevitable
10.pledge
11.solemn duty
FOLLOW-UP
Make a short summary of the article.
UNIT 8
WARM UP
Do you think that poverty could be eliminated?
READING
Read the article and try to answer the questions listed.
THE PROMISES OF GROWTH
Two centuries ago, the beginning of economic growth history led the people to think about a new time, full of promises of improving human condition. The main promises were: 1) economic wealth; 2) release from the hard work; 3) the increase of happiness. A couple of centuries is enough time to make an initial assessment.
Have these promises been met or betrayed?
Why are people so interested with the money?
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-Jacques Beniane Bossuet (Dijon. 27 September 1627 - Paris, 12 April 1704): “...has spread among the people a certain liberality of imagination, that creates new needs...and came out that - you won't believe me - you can be poor lacking in nothing.”
Keynes predicted that in 2030 the British working week would have been of 15 hours. But, the initial promise of industrialism to free man progressively from the hard work seems largely to have been betrayed. The gradual increase of labor productivity has not guaranteed the expected increase of free time and in advanced societies work continues to absorb most of the vital energies of individuals. The double job then is a widespread phenomenon in many countries, and not only for those who are forced to do so to reach a minimum wage.
Why are people in wealth economies still so interested in the money? What prevents them from enjoying life more, working and accumulating less?
Read the article and make a short summary.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The 7th of the "Millennium development goals" mentions the strategy of Carbon Management, which confirms the commitment to improve the efficiency of power plants with a view of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.
Regarding this, with a wider perspective, the speech of the Uruguayan president Jose Mujica in the Rio G20 summit (20/06/12), are relevant.
"Notwithstanding, let us take this opportunity to ask some questions out loud. All afternoon long, we have been talking about sustainable development, about
rescuing the masses from the claws of poverty.
What is it that flutters within our minds? Is it the model of development and consumption, which is shaped after that of affluent societies? I ask this question: what would happen to this planet if the people of India had the same number of cars per family as the Germans? How much oxygen would there be left for us to breathe? More clearly: Does the world today have the material elements to
enable 7 or 8 billion people to enjoy the same level of consumption and squandering as the most affluent Western societies? Will that ever be possible? Or will we have to start a different type of discussion one day? Because we have created this civilization in which we live: the progeny of the market, of the competition, which has begotten prodigious and explosive material progress. But
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