In My Canada?
No doubt about it - this is present-day 21st century Canada that has been found deficient in its protection of our most precious resource, our children. The recently-released United Nations report ranking the well-being of children in the more industrialized wealthy countries of the world has given us some pretty uncomfortable statistics and comparisons. They're sobering in that they're disturbing to our sense of self.We think of ourselves as caring and compassionate, we celebrate our freedoms and our security, our collective wealth as a nation. All of our public, civic institutions are examined and carefully corrected when found wanting to ensure that all of our citizens have access to the services required in a well-functioning democracy. We boast of our universal medicare, our hospital systems, our education systems, and we are proud.
Yes, we do cautiously acknowledge that we are not perfect, but, we say, we're trying to be as close to perfect as humanly possible. It seems, perforce, we give lip service to the quality of our overall lives. Yes, we have a booming economy, we have great natural resources to fall back upon; potable water, clean air, plentiful food supplies. We have a wealth of well-educated people, a strong work force, good relations with our neighbours.
Which is why it is so puzzling when we see people living in the streets of the great cities of this great nation. Which is why it's difficult to connect the dots from our national economic health to the travails of the working poor, our tradition of hereditary welfare families, our inability to absorb and make use of the skills of immigrant-professionals. Why does this country have such problems?
Why do almost 14% of this nation's children live in poverty? Why are there families with inadequate housing for whom regular visits to our now-institutionalized food banks are a must if they are to be able to feed their children? Why are there so many families with strong incomes more wedded to the concept of material acquisition than the obligation to care for their infants themselves rather than shop them out to day-care providers?
And the United Nations report points out that Canada ranks 12th on a list of 21 of the world's advantaged countries in the health and well being of our children, bringing us to a tie position with the less economically-advantaged country of Greece. Sweden and the Netherlands rated first and second, respectively.
Surprisingly enough British and American children are ranked among the worst off in the industrialized world at 20th and 21st, respectively. Isn't that absolutely amazing? Is that not utterly disgusting?
As for Canada, our children come in second in education, sixth for material well-being, recognizing our self-acknowledged failings. When it came to how young people viewed themselves subjectively on the status of their well-being we were 15th; behaviour and risks, 17th; peer and family relationships, 18th. In the 13th rank for health and safety.
It was additionally pointed out that 13.6 Canadian households live on incomes under half of what is recognized as the median family income in Canada. Nine other advanced countries have reduced their critically low-income households to 10%. So why, with all our wealth and the industry of our people, do we do so badly in support of our children?
The report suggests that wealth in and of itself does not guarantee a high ranking since many countries whose GDP lagged far behind the wealthier ones scored significantly ahead of the economically advanced countries. One can only suppose their responsibility criteria are held to a higher level of accountability.
Is it the will to surrender ourselves to the need to protect and promote our children's well-being that eludes us? Don't we know that to ignore the needs of our most vulnerable is to reduce our humanity, and the opportunities for Canada to advance in measures far more meaningful than GDP?
This is a message to the government to go right back to the drawing board. This is a signal for caring Canadians to direct their care where it's most needed.
Labels: Canada
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, February 15, 2007
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