ACCESS, CONVENIENCE TO EDUCATION

In many countries we observed the importance of the literacy, as a way for maintain a culture, a social development way or just like a compromise with international agreements as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

In this point we can converge with some vision about the elemental right that literacy represents for any human being. I think that Maximalist vision is appropriated for this item.

Any person needs literacy for get access to others human rights, as the political participation or get a job. These opportunities bring benefits to all member of a society, building a culture, a social solidarity and equal citizenships.

That is why I call it, a key for development. Few governments understand how to use it for stimulate the development.

Amartya Sen, talks in his book Development as freedom, how important is the expansion of freedom to contribute to the abilities of each person. I agree with this idea and I emphasize his claim that the possibility for any country to provide each of its members access to education, regardless of their level of development.

The following points to consider to increase the literacy:

• Literacy is a means of development that must be consider as an opportunity;
• Governments must implement effective education policies;
• The literacy must be accompanied by other human rights, such as the right to food, access to well paid jobs and equal opportunities;
• Indigenous groups deserve special attention and the recognition of their languages;
• Illiteracy limits the civil and political rights of any citizen, therefore, must be addressed in line with the recommendations made by Human Rights Committee of the United Nations,

SOURCE: Erick Hernandez -Monday, February 8, 2010

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ACCESS, CONVENIENCE TO EMPLOYMENT

GENERATING EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS

• There have been many attempts in both developed and developing countries to assist disadvantaged groups in gaining access to income-earning opportunities and formal jobs. Helping disadvantaged groups to find and keep paying jobs (including self-employment) is considered the best way to raise the incomes of disadvantaged groups and enable them to play an active role in society.
• These attempts can be broadly described as active labour market programmes and include employment services, training, public works, wage and employment subsidies and self-employment assistance. The programmes are aimed at improving labour supply (for example, training); increasing labour demand (for example, public works, wage subsidies); and improving the functioning of the labour market (for example, employment services). The programmes are often targeted at the longterm unemployed, including youth, workers in poor families and particular groups with labour market disadvantages, such as those with disabilities. It is important to note that these programmes have important social, as well as economic, objectives.
• Impact evaluations by the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and others suggest that the above programmes are not a panacea for creating employment but that some types of intervention policies, properly designed, could be effective for some workers.20
• The evidence suggests that the programmes can be successful if they involve a comprehensive package of services, are tightly targeted at a particular group, oriented to labour demand and linked to real workplaces. For disadvantaged workers, the most effective programmes are those that emphasize employment services (counselling, job search assistance), training (grants, subsidies) and wage or employment subsidies.
• Most Governments, including those of Pacific island countries, have little choice but to use active programming as one instrument in their response to the economic and social problems associated with unemployment and poverty in the labour force.
• Many of the countries have introduced programmes to create youth employment opportunities, assist women in entering or re-entering the labour force, provide micro-enterprise development assistance, and employment services, and raise awareness about the plight of those with disabilities. There is little information available concerning the effectiveness of these interventions so far.

SOURCE: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC-Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries/Ninth session 4-5 April 2006 Jakarta

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ACCESS, CONVENIENCE TO hEALTH

Access to Basic Medical Care

But why does poverty mean that people are more likely to suffer from ill health or serious illness? In simple terms, poverty often means people lack access to medical services. Even where healthcare is available, poor people cannot afford to pay for it or it is prohibitively expensive. As the World Health Statistics 2009 reveal, people in the poorest countries paid 85 percent 'out of pocket' for their healthcare costs in 2006. More than 60 percent of medication in low-income countries is only available through the private sector, where the cost is more than six times the international market price. The poorest people suffering from the worst health outcomes due to poverty, in other words, are forced to pay the highest proportionate costs for healthcare.

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