Towards the World Conference on Social Work and Social Development 2016: in search of greater equity in the Latin America region

There has been increased evidence that the countries that allocate substantial funds to social spending are also countries that can demonstrate significant achievements in reducing economic informality, and therefore, poverty. In this context one could mention Uruguay, Chile, Brazil and Costa Rica, where the number of employees contributing to pension funds is about 80 per cent of the total. Building up social capacity has a positive effect in encouraging individuals to participate in pension schemes, eventually strengthening pension funds and their own security.

The region provides very encouraging examples of effective social security policies, aimed at improved coverage and poverty reduction. Argentina, having introduced family allowances, reduced poverty by almost 20 per cent; in Brazil, rural social insurance covers up to 80 per cent of the population in rural areas. The introduction of “Renta Dignidad” in Bolivia contributed to the reduction of poverty by 6 per cent, while in Uruguay the universal basic pension was introduced for all persons over 65 years old.

In the Dominican Republic inclusive public policies in the social area brought about increased purchasing capacity on the part of Dominicans – while in 2007 health care spending consumed 35 per cent of family income, in 2014 it fell to 22 per cent. The program Solidaridad (Solidarity) provides citizens with benefits and subsidies, in a transparent way, covering such areas as electricity, gas for domestic use, assistance to older persons and people with disabilities, and others. The program covers about 873 thousand households, with benefits provided to more than a million poor people. According to ECLAC data, extreme poverty has been reduced in that country by half — from 16 to 8 per cent. More than 3 million beneficiaries enjoy the Health Subsidized Regimen in 2015, with the aim of increasing the number by 4000 people; 100,000 young children and 50,000 domestic workers were included in this program. The quality public services aimed at providing meals to school children have been expanded, significantly, decreasing the fixed costs of families regarding food. The social protection scheme also includes support provided by the Ministry of Education throughout the school year to students in the schools with extended hours (from 8 am to 4 pm). The free benefits include breakfast, lunch and a snack, apart from the books, uniforms, shoes and backpacks.

Solidarity

Vulnerability to shocks, poverty and the inequality prevalent around the world, particularly when people lack social protection, often foster individualism and attitudes of indifference, even in the presence of social perils, thus undermining the solidarity indispensable for social action. In the XXI century we are witnessing numerous scientific and technological breakthroughs, but at the same time we can’t leave unnoticed the dehumanizing trends in society, when consumerism becomes a supreme value, as emphasized by Frei Betto in his statement “Dignity and Human Values” during the preconference in Brazil.

Today, more than ever, in the face of huge challenges, we need to foster universal support for people in need, as well as solidarity for organizations dealing with social work. It is not only about feeding people or providing them with shelter and health care. It is more than that, it is about social changes that would enable citizens to have a dream, a life project. We must create a world where civil education has its firm place, where a person can expand his horizons and go beyond his expectations.

We must promote social re-engineering, so that international solidarity can set stronger roots, be creative and foster values based on social work oriented towards the needs of local communities.

We should not depend on some passing fads regarding solidarity; rather we must prevail in advancing our vision and values. Facing the increase of poverty, individualism and consumerism, we must strengthen the civil society organizations that we belong to. Belonging to a global organization such as the ICSW enables us — in the globalized world in which live — to have a say in the influential international organizations that have a positive impact on our daily work. Working not for the sake of material benefits, but because of the importance of the course of action chosen, we can move forward. This sense of belonging is important, as it enables us to build a decent future with the participation of all of us in the organization, at all levels, allowing our voices to be heard at home and at the international forums.

Towards Seoul

Looking for an exchange of experiences, as well as to develop common proposals and guidelines for action, we convened an important international forum in the Dominican Republic in December 2014 aimed at discussing ways and means for making the social protection systems on the continent more equitable and humane. The Governments, civil society organizations and international organizations present at the Forum drew up lines of work and agreed on some basic principles aimed at continuing to work on social protection floors, responding to the needs of the population and taking into account the existing domestic economic conditions. The discussions continued in March this year in San Paulo, Brazil at the Forum sponsored by SESC, CBCISS and ICSW, which aimed at discussing the issues of dignity and values in the context of the forthcoming Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development in Seoul.

The human dimension of social policies prevailed during the interesting and productive discussions, enriching the vision of the participants and paving the way for some conclusions and recommendations. The Sao Paulo Forum underscored the importance of dignity in all aspects of social development and social work, emphasizing the essential links between dignified existence and citizenship, the paramount role of education in articulating a long-term life vision and in finding a sense of purpose in life. It was stressed that the humanization of health care requires compassionate approaches and attitudes built upon individual engagement, not charity. Given the longevity trends, ageing with dignity and active ageing are vitally important in the contemporary world. These and other reflections of the participants facilitate our understanding of the dignity discourse, even though they do not exhaust all manifestations in today’s world.