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When poverty means not having enough to eat : Comments
By Sally Babbington, Sue King and Christine Ratnasingham, published 30/4/2007The debate about poverty definitions and measurement needs to be grounded in the actual experiences of people who are going without.
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You might recall I reported being cut off and left virtually homeless during Christmas.
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5318#66191
In total:
I have been cut of the dole eight times in less than a year through no fault of my own.
Three times last year during two cyclones (2006) and severely harassed by the Marriage Investors then and; reported to the local Building inspector on that occasion as well.
Frankly I am suspicious. The last time I was investigated by the Marriage Investors it was revealed that they were acting from a (so called anonymous) “tip-off” from inside my own community.
Anonymous?
How can this be allowed?
What is a person as skilled, intelligent and innovative as myself doing on the DOLE you might ask?
Due to the social-economic and political problems we have in this isolated rural region, I have been out spoken on issues of sustainable development. After not being able to find work, I formed a Candoo (mini) NGO. Given we have no “resource centre” I advocate and provide support services to others in difficulty. I write letters, submissions and campaign on local employment, health and crime prevention. Issues of self-determination through self-governance. I believe strongly in building capacity through civic engagement.
Regardless of how hard I try, I am ridiculed by many local-and regional officials, and nullified by a lack of government response, everywhere.
Politically I have been up against a regional and local mainstream silo. Somehow it could be I have been blacklisted by a small closed network who want me disempowered. See Altmann’s 2004 election letters.
To call-centres, I have reported to Centrelink, , the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), JobNet and JobFind and my local Council.
This is how poverty works in regional areas, where small populations divide on issues of disadvantage.
We lack important legal-political-cultural resources in all areas of administrative governance.
At ground level we lack a socio-economic specific kind of community infrastructure.
http://www.miacat.com
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