“It is only progress if we all progress”. This is one of the slogans that the La Caixa Foundation exhibited yesterday at the Keys for social progress event, and with which Antón Costas, economist and current president of the Economic and Social Council of Spain, “totally” agreed (CES).
Because, he asserts, contrary to what was imposed as a mantra in the economic world at the end of the last century, that the generation of wealth was enough to reduce poverty, the reality is that subsequent studies rule out the veracity of this statement ( “How is it understood, then, that Spain, one of the world’s strong economies, is at the bottom of the EU in terms of child poverty, with 2.4 million children living below the poverty line?” ). On the contrary, Costas pointed out, it has become clear that the most just and supportive societies are those with a more efficient and sustainable economy. “A fairer society does not harm the economy at all”, he said.
And along these lines, a new study by the Social Observatory of the La Caixa Foundation reveals that, despite the economic situation in Spain between 2016 and 2020 and unlike the rest of European countries, there was no reduction in the incidence of poverty. The study Dynamics of multidimensional poverty in Spain and other European countries concludes that poor people have a greater risk of facing new shortages (such as overcrowding, low pay, low work intensity or poor health) and less likely to stop suffering from the deprivations they already have compared to people who are not poor.
And he points out that social programs are decisive in getting people out of this spiral of poverty.
What should be done? The deputy director of the La Caixa Foundation, Elisa Durán, and the deputy director general of the entity, Marc Simón, are advocating to change the model. “We need a new social contract that eradicates poverty, improves working conditions and bets on education as a lever for change”.
Durán recalled that the La Caixa Foundation is committed to collaborative philanthropy with all agents in the territory. Of course, a professionalized philanthropy, something that Costas is also committed to. “To carry out a lasting social action it is important to measure the impact of the interventions and evaluate the results to reach more people”, he indicated.
The event was attended by the protagonists of the documentary project Lives Explained: 14 stories of overcoming, which gives voice to people at risk of exclusion who share the learnings in a positive way after experiencing different complex situations. Each one from their particular perspective and unique experience.
This project, focused on raising public awareness, shows that it is possible to develop capacity and empowerment to get out of situations of vulnerability through network interventions, together with entities and institutions. The 14 stories will form a calendar (one story per month, including December 2023 and January 2025) that will reach more than a million homes.
The event was attended by some protagonists, such as Bárbara, a young Venezuelan who arrived in Galicia at the age of 15 and who, thanks to the CaixaProinfancia program, received support classes from the 4th grade of ESO until the end of high school . He is now studying at university.
And Diego, who has participated in the María José Jove Foundation since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and who is a sailing champion: “Sailing makes you forget what you lost, what you lack, and still reach port”.