Getting to Know My International Contacts

Unfortunately, I have not heard from my list of professionals as of yet but I am not giving up just yet and so, I will be doing the Alternative assignment for this week.

I have chosen to also request several staff members of UNICEF to request email communication on poverty in both Jamaica and Mexico.

In addition, I am sharing 3 insights I’ve gained from studying UNICEF’s website on Child Poverty, Poverty Insights in Several Countries and the Global  Study on Child Poverty and Disparities.

One thing that I have learned is that deep-poverty or children living with families in below the poverty line is the same as children living with families in poverty around the world when it comes to children who become sick. Like America’s poor, many poor parents around the world often have to choose between providing care and earning a living when one of their children becomes sick and like America’s poor, this decision could result in the family not being able to pay the rent, buy food or even care for the sick child but since 1991, poor families in several countries around the world have participated in a 24-month program designed to provide direct assistance for food, medical care, job training, legal advice, housing assistance and government program help for families to gain skills and support for breaking the cycle of poverty (unicef.org, 74282).  

I also learned that UNICEF has an online publication entitled “Child Poverty Insights” (CPI) shares insights, experience and innovative developments on issues of child poverty, deprivation and inequity. The publication was launched in August 2009, and a variety of topics have been published which have been well-received by thousands of people in over 150 countries.  Each CPI responds to one of three important areas of child poverty and inequity, namely: 1) evidence: where high quality research results that focus on children’s inequity issues are reported; 2) think pieces: where new approaches to measuring or approaching child poverty and inequity are introduced; and 3) practice: where real-world programs are discussed to show examples of ‘best practice’ in responding to child poverty and inequity (unicef.org, 69227).

Lastly in September 2007, UNICEF launched a Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparities to strengthen the profile of children and study the global health, education and protection needs of children living in poor, vulnerable households and influence the economic and social policies that affect resource allocations in the hope of making children a priority in national programs addressing the poverty of families raising children in disadvantaged communities on the global study on child poverty and disparities blog (unicef.org, 45357).

            In reflection, it is empowering to know that there is an organization such as UNICEF committed to influencing policy, allocating resources and being a “watchman on the wall” committed to supporting its vision of respecting and protecting all children around the world (United, 2009). UNICEF also serves as a model for professionals like myself, who wish to continue advocating for all children, as well.    

References

http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_45357.html

http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_69227.htm

http://www.unicef.org/socialpolicy/index_74282.html

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (2009). The State of the World's Children: Special Edition (Research Report)                                    Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/sowc/pdfs/SOWC_Spec%20Ed_CRC_Main%20Report_EN_090409.pdf