Spain – Salesian Social Platforms Call for Measures to Eradicate Poverty

17 October 2019

(ANS - Madrid) - In Spain, the number of people in conditions of social exclusion is equal to 8.5 million: 18.4% of the population. The risk of poverty and exclusion rate affects 28.3% of children in Spain, or 2.2 million small citizens. Social exclusion in Spain is a structural phenomenon, influenced by factors such as job insecurity, which has led to an increase in the percentage of poor and excluded workers (12% of the active population is today in a situation of social exclusion), or difficulty in accessing housing (rents have increased by 30% in the last two years). Today, two million people live in fear of becoming homeless.

Poverty and social exclusion especially affect young people, families with minors and single parents, leading to a "youth" of poverty and exclusion, with a clear deterioration of young emancipated people. 21% of families with children are in a condition of social exclusion. All this is aggravated by the "chronicity" of poverty: young people belonging to a condition of social exclusion are more likely to create families in conditions of social exclusion.

The organizations of the State Coordination of Salesian Social Platforms (Asociación Valponasca, Federación Pinardi, Fundación Ángel Tomás-FISAT, Fundación Boscos, Fundación Don Bosco, Fundación JuanSoñador, Fundación María Auxiliadora, Fundación Mornese, Fundación Valsé and Salesians Sant Jordi), work daily to address these inequalities, accompanying groups in conditions or at risk of social exclusion.

On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Salesian social entities have drawn up a manifesto to ask that people be placed at the center of political agendas, promoting the achievement of the first Sustainable Development Goal: to end poverty in all its forms in the world and the inequalities that prevail in our society.

Currently, the Salesian Social Platforms in Spain have 371 active social projects and help over 50,000 people, thanks to the commitment of 1,284 educators and 1,421 volunteers.

Responding to the situation of poverty experienced by so many people, the Salesian Social Platforms have developed specific services for young people, minors, women and migrants at risk of social exclusion. Through various intervention programs and their resources, they seek to provide equal opportunities to the most disadvantaged groups, through an integral process, which includes education, skills training, socio-work placement and awareness-raising of society.

The Salesian Social Platforms invite citizens "to actively participate in the denunciation of social injustices and to ask our political representatives to undertake to deal coherently and responsibly with all the proposals of this manifesto, and to work for a more just and more inclusive society."

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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