|
THE
POVERTY TRUTH COMMISSION
The Poverty
Truth Commission brings together two groups of people:
'testifiers,' those who know personally and understand
the struggle against poverty, and 'Commissioners', those
who have the power and influence to change Scotland for
the better.
We have seen
that despite generous funding and the best efforts of
charity organisations whose remit is to end poverty,
inequality in society rises each year. The decisions
that affect people's lives have been taken away from
them. The views of people living in poverty are too
often mediated by an advocate.
On March 21st
2009, in front of an invited audience of 400, people who
have grown up in poverty testified to the realities they
have faced and still face. Using dance, drama, poetry,
rap, dialogue and monologue the testifiers moved beyond
the hurdles they have faced to describe their hopes for
the future and their resolve to work to overcome
poverty. The daily struggle with poverty has equipped
the testifiers to bring an expertise and perspective
that is otherwise missing around the table where policy
is made. At the same event the Commissioner, from
politics, the media, academia and faith communities,
listened and responded to what they heard, saying the
henceforth they would want to work together as a single
group in order that policy changes might be informed by
the combined wisdom of both groups. |
