All children have a right to a childhood, to be free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. Unfortunately, for millions of children this is not the case. In every country, every culture and at every social level, children face mistreatment, exploitation and violence.

These children find themselves in horrible circumstances like forced labour, being mistreated or exploited by strangers, by people close to them, their peers, authorities or people they trust who should be protecting them. What’s worse is that the most vulnerable amongst them don’t have a voice to express the turmoil they experience as a result of this abuse, let alone to change their circumstances. Culturally entrenched gender discrimination can mean that girls are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

This abuse can occur due to a lack of services and community support, long standing cultural traditions, economic factors such as poverty,or lack of awareness of those around them. Sadly, this may mean that the abuse can continue unchecked. Even in Australia where well-established structures for child protection exist, many children still fall through the cracks.

So whose responsibility is it to protect these children?

How do we put effective systems and programs in place to protect and assist children, particularly the most vulnerable ones? And how do we increase their worth in countries where children are given little importance and are often seen as commodities?

How do we protect children, who are the most vulnerable amongst us all?

For most of us, food is available whenever we want. In Australia, good food is readily available, relatively cheap and easy to access. However, there are millions in the world who can’t afford food or what they do eat is so inadequate that they are malnourished, which leaves them vulnerable to disease or starvation.

Over one billion people – 50 times the population of Australia – go hungry every day, and double that are susceptible to periods without food. Currently, in the Horn of Africa 12.5 million people are starving and experts predict that famine could affect up to 50 million over the next four years.

Why is this? Poverty, inequality, land ownership, environmental issues and market exploitation are some of the reasons behind these problems.

So what can Australians can do to address the situation that sees half the world as malnourished and the other half as obese?

What is a human being’s right to food? And how can we conquer this ongoing food crisis?
 

For most Australians, good food is readily available, relatively cheap and easy to access. However, there are millions in the world who can’t afford food, or what they do eat is so inadequate that they are malnourished and vulnerable to disease or starvation.

Over one billion people – 50 times the population of Australia – go hungry every day, and double that are susceptible to periods without food.

Currently, in the Horn of Africa 12.5 million people are starving and experts predict that famine could affect up to 50 million over the next four years.

Why is this? Poverty, land ownership, environmental issues and market exploitation are some of the reasons behind these problems. Gender inequality remains widespread with over 60% of those in poverty being women and girls, and unequal access to resources affects the critical role women can play in ensuring household food security.

So what can Australians can do to address the situation that sees half the world as malnourished and the other half as obese?

What is a human being’s right to food? And how can we conquer this ongoing food crisis?
 

Poverty in Australia is a contentious issue. It raises questions of the definitions of poverty, the distribution of wealth, the difference between developed and developing countries, as well as about the limits to growth, and how we can create a fair and sustainable world.

There are over 2.2 million Australian's living in poverty - that's one in every 10 people - and yet as Australians we're comparatively lucky. Two thirds of the world's population is poor; one third lives on less than $2.50 per day, while a sixth live in extreme poverty - less than $1.25 per day. These people spend their days just trying to survive - finding something to eat and somewhere to sleep can be the biggest challenge of all.

So how do we close the gap between rich and poor? What of the inequality between men and women that deepens as poverty worsens? Can the earth even support us if we rectify this inequality in living standards? And what are the responsibilities of Australians?

These questions are at the heart of a Fair Share for all.

In many ways, for many people, culture is everything. It can be a person’s identity; it can define the way human beings live and interact on both local and global scales; it can exert a strong influence on human behavior, potentially affecting economic choices and business decisions, as well as political and social behaviour and the roles of men and women in society.

Poverty can render people powerless which makes them vulnerable to the influences of more powerful organisations and institutions, often from foriegn countries. With millions of people around the world living in poverty, it stands to reason that the key to effective, sustainable development is understanding and respecting the culture of developing communities.

But, what happens when culture is invoked to oppose change, such as more equal relationships between men and women, or the eradication of harmful traditional practices? And is a foreign notion of aid and development assistance a realistic approach when working with people in poverty in developing countries?

How do we best support and respect the role of culture and its significance to women’s and men’s lives, while also supporting groups seeking positive change?