The lack of opportunity experienced by some Australians was a fundamental economic issue that prevented people from participating in the workforce to their full potential, writes Larissa Nicholson.
Poverty
Costello: ‘name and shame’ not the way to the rich’s pockets
In a sense Australia’s greatest philanthropists are to be found in places such as Toowoomba and Frankston, not Toorak or Potts Point, writes Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia.
great read 
A tale of kindness from the commission flats
The couple living in the commission flats across from Virginia Millen’s house endure your standard sad tale of addiction, poverty and abuse. But don’t judge them too quickly.
Daily Proposition: Take a quiz — and save the world
If you’re feeling bored and charitable (and want to brush up on art, language and more) try freerice.org. As the name suggests, people that really need it get free rice out of your visit. Michael Carter writes.
Footballs wives indulge in poverty porn
The BBC is sending over a collection of famous English WAGs to report on the slums of South Africa. Oh good, because we don’t need real journalists and only want to know about HIV children when they are near fake tan.
Not a budget for the battlers
This Federal Budget is all about economics. Which means you’ll find nothing of use for the asylum seekers, the homeless or the unemployed and Australia’s poorer for it, writes Frank Quinlan.
Want to end poverty in India? Stop giving jobs to the poor
India’s economy has been growing at a tremendous rate. But focusing on job creation and inclusive growth — ie. helping the poor — is holding India back, writes Rajeev Mantri.
Should every baby get a bank account?
What would happen if every child in the world was set up with a bank account at birth containing US$100? The FAB campaign sees it as a viable solution to ending poverty. Could the banks and governments make it work?
Beggars: to give or not to give?
One of the most confronting things about travelling in a developing country like India is the poverty that gets up in your face asking for change. But should you support a begging culture? asks Scott Bridges.
PHOTO GALLERY: Children of the world
20 years after the UN adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, millions of the world’s children are still suffering from poverty, abuse and disease. From street performers in India to cactus farmers in Mexico, the faces of a very different childhood.
What makes a nation rich?
Nations are not born rich or poor, says Daron Acemoglu: governments make them that way. The key to a country’s prosperity lies in free and dependable democracy.
Forty-nine million Americans go hungry
For all the talk of a recovery in the US economy, a grim reality has been outlined in Washington for all the world to see: America can’t feed all its 303 million people, with one in seven going short at some stage in a week.
Half of all American kids receive food stamps
It seems that food stamps aren’t just for those in the ghetto. A new study shows half of all US kids will receive food stamps at some time in their childhood. Even more disturbing, 90% of black children will use them.
Girls in Ghana carry a heavy burden
Tens of thousands of young women in Ghana have left their families in the country for the country’s capital city of Accra to work as “Kayayo” — porters carrying heavy loads on their heads for as little as AU$1.56 a day.
Why slums are good for the environment
Slums may seem dirty and polluted, but according to environmentalist and author Stewart Brand, they’re also hotbeds of green innovation, help lower the levels of unsustainable farming, and empower women in their communities.
Video of the Day: Ricky Gervais: newspapers’ future? What a silly question
“Are you going to be unhappy when there’s no more perambulators to put your baby in?” We sense the comedian doesn’t understand just how serious this whole newspaper death thing is.
The world can no longer afford Africa’s poverty
With refugees spilling over borders, pirates hijacking ships, and terrorists finding shelter, it is clear that, although Africa’s solutions are its own, its problems are not, writes Robert Skidelsky.
From slums to a shining town on the hill
The citizens of Kaputei, an eco-town rising from the plains south of Nairobi, finally own something that has eluded them their whole lives: a flushing toilet.
Why the poor pay more
In America, having no car, no washing machine and no checking account means things cost more for the poor than the middle class. The Washington Post explains why.
2009 budget is oversold and unfair
Yes, there were good bits, but as a social document based on fairness, the 2009 federal budget wasn’t crash hot.
First world narcissism
To deal with international terrorism, first world countries need to stop being so consumed by their own problems, argues Peter Hartcher.
Won’t somebody think of the rich people?
With the world gearing up for a year of economic pain like no other, the media has taken up the usual strategy of documenting the devastating effects on the rich, writes Andrew Crook.
