MOSAIC - The training kit for Euro-Mediterranean youth work

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the average, and would receive more cake; there are countries that are poorer
than the average and would receive less. There are extreme inequalities within
every country of the world.
You can use other statistics to give some questions in the debriefing more impact. For
example, see the article by Thomas Pogge (extracts in “Further information” below).
Variation
You can use anything in place of the cake – for example, false money. The statistics
are taken from www.geohive.com/default1.aspx – you may wish to break down the
regions into smaller parts.
Ideas for action
Go to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
database at www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/3.htm – encourage participants
to find out whether their country has ratified the treaty, and also to look at some reports
from member states and from the committee. The Summary Report gives an account
of the meeting to discuss the report and the Concluding Observations/ Comments
give the committee’s final recommendations.
Suggestions for follow-up
The activity “Money to spend” in Compass is a role-play which looks at the question
of how states allocate their budget to different sectors, such as the military, education
or health. You could also follow up the activity by looking at a specific issue relating to
poverty, like child labour. The activity “Ashique’s story”, also in Compass, takes a real
case of an 11-year-old boy forced to work in order to help his family get out of debt.
Further information
Relevant human rights articles
1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate
standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and
housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties
will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this
effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.
2. The States Parties to the present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone
to be free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international cooperation,
the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed:
from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 11
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms
set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 28
Statistics on poverty
Out of a total of 6 373 million human beings (in 2004), about 1 000 million have no adequate
shelter; 831 million are undernourished; 1 197 million have no access to safe water; 2 742
million lack access to basic sanitation; 2 000 million are without electricity; 2 000 million
lack access to essential drugs; and 799 million adults are illiterate. About 170 million children
between 5 and 14 years old are involved in hazardous work (for example, in agriculture,
Pieces of cake