The international NGO Digital Policy Institute – millennium 3000 is preparing a NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN TO FIGHT POVERTY – 2100.
The main cause of poverty is bad political decisions that cause citizens to face problems, not only in their personal, professional or public lives, but also in interpersonal and virtual relationships.
A poorly functioning political system results in bad political decisions that are not in line with the real needs of citizens and do not address key problems and threats effectively enough.
Poverty does not arise overnight, but evolves over time, and is the result of systemic failure and long-term structural problems in the areas of security, social, economic and cyber policy.
The world has entered the digital age and due to security, health, social, economic and legal threats, it is necessary to build modern social mechanisms based on the principle of new technological platforms that will prevent poverty and significantly support citizens in coping with difficult life situations.
Security threats. Large numbers of people living in or near poverty can increase the level of social instability and increase the risk of social conflict and unrest. For example, citizens from excluded localities, or citizens returning from prison after serving their sentences, and people living in poverty are more prone to engage in criminal activity because they may seek illegal ways to obtain basic necessities. Poverty and a feeling of hopelessness can be significant factors contributing to radicalization and extremist activities, especially among young people.
Social threats. Poverty leads to social exclusion, where individuals and communities lack access to basic services, education and opportunities, risk social and economic isolation, discrimination, frustration, anger, hatred, disruption of interpersonal and virtual relationships, etc. Poverty limits quality of life, and people living in poverty often lack the means to provide for basic needs such as food, housing and healthcare. Poverty hinders children’s access to education, and lack of education has long-term consequences for future opportunities and employability.
Health threats. Poverty has serious impacts on the health of individuals and on the lack of health care; people often have limited access to health care, cannot afford to see a doctor, buy medicines or receive preventive examinations. Deteriorating living conditions, inadequate housing, poor diet and hygiene increase the risk of infectious diseases and have a negative impact on people’s mental health. Stress associated with financial problems and insecurity can increase the risk of anxiety and depression, susceptibility to alcohol and drug addiction, and the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Lack of financial resources can also limit people’s ability to remedy these conditions.
Economic threats. People living in poverty often lack the financial means to provide for basic needs such as food, housing, clothing and healthcare, causing financial stress and insecurity. High unemployment or insecure jobs with low wages, limited opportunities to improve their economic situation not only in their personal lives but also at the national and international level, extremely high dependence on social benefits and state support, all of this puts a strain on the state budget and does not allow people to be economically independent.
Cyber threats. In the area of cyber threats, poverty is a critical cyber threat as poor people are vulnerable and often fall victim to social terrorists who control the masses on social networks where they spread disinformation, anger and hatred. Poor people tend to be more easily influenced, especially when it comes to manipulating public opinion, and very often succumb to the false promises and false futures offered by populist, radical or extremist political parties and interest groups in an attempt to win their votes or favor. Poor people are more likely to engage in cybercrime if they find themselves in difficult economic situations and are looking for illegal ways to raise money online. People living in poverty tend to fall victim to cyber scams such as phishing attacks, fraudulent emails or social engineering. Cyber criminals exploit their economic insecurity and try to steal from them. People living in poverty do not have access to bank accounts or are limited in their ability to pay, and may therefore seek alternative ways to conduct financial transactions online, which may mean using insecure platforms, increasing the risk of cyber attacks. People in poverty may be more prone to share their personal information online, especially if they are enticed by promises of financial assistance; cyber criminals may misuse this information for identity theft or other cyber crimes. Poverty is associated with limited access to the internet and digital technologies. Those who do not have access to these basic technological resources may have limited ability to defend themselves against cyber threats and find help online.
It will be virtually impossible to win the fight against poverty without building modern social mechanisms based on new technological platforms that prevent poverty and significantly support citizens in coping with difficult life situations.