Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

UNICEF report: Canada ranks 17th of 29 for well-being of children

If you think Canada is one of the best places to raise a child, think again.

The latest report on the well-being of children in rich countries ranks Canada 17th out of 29, a score that hasn’t budged in almost a decade, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The country scored “below average” grades for child poverty and obesity and children’s life satisfaction, says the report to be released Wednesday.

The Netherlands ranked first overall, followed by Norway and Iceland. Romania was last.

“The fact that our children rank in the bottom half when compared to other industrialized nations simply isn’t good enough,” said UNICEF Canada President David Morley.

“It is clear Canada can do better. Protecting and promoting the well-being of our children must become a national priority.”

UNICEF Canada is calling for a National Children’s Commissioner to report annually on the state of the country’s kids and for every level of government to provide more information on the amount of money they spend on children.

The report is an update of UNICEF’s first attempt in 2007 to compare child well-being in countries with membership in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). That year, Canada ranked 12th out of 21 developed countries.

“Considering the size and general health of our economy when compared to the difficult recessions other countries in this report have experienced, it is clear Canada is not doing enough and needs to invest more in our children,” Morley said.

The latest report focuses on five areas including health and safety; behaviour and risk; material well-being; education; housing and environment.

Canada scored above average in housing and environment (11th) and education (14th). But it ranked a “troubling” 27th in health and safety; 16th in behaviours and risk; and 15th in material well-being.

Canada’s relatively high rates of infant mortality for a developed country and relatively low immunization rates are to blame for Canada’s low score for health and safety, the report says.

Canada’s infant mortality rate of 5 deaths for every 1,000 live births includes deaths of extremely premature babies initially kept alive by advanced technology. In other countries these babies may not be classified as “live births,” the report explains. However, infant mortality rates vary significantly by province and are notably higher in Aboriginal communities, suggesting room for improvement, it adds.

Our relatively low rate of immunization coverage — only Canada, Denmark and Austria are have rates below 90 percent — is likely a reflection of public fears from discredited research linking immunization and autism, the report notes. However, first-class immunization programs require a well-informed public, it adds.

Canadian children’s views about their own lives and priorities is a particular concern, Morley said. Although almost 84 per cent rate their life satisfaction as fairly high — close to average among industrialized nations — Canadian children rate their relationships with classmates, mothers and fathers much lower. Canada’s ranking falls to 25th when children are queried on whether their classmates are “kind and helpful” and whether their mothers and fathers are “east to talk to,”Morley said.

Other areas of concern include high rates of obesity (27th), high rates of bullying (21st), low rates of children aged 15 to 19 participating in higher education (24th) and high rates of cannabis use (29th), Morley said.

Canada’s relative child poverty rate of 14 per cent puts it at the bottom third of nations, according to the report. Half of the countries have relative child poverty rates of 10 per cent or less.

“While only one view of child poverty, this indicator is significant because it shows the proportion of children who are to some extent excluded from the advantages and ‘normal’ living conditions of children in their society,” the report says.

Child well-being in rich countries

Overall rank from 1st to 29th

Netherlands

Norway

Iceland

Finland

Sweden

Germany

Luxembourg

Switzerland

Belgium

Ireland

Denmark

Slovenia

France

Czech Republic

Portugal

United Kingdom

Canada

Austria

Spain

Hungary

Poland

Italy

Estonia

Slovakia

Greece

United States

Lithuania

Latvia

Romania

Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Laurie Monsebraaten

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