2008 Woodie Awards
Habitat for Humanity sponsors "Truth Talks"
St. John's Professor Basilio Monteiro and Activist Anne Lescot shed light on the
Jomaire Crawford, Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/2/08Section: Features
On Monday, the international organization Habitat for Humanity co-sponsored an event to raise awareness of human rights and poverty issues through presentations delivered by two distinguished guest speakers.
Dr. Basilio Monteiro, a professor with the College of Professional Studies, provided a glimpse into local poverty within New York City and Anne Lescot, an activist, anthropologist, and filmmaker, illuminated the human rights violations occurring in the Dominican Republic as experienced by Haitian descendants toiling on the sugar plantations.
The lecture event entitled "Speaking the Truth: Truth Talks" marks the start of "Act! Speak! Build!" Week, where each Habitat for Humanity chapter nationwide deals with the issues addressed by the organization: poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing.
Junior Ketienne Telemaque, who chairs the "Act! Speak! Build!" committee, hopes that this event and others scheduled throughout this week will raise awareness within the student body on campus.
Dr. Monteiro focused on the face of poverty in the United States, while Anne Lescot gave prominence to the effects of poverty in Haiti. Specifically, Dr. Monteiro's presentation revealed that despite the image of grandeur that is painted of America, severe levels of poverty continue to reside in our backyard. He provided statistical figures which helped to further underscore the severity of poverty in this nation. Monteiro noted that there are about "37 million, or 12.6 percent, poor people hidden in this land of plenty." Two interesting points can be derived from this data.
First, most of our nation's poor are not considered to be so, according to government standards. Did you know that the government considers any family of four earning more than $19,971 per year to be living above the poverty level? Second, a large percentage of nation's poor are the working poor. Unfortunately, there is a common belief held amongst members of our society that links the face of poverty with those destitute individuals living on the street or in homeless shelters; Dr. Monteiro's lecture helped elucidate this inaccuracy in the hopes that the plight of working class citizens will some day be adequately addressed.
Dr. Basilio Monteiro, a professor with the College of Professional Studies, provided a glimpse into local poverty within New York City and Anne Lescot, an activist, anthropologist, and filmmaker, illuminated the human rights violations occurring in the Dominican Republic as experienced by Haitian descendants toiling on the sugar plantations.
The lecture event entitled "Speaking the Truth: Truth Talks" marks the start of "Act! Speak! Build!" Week, where each Habitat for Humanity chapter nationwide deals with the issues addressed by the organization: poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing.
Junior Ketienne Telemaque, who chairs the "Act! Speak! Build!" committee, hopes that this event and others scheduled throughout this week will raise awareness within the student body on campus.
Dr. Monteiro focused on the face of poverty in the United States, while Anne Lescot gave prominence to the effects of poverty in Haiti. Specifically, Dr. Monteiro's presentation revealed that despite the image of grandeur that is painted of America, severe levels of poverty continue to reside in our backyard. He provided statistical figures which helped to further underscore the severity of poverty in this nation. Monteiro noted that there are about "37 million, or 12.6 percent, poor people hidden in this land of plenty." Two interesting points can be derived from this data.
First, most of our nation's poor are not considered to be so, according to government standards. Did you know that the government considers any family of four earning more than $19,971 per year to be living above the poverty level? Second, a large percentage of nation's poor are the working poor. Unfortunately, there is a common belief held amongst members of our society that links the face of poverty with those destitute individuals living on the street or in homeless shelters; Dr. Monteiro's lecture helped elucidate this inaccuracy in the hopes that the plight of working class citizens will some day be adequately addressed.
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