Thursday 20 February 2020 Cecilia Velázquez Vertti
And in the end the goods derived from justice are superior to those of charity.
The term most heard in our times is Social Justice, the impact that the current economy has had on society is reflected mainly in inequality, poverty and discrimination. In Mobile Brigades of Culture we consider that education is the first cause of Social Justice, and is the instrument for each person to build an individual and social identity, as well as allowing access to better living conditions, on this day of Social Justice we remember that we must promote development and human dignity.
According to UNESCO "...education is a human right, a public good and a collective responsibility. (Azoulay, 2020) Without quality, inclusive and equitable education, it is impossible to break the cycle of poverty that leaves millions of Mexicans behind. At the World Economic Forum (2020), the problems of labour and economic inequality, mainly for young people, and their consequences were analysed; it is considered that "...the world is not on track to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. (Edwards, 2020)
Data on the level of education in Mexico are not encouraging. According to the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average is at the secondary level; the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education reveals that the highest dropout rate is in 5th grade of primary, 2nd grade of secondary and 1st grade of higher secondary education. However, there are also other figures that give us hope. The Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2919) reveals that access to higher education has increased from 16% to 23%.
It is necessary to analyze the causes and threats to education in our country. The Report of the National Survey of Dropouts in Upper Secondary Education of the Under-Secretariat of Higher Secondary Education reports the various causes of dropouts, the main one affecting more than 40% of students and for which they abandon their studies is the lack of economic resources to cover household expenses, supplies, tickets or registration.
New studies also reveal external factors that put access to education and development at risk, such as pollution, excessive use of technology, chronic stress and dietary deficiency, causing cognitive problems (Dias-Ferreira et al, 2009, Zhang et al, 2018, WHO, 2020). According to the study by the Undersecretary of Higher Secondary Education, approximately 36% of students left school for these reasons.
As if this were not enough, another high impact factor is teenage pregnancy, in this case approximately 27% of women and 12% of men leave school to get married or take care of a family.
The social and cultural context is a decisive influence on the sexual behavior of adolescents, according to Dr. Virginia Camacho, from the World Health Organization's department of health and adolescent affairs, this problem is more common among marginalized youth who will also be at physical, psychological and social risk. (WHO, 2009).
Already in 2009, the World Health Organization declared the need for education and support to encourage girls to delay motherhood until they are ready for it, and thus avoid the problems of adolescent motherhood, mainly lack of preparation, and yet today the State of Puebla ranks first at the national level along with the State of Chiapas in teenage pregnancy, and in turn our country has climbed to first place worldwide and according to the World Health Organization (2018) with 1 million girls under 15 giving birth each year.
To achieve social justice, it is necessary that the whole of society be involved, companies are those who favor the quality of life of their employees and the communities where their operations are carried out. The World Bank defines corporate social responsibility as "...a role that companies have to play in favor of sustainable development, that is, in favor of the balance between economic growth, social welfare and the use of natural resources and the environment. (World Bank, 2006)
It is not a culture of assistance, which in itself is not bad and in extreme cases is very necessary, but the adoption of active and responsible positions around the impact of their operations seeking respect for people, ethical values, the community and the environment.
Generate social change from the root is what we propose in Brigadas Móviles de Cultura A.C., invest in education, providing experiences through art and culture, responding to the calls of various international organizations to contribute to the development of society, aligning this effort with the Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations to ensure a quality education inclusive and equitable for all.
At the World Economic Forum 2020, anthropologist Noah Harari mentioned the importance of leading efforts for the good of humanity, in his words "History provides many proofs of the crucial importance of cooperation on a large scale. Almost invariably, victory has been won by those who have cooperated best, not only in struggles between Homo sapiens and other animals, but also in conflicts between different human groups. (Harari, 2015, p. 152)
I want to remember that "People are egalitarian by nature, and unequal societies can never function well because of resentment and dissatisfaction". (Harari, 2015, p. 152) This day calls us to act responsibly for the sake of social justice.
Eliminating inequality requires a point of balance in education, in Mobile Brigades we firmly believe that it is necessary to redefine our identity as Mexicans, discarding nationalist stereotypes and highlighting universal values, the norms of coexistence that are valid and necessary for our time, mainly responsibility, solidarity, freedom, truth, beauty, generosity and humility.
We invite you to be part of this effort, collaborating in an effective way, to redefine the concept of the business image so deteriorated by unfortunate comments and to promote it through an active and responsible philanthropy, bringing companies closer to their potential clients, thinking together about long term social investment, as a factor of social impact, bringing society closer to its culture and ancestral traditions.
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