Why is it so hard to escape poverty? - Ann-Helén Bay

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Korom

Imagine that you’ve been unemployed and seeking work for months.

Zamislite da ste nezaposleni i da mesecima tražite posao.

Government benefit programs have helped you cover rent, utilities, and food,

Vladini programi podrške su vam pomogli da pokrijete stanarinu, račune i hranu,

but you're barely getting by.

ali jedva krpite kraj s krajem.

Finally, you hear back about a job application.

Konačno dobijate odgovor na prijavu za posao.

You receive your first paycheck in months, and things seem to be turning around.

Primate prvu platu nakon više meseci i čini se da se stvari popravljaju.

But there’s a catch.

Međutim, postoji kvaka.

Your new job pays just enough to disqualify you from the benefit programs,

Vaš novi posao je dovoljno plaćen da vas diskvalifikuje za programe pomoći,

and not enough to cover the same costs.

a nedovoljno da pokrije iste troškove.

To make things worse, you have to pay for transportation to work,

Da bi stvari bile gore, morate da plaćate prevoz do posla

and childcare while you’re at the office.

i obdanište za dete dok ste na poslu.

Somehow, you have less money now than when you were unemployed.

Nekako imate manje novca sada nego kad ste bili nezaposleni.

Economists call this demoralizing situation the welfare trap—

Ekonomisti ovu demorališuću situaciju nazivaju zamkom nezaposlenosti -

one of the many different poverty traps affecting millions of people

jednom od mnogih različitih zamki siromaštva koje pogađaju milione ljudi

around the world.

širom sveta.

Poverty traps are economic and environmental circumstances

Zamke siromaštva su ekonomske i ekološke okolnosti

that reinforce themselves, perpetuating poverty for generations.

koje se vremenom učvršćuju i ovekovečuju siromaštvo kroz generacije.

Some poverty traps are tied to an individual’s circumstances,

Neke zamke siromaštva su u sprezi sa okolnostima pojedinca,

like a lack of access to healthy food or education.

poput nedostupnosti zdrave hrane ili obrazovanja.

Others can affect entire nations,

Druge mogu da pogode celokupne nacije,

such as cycles of corrupt government or climate change.

poput ciklusa korumpiranih vlada ili klimatskih promena.

But the cruel irony of welfare traps in particular

Okrutna ironija, pak, naročito zamki nezaposlenosti

is that they stem from the very policies designed to battle poverty.

je što one proističu baš iz onih politika

koje su osmišljene za borbu protiv siromaštva.

Most societies throughout history employed some strategies

Mnoga društva su kroz istoriju primenjivala neke strategije

to help people in poverty meet basic needs.

pomoći siromašnim ljudima da zadovolje osnovne potrebe.

Before the 20th century, religious groups and private charities

Pre XX veka, religijske grupe i privatna dobrotvorna društva

often led such initiatives.

su često predvodili te inicijative.

Today, these are called welfare programs,

Danas ih nazivamo programima socijalne pomoći

and they usually take the form of government-provided subsidies

i obično su u vidu vladinih subvencija

for housing, food, energy, and healthcare.

za smeštaj, hranu, struju i zdravstvo.

Typically, these programs are means-tested,

Obično su ovi programi zasnovani na dohodku,

meaning that only people who fall below a certain income level

u značenju da se ljudi koji padnu ispod određenog nivoa dohodka

are eligible for benefits.

kvalifikuju za pomoć.

This policy is designed to ensure aid goes to those who need it most.

Ova politika je osmišljena kako bi pomoć išla onima kojima je najpotrebnija.

But it also means people lose access as soon as they earn more

Takođe znači da ljudi gube pristup pomoći čim zarade više

than the qualification threshold,

od kvalifikacionog praga,

regardless of whether or not they're financially stable enough to stay there.

bez obzira na to da li su finansijski dovoljno stabilni da tu i ostanu.

This vicious cycle is harmful to both those in poverty and those outside of it.

Ovaj začarani krug je štetan kako za siromašne, tako i za ostale.

Mainstream economic models assume people are rational actors

Mejnstrim ekonomski modeli pretpostavljaju da su ljudi racionalna bića

who weigh the cost and benefits of their options

koja odmeravaju troškove i koristi svojih opcija

and choose the most advantageous path forward.

i da biraju najpovoljniji put napred.

If those in poverty know they'll gain no net benefit from working,

Ako siromašni znaju da neće imati koristi od rada,

they're incentivized to remain in government assistance.

to ih podstiče da i dalje primaju vladinu pomoć.

Of course, people work for many reasons,

Naravno, ljudi rade iz raznih razloga,

including societal norms and personal values.

uključujući društvene norme i lične vrednosti.

But income is a major incentive to pursuing employment.

Zarada je ipak značajan podsticaj za traženje posla.

And when less people take on new jobs, the economy slows down,

A kada manje ljudi preuzme nove poslove, ekonomija se usporava,

keeping people in poverty

održavajući ljude u siromaštvu

and potentially pushing people on the cusp of poverty over the edge.

i potencijalno gurajući one na ivici siromaštva preko nje.

Some have suggested this feedback loop could be removed

Neki su predložili uklanjanje ove povratne petlje

by eliminating government assistance programs altogether.

potpunom eliminacijom programa vladine pomoći.

But most agree the solution is neither realistic nor humane.

Većina se ipak slaže da rešenje nije realistično, ni humano.

So how can we redesign benefits in a way that doesn't penalize people for working?

Kako da osmislimo pomoći koje ne kažnjavaju ljude zato što rade?

Many countries have tried different ways to circumvent this problem.

Mnoge države su isprobale različite načine da zaobiđu ovaj problem.

Some allow people to continue receiving benefits for a given period

Neke dozvoljavaju ljudima da i dalje primaju pomoć određeno vreme

after finding a job,

nakon što nađu posao,

while others phase out benefits gradually as income increases.

dok druge postupno umanjuju pomoć kako se dohodak povećava.

These policies still remove some financial incentive to work,

Ove politike i dalje otklanjaju neke finansijske podsticaje za rad,

but the risk of a welfare trap is lower.

ali je manji rizik od zamke nezaposlenosti.

Other governments provide benefits like education, childcare, or medical care

Druge vlade obezbeđuju pomoć u vidu obrazovanja, obdaništa ili zdravstva

equally across all their citizens.

ravnomerno svim svojim građanima.

One proposed solution takes this idea of universal benefits even further.

Jedno od rešenja čitavu ideju univerzalne pomoći nosi korak dalje.

A universal basic income would provide a fixed benefit to all members of society,

Univerzalni osnovni dohodak bi obezbedio fiksnu pomoć svim članovima društva,

regardless of wealth or employment status.

bez obzira na njihov imovinski ili radni status.

This is the only known policy that could entirely remove welfare traps,

Ovo je jedina poznata politika koja bi mogla skroz ukinuti zamku nezaposlenosti

since any earned wages would supplement the benefit rather than replace it.

jer bi sav zarađeni novac bio dodatak pomoći, a ne njena zamena.

In fact, by creating a stable income floor below which no one can fall,

Zapravo, stvarajući stabilan prag prihoda ispod kojeg niko ne može da padne,

basic income might prevent people from falling into poverty in the first place.

osnovni dohodak bi sprečio ljude da uopšte skliznu u siromaštvo.

Numerous economists and thinkers

Brojni ekonomisti i mislioci

have championed this idea since the 18th century.

su usavršavali ovu ideju od XVIII veka.

But for now, universal basic income remains largely hypothetical.

Za sad, ipak, univerzalni osnovni dohodak uglavnom ostaje hipotetičan.

Although it's been tried in some places on a limited scale,

Iako je isproban na nekim mestima u ograničenoj razmeri,

these local experiments don’t tell us much about how the policy

lokalni eksperimenti nam ne govore mnogo o tome kako bi se politika

would play out across an entire nation— or a planet.

odvijala u čitavoj naciji - ili planeti.

Whatever strategy governments pursue,

Kakvu god strategiju da vlade zastupaju,

solving the welfare trap requires respecting people’s agency and autonomy.

rešavanje zamke nezaposlenosti zahteva poštovanje integriteta i autonomije ljudi.

Only by empowering individuals to create long-term change

Jedino osnaživanjem pojedinaca da stvaraju dugoročne promene

in their lives and communities

u svojim životima i zajednicama

can we begin to break the cycle of poverty.

možemo započeti sa prekidanjem ciklusa siromaštva.