Economic divide spans globe

A few workshop attendees stepped forward in response to, "Who grew up in the Delaware Valley?" But all 30 attendees stepped forward for, "Who has seen evidence of growing economic inequality?" This exercise, conducted during one of the first events of Civic House's Annual Poverty Awareness Week, demonstrated student and community member concern over poverty and the growing economic gap. The Inequality and the Growing Economic Divide workshop took place Monday, in the Civic House living room. "The growing economic divide was not sent down from heaven," said Leena Schaareman, a facilitator of the workshop and member of the United for a Fair Economy trainers network. "It is made by us and therefore can be unmade by us." Facilitators from UFE, an organization that provides education and training resources to those concerned with the widening income and asset gap in the U.S., conducted the workshop. The workshop continually paused for audience concerns. Schaareman called the interaction positive. "This is not just a lecture presenting theories, but using attendees' experiences and observations to promote growing awareness," she added. The low standards governing conditions in sweatshops and the lack of options available to sweatshop workers ignited lengthy discussion. "It's all about thinking in terms of the short term as well as the long term," Schaareman said about sweatshops, adding that by educating people some workers may not have to depend on sweatshops in the future. The workshop facilitators argued that a power shift in who sets the agenda for economic policies has caused the growing economic gap. That trend has led to policy changes which reinforce inequality. For example, there are global treaties that benefit corporations, rather than workers or communities. As a possible solution to the growing economic inequality, the workshop facilitators stressed the positive changes implemented by past popular movements -- when people rose to challenge the rules. Specifically, audience members suggested child labor laws, minimum wage laws and retirement plans. Participants praised the discussion format of yesterday's event. "It's important to give people a forum to talk together about these issues," said Mitch Chanin, an unemployed community member. UFE members shared interesting statistics with audience members. "People are increasingly competing for smaller amounts of resources," said David Loeb, another workshop facilitator, during an exercise that demonstrated a dramatic shift in wealth between 1976 and 1992. In those years, 10 percent of the population gained 70 percent of the wealth in the U.S.