First, Seek to Understand…

Peace Connections board and staff believe that the current political and economic climate fosters feelings of insecurity in most Americans.  When we feel insecure, we tend to conserve resources and focus on protecting ourselves.  The result is decreased awareness of and contact with people whom we perceive to be unlike ourselves.  We develop an "us vs. them" mentality.  If they are richer, we may feel envious or aggrieved against the fat cats.  If they are poorer, we may feel pity or feel impatient that they don't seem to know how to manage their lives.  Neither envy nor pity is conducive to appreciating and creatively working with the special talents of another person.

Now, while forces are conspiring to separate us from each other, and while more and more people are spiraling into poverty, we must make an extra effort to connect so as not to lose our momentum for peace-making.  For this reason, Peace Connections is working with the Harvey County Asset Building Coalition to coordinate information about an effective way to bridge called A Framework for Understanding Poverty.  Our goal is to make sure that "the right hand knows what the left hand is doing" in different segments of society.

In Kansas, health providers, teachers, school counselors, social workers and other interested people are being introduced to the Framework.  Developed by Dr. Ruby K. Payne, A Framework for Understanding Poverty provides information, case studies, exercises, and discussion topics to understand the actions of people who are in different socioeconomic circumstances.  While most people do not consider themselves "rich" or "poor," the Framework shows that there are distinct behavioral differences, depending on one's economic class, and equally important, that those behaviors are logical and necessary for survival, depending on one's circumstances.

The program also expands the usual definition of poverty.  Poverty is more than a lack of money; it is a lack of resources in several areas, including emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationships and role models, and knowledge of the hidden rules of the community.

Individuals or families who move into poverty due to a layoff or other unforeseen circumstances are shocked to discover that their life strategies no longer work in the realities of their new lives.  They, as well as their friends and family in richer circumstances, have difficulty comprehending the necessary changes.  The result: people in poverty feel devalued beyond their circumstances and their skills are left unused.

According to USD 373 social worker Jeanne Houser, a key need for children in poverty is companions or mentors that don't look down on them.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty cuts across the frustrations and misunderstandings of persistent poverty.  Seemingly irrational choices can be addressed when the drive to survive is understood.  Cycles of poverty can be broken when barriers to learning are identified.

As we lower the barriers that we have erected between ourselves and our neighbors, we discover how to appropriately connect the diverse skills and talents of our entire community and we become, as a whole, stronger and more secure.

For more information about Framework materials, please see www.ahaprocess.com.