TIG Post

Tag: Italians

  • Absolute poverty experienced by one in 12 Italians – Report

    Absolute poverty experienced by one in 12 Italians – Report

    A recent report has revealed that nearly one in every 12 Italians is grappling with absolute poverty, a consequence of soaring inflation in the country, according to Euro News. The report, published by the country’s National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) on Friday, highlights a distressing scenario where over 5.6 million Italians are unable to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare.

    Over the past decade, the number of Italians living in “absolute poverty” has witnessed a dramatic surge, with 5.67 million individuals and 2.18 million families falling below the income threshold required to meet their fundamental needs. This increase has been particularly sharp over the last few years.

    ISTAT underscores that the primary reason for this spike in the poverty rate is the significant inflation in Italy. In 2022, inflation surged to an estimated 8.7%. While it has moderated to 5.3% as of September 2023, this figure remains considerably higher than the European Central Bank’s target of close to, but below, 2%.

    Of crucial note is that the rising cost of living has disproportionately affected lower-income families when compared to their wealthier counterparts. The government’s assistance to families struggling to pay their energy bills last year is believed to have mitigated the poverty rate’s increase, keeping it from reaching even more alarming levels.

    Italian economist Tito Boeri commented on the recent statistics, expressing his concerns about the situation.

    “‘Absolute poverty’ in Italy can be calculated to mean earning less than €817.56 per month after taxes if you live in a city in the north; earning less than €733 each month after taxes if you live outside of a city in the north; and earning less than €554 per month after taxes if you live outside of a city in the south.

    “Italians in the south are also among the majority of the country’s poor. According to the ISTAT’s latest report, 10.7% of all poor families in Italy live in the south, with a total of 2,038,000 poor individuals and 699,999 poor families considered to be in absolute poverty.

    “By contrast, some 1,832,000 poor individuals and 609,000 poor families live in the north (7.5% of all poor families) and 871,000 poor individuals and 311,000 poor families live in the centre of the country (6.4% of all poor families),” he maintained.

  • How Ethiopian-trained lions helped defeat Italians battles

    Military conquest was a key attribute at the peak of colonization. One reason the Europeans suddenly became interested in Africa was to show how good they were at war. It was believed that the number of territories a country colonized showed how strong its military was.

    This culminated in the famous Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, where African countries were shared among the Europeans to possess colonies. Ethiopia was no exception to these colonial battles. But the Ethiopians taught lions to hunt down enemy soldiers and fought with cheetahs and bees. This helped them win colonization battles and become one of two African countries that have never been colonized.

    At the Battle of Adwa, a group of Ethiopian swordsmen called Shotel beat the Italian forces that were occupying the area. The First Italo-Ethiopian War or Battle of Adwa served as its decisive confrontation. On March 1, 1896, an Italian invasion force was stopped by Ethiopian troops near the town of Adwa. The resounding victory stopped the Kingdom of Italy from trying to make the Horn of Africa part of its colonial empire.

    Ethiopia became one of the two countries in Africa that were never colonized after the victory at Adwa (Liberia was the other country). Adwa transformed Ethiopia into an international icon of black liberation. A report by The Conversation says that this event also led to the formation of a new government in Italy.

    The Conversation says that at the Berlin Conference, it was decided that Italy would be able to colonize Ethiopia in the future. Before the Conference, Europeans reigned over just around 10% of Africa, while the remaining 90% was under the power of traditional and indigenous leaders. Beginning in 1882, Italy held colonial sway over the port of Assab.

    Treaty of Wuchale

    Italy and Ethiopia’s Emperor Menelik II agreed to terms in the Treaty of Wuchale in May 1889. Amharic and Italian were used to draft the agreement. This treaty eventually led to the Adwa war. To Menelik’s dismay, he found out that the two treaty texts used different terminology. In contrast to the Amharic version, the Italian one made Ethiopia an Italian protectorate.

    On September 17, 1895, Menelik called for all troops to prepare for war with Italy. He told all Ethiopians to stand up for their country, their families, and their religions. The Conversation states that Menelik told everyone who could fight to do so and told those who couldn’t to pray for Ethiopia to win.

    The New Times says that when Ethiopia won at Adwa, it was a big turning point that showed both Europeans and Africans that colonial conquest was not inevitable. There were some small protests in Italy against colonialism as a whole, but they were met with a larger call for revenge.

    Adwa made Ethiopia the emblem of liberation for black people. Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Bob Marley, George Padmore, and others were inspired. After they avoided colonial rule, many African countries adopted the red, yellow, and green colors of the Ethiopian flag.