| dc.description.abstract | Integral Development: Taking a critical look at the society in which we are living, the value of human life, dignity, and the integral development of the human person in all aspects of life are being attacked by anti-life forces such as poverty, injustices, same-sex marriages, oppression, exploitation, globalization, and many others, yet life is desired by everyone, including those who are enemies of life. Life is one of the most precious gifts God has given man, and that is why the Mother Church teaches that life is sacred and should be protected because any human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Hence, the human person possesses the dignity that ought to be protected (Paul VI, 1967, no. 14). Every individual has the right to life, bodily integrity, and also to the means that are suitable for the integral development of life (John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963, no. 11). The biggest threat to the lives and integral human development of people all over the world, in Africa, in Uganda, in Northern Uganda, in particular Paidha Catholic Parish, and maybe elsewhere, is the problem of poverty. Various efforts have been made by the government, the church, and other NGOs to eradicate poverty, but we still have the majority of the world population living in a state of anthropological poverty that benefits people of their dignity, their identity, their freedom, their thought, their history, and their basic creativity. It has deprived them of their rights, hopes, and ambitions and created misery. One in five people in Uganda is too poor to have six thousand shillings (Shs 6,000) per day, the new 2019/2020 Uganda National Household Survey found, casting a harsh spotlight on the poverty level in Uganda. At the regional level, in the 2016/17-2019/2020 period, poverty increased and was more severe in the northern region with three million persons living in poverty. This poverty is one of the problems affecting many people in all aspects of life, and it is a source of many problems. This same poverty has left many people suffering from needs and an imbalance in human development. It has fixed people in conditions of illiteracy, malnutrition, diseases, a high rate of infant mortality, uneven development, and a low life expectancy (John Paul II, 1987, no. 33). The most surprising thing is that people are suffering and yet there are enough resources in the world, Uganda and particularly in Paidha to feed all mankind and the whole creation as intended by God from creation when he said in the book of Gen 1:28 that “Fill the earth and subdue it” (Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 1967, no. 22). God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of every human being and people not only for the rich. The right xvi to private property is surbordinate to the right to common use and the overall common good (Gaudium et Spes, no. 69; John Paul II, Centesmus Annus, 1991, no. 41). Basing on the background stated above, a study carried out by the researcher on, “Poverty: A Stumbling Block to Integral Development in Paidha Parish in light of Populorum Pogressio, was the central topic of the research I carried out with the general objective to establish that poverty is a hindrance to Integral Human Development of people in Paidha. People can only experience complete development when poverty is eradicated. The specific objectives were namely: to find out the meaning of poverty and Integral Human Development, to find out the causes of poverty, to establish that poverty is a stumbling block to Integral Human Development and to establish solutions for poverty alleviation in Paidha Parish. These objectives guided the researcher and also literature related to the study was viewed and analyzed. The researcher employed a methodology that used both random and non-random sampling. The researcher used various tools in collecting data and these were: questionnaires, oral interviews, participatory observation, non-participatory observation, focus group discussion, document analysis, and opinionnaire. The researcher carried out a field study in Paidha Catholic Parish, Nebbi Diocese, and the data from the field was presented and analyzed. The researcher analyzed qualitative data thematically and quantitative data using descriptive statistics which include the use of tables frequencies, percentages, charts, and bar graphs. The research findings from the field also revealed several causes of poverty and these include income imbalance, lack of relevant education, diseases, the poor as the cause of their poverty, corruption and selfishness, natural causes, inherited poverty, and so forth. This poverty leads to misery, suffering, poor health, hunger, malnutrition, less liberty, etc. The solutions found included: Promoting self-reliance, relevant education, solidarity and unity, advocating for a clean and healthy environment, reducing income imbalance, family planning, etc. The researcher discussed the study findings in comparison to the literature reviewed. And finally, in chapter six, the researcher made a summary or conclusion that poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. It is an entanglement. It is a multi-faceted phenomenon encompassing certain deprivations such as money, services, and voice, as well as gender and geographical inequalities. Meanwhile, Integral development is the holistic development of the human person, which covers all the important aspects of life. From the above observation and the conclusions, the researcher deduced and recommends that in order to alleviate poverty, it is upon all the members of society to work hard to become self-reliant and have the spirit of solidarity and unity and all the stakeholders have different roles to play in fighting this poverty to ensure holistic development | en_US |
