Petition to The Hague: A social minimum is a human right!

Every human being has the right to a decent existence. Since the Dutch government has become partly responsible for the well-being of the inhabitants of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, the poverty on the islands has increased significantly. In order to combat poverty effectively, it is important to set a social minimum. That has happened in the European part of the Netherlands, but the government refuses to do so for the Dutch Caribbean. This is in conflict with the Dutch constitution as well as international human rights. Support the call to our representatives in The Hague to establish a social minimum for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

Michiel van Bokhorst started this petition to Mr. Ruard Ganzevoort, Member of the Dutch senate for the GroenLinks party.

A social minimum is a human right, so please sign this petition HERE

The video is in Dutch, The English text of the petition is below.

 

 

PETITION

I believe that it will no longer be possible to wait for a minimum subsistence level for Caribbean Netherlands:

Observing

– that according to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights everyone has the right to a decent standard of living;

– that almost half of the inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands have an income that is insufficient to provide for their own livelihood

– that the Dutch government has a duty of care for all Dutch people, including those living in the special municipalities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba;

– that Article 1 of the Dutch constitution stipulates that all who are in the Netherlands should be treated equally in similar cases;

– that setting a social minimum is an important instrument in combating poverty;

– that the government has set a social minimum for the European part of the Netherlands, but refuses to do so for the Dutch Caribbean;

– that the government thereby makes an unjustifiable distinction, of which many, but especially the most vulnerable inhabitants of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, are the victims,

I hereby request the Upper Chamber of the Dutch National Parliament:

– to urge the government to set a social minimum for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba on short notice;

– to promote that the government, in consultation with the Public Bodies, also draws up an integral poverty plan based on the established social minimum, containing concrete measures to enable residents of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba to achieve a decent standard of living by closing the gap between benefits and the minimum wage and the actual cost of living, and including a timeline for achieving this goal;

– to promote that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, in consultation with the Public Bodies, draws up a concrete action plan to boost the local economies of the islands ensuring that better paid employment arises and economic capacity is strengthened, making it possible for minimum wages and social benefits to be increased to a livable level.

A social minimum is a human right, so please sign this petition HERE

Michiel van Bokhorst