A Just Society Needs Less Charity

But our society is increasingly becoming unjust.

Photo by Alexis Fauvet on Unsplash

Noted American lawyer and activist, Ralph Nader, once remarked:

“A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.”

Justice is not a mere concept. It is, in my opinion, an integral part of humanity. Justice is a practice that should be inherent to all. Justice is when:

1. Everyone gets fair and equal treatment.
2. There is no discrimination based on caste, class, color, creed, gender, age, occupation, location, or choices.
3. People get rewarded for good deeds and punishment for bad ones.
4. No matter how much you are inclined to be corrupt, you uphold the justice of others.

Sadly, today “just society” exists only in the fragment of our imagination. Instead, we are becoming increasingly unjust.

How?

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The answer I got when I sat down to think about why people need more charity was- injustice. It is not only from a socio-economic perspective but also due to prevailing disparities between communities.

Though we all know the meaning of injustice, we must occasionally remind ourselves of the definition. Injustice is when an action or situation is unethical, unfair, and violates equality and human rights. It prevails today in the form of the following discrimination:

1. Racial
2. Gender
3. Ageism
4. Societal
5. Systemic, and the list can be never-ending.

When injustice increases, people become more vulnerable. There are limitations to opportunities, which can add to the socio-economic hardships. It also transpires into a kind of social ostracization. Such scenarios can affect the mental health of an individual significantly.

Unjust Society Needs More Charity

Most importantly, an unjust society reduces people’s faith in institutions. People get more inclined to commit crimes such as theft, vandalism, and extremism, to name a few events. They rely on charity, which becomes a means of survival for many. As more people face more hardships, they require assistance in the form of charity. This includes:

1. People in poverty.
2. Homeless individuals.
3. Refugees.
4. Senior citizens.
5. Foster care children, and many more.

I am not against charity because even just societies need charity to tackle such issues. However, a just society makes people more independent. They rise from vulnerable situations because they have increasing faith in the various institutions.

Just Society Needs Less Charity

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When a society has more justice, it attempts to address the root causes of problems and tries to eradicate them. Several steps are taken to reduce the need for charity, which include:

1. Reduction of the income gap (also gender pay gap).
2. Quality education for all.
3. Anti-discriminatory policies.
4. More inclusive surroundings.
5. More community investment.

Thus, we should strive to build a society that not only gives temporary relief in the form of charity but also works towards erasing the root causes of growing unjust practices. This society, a just society, will make people independent and everyone will rely less on charity to survive.