A delicate situation

The problem of slums is a longstanding and problematic one, they are the product of a combination of corruption, bad policy, bad financial systems and regulations but it seems most importantly a lack of moral will. The cause of the beginning of slums cannot be pinpointed to any particular source, and so as the problem gets bigger the buck is constantly being passed as the situation escalates.
It seems there are many misconceptions about slums and the people that live there, but as with most things, there are positive aspects that have evolved out of the creation of slums. Thus when dealing with the problem of poor housing and the over population of cities we also need to consider the more delicate aspects of the individual people and communities involved.
The professions of slum dwellers vary largely from what most would assume as typical jobs such as rag pickers or sex workers up the scale to office workers and government employees. And so they do serve a purpose and are not just vast areas which would be better off demolished. This is not to say that it is acceptable for these people to live in these bad conditions and that they are acceptable in modern society but that careful reconstruction is the solution rather than starting again, if that would even be possible.
There are higher rates of crime in slums than in richer communities due to poor security and a lack of policing yet it would be wrong to generalise all slum dwellers as criminals who would not make a living if given the opportunity to do so. In fact it is inspiring how the people who live in these squalid conditions have developed a sense of pride and community. Some of the main musical movements originated within slums including jazz, rock and roll, blues and break dancing. Not only within music but other cultural forms including many books and films, most recently ‘City of God’ by Fernando Meirelles.
In researching slums I have been amazed by the complexity of the social networks involved within them which seem to be forgotten due to a misconceived generalisation about the people who live there. It seems so important to work with care and respect to give these people the decent living conditions they deserve without destroying everything.