Social development; the tale of bad and worse

If in economic development, certain statistics and figures are still under consideration and being examined, in social development, the only aspect that matters in determining the level of development is the quality of life. In the definition of social development, it has been stated that the main goal is to eradicate absolute poverty and hunger, promote social justice, reduce class disparities, and improve the quality of life and welfare in society. These goals were previously introduced by the United Nations as part of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000.

Although Iranian authorities constantly claim to be eradicating absolute poverty and solving the issue of hunger, sometimes by examining the statements of some officials, one can get a glimpse of the reality. In this regard, Morteza Bakhtiari, the head of the “Imam Khomeini Relief Committee” in Iran, said on Monday, December 24th of this year, referring to a research conducted by this organization in 32 cities in 1996: “We started a research