Poll Comments - Poverty as Only Development Priority

This poll was conducted May 22 - June 12, 2002:

Because it underpins all development issues, addressing economic poverty should be the only international development priority and programme.

Do you agree? Disagree? Unsure?

AGREE

"Education, Health and even IT concerns cannot even begin until people are economically able to access these benefits." [Senegal/UK]

"Well planned communication stratagies must be made part of any development programs to ensure maximum participation of the intended benfitiaries." [Pakistan]

"As long as international refers to our African community when talking of African economic poverty. For too long we have tried to impose our poverty on the so called first world countries and as we can see this is getting us nowhere fast. It is time we accept that we were used and move on with our own lives, with finding our own solutions. They got what they wanted and there is no way they will make a concerted effort to rectify wrongs done as a result of this. We can only change our own lives not those of others." [Zimbabwe]

"Eradication of poverty is the basis for equitable social development. Unless this infrastructural remedy is completed, building "patchworl, subcultural inter4ventions" into a teetered social fabric wont do." [Pakistan]

"Very much true because it will result in closing the gaps between and among the various social groupings which is the key cause for the world's problems." [ ]

"The concept Third world is politically incorrect and is influenced above all else by Racism, and does not take into account the historical cause of our plight." [UK]

"Uh, no, you pretty much summed it all up." [ ]

"Economic Poverty is the root of many problems in developing countries, so it needs to be addressed first. Thanks." [Bangladesh]

"Economic well being is the basis of general well being and peace." [Kenya]

"Poverty reduction and education of the girl child side by side should be the only two." [ ]

"True that everybody needs a living "wage" in today's money based economies.Yet, it is a chicken-or-egg type puzzle, because to do economic developmnt there are certain preconditions like literacy, health, minimum hygiene factors, cultural compatibility etc. Most of development aid work done by "Outsiders"(foreigners/Rich/Developed etc)is infructous & wasteful & inefficient because there is no EMPATHY, & EMPOWERMENT. For example, I am working on a low-cost alternative battery-lantern. I find international Aid-units cost 100 U.S.$+, and yet are NOT OK. We have designed but we don't have "Connections", so are foxed as to how to promote it...I hope to send you a short article on this soon." [India]

"Limitation in resources, and two facts: we are human beings, and all other action should in coordination with this." [Mexico]

"Assisting people to overcome poverty is the hallmark of a civil society." [Australia]

"I agree, but what are the root causes of poverty. Different in many nations, conflict, disease, bad management. A broad brish does not resolve the complex nature of these problems. There is an approach that addresses differences, and this is very valid. Not always easy to work on, more expensic=ve than the broad brush, but surely more effective." [Lao PDR]

"Until access to adequate food, shelter, and housing is possible for all people, the gross inequities among people will invite violence." [USA]

"Poverty reinforces discrimination, limits access to all basic needs and hinders individuals from taking control of their own lives. Unless poverty is tackled completely, the undocumented and invisible long term effects such as no interest in life beyond the immediate surrounding, loss of personal initiative to self development and lack of interest to learn or educate children will block whole nations of any possibility to internationally acceptable standards of economic and social development." [France]

"Economic divide was deliberately coursed by human beings themselves, therefore, those economic sound people have a moral and a legal obligation to "undividedly" focus in addressing international economic poverty reduction programmes by funding those programmes fo continuous sustainability and development." [ ]

DISAGREE [top]

"Addressing poverty should be an important component, on priority, however, I believe health, education, and personal development are also very important to be addressed simultaneously. Poverty alleviation however, can enhance the impact of other programs." [USA]

"It should not be the only IDP! It should be on the list of priorities (i.e. Press Freedom, Education For All, SD, Knowledge/capacity building...etc.)" [Jordan]

"Economic poverty is multidimnetional and international developmemt and program should look at other related issues such as education,health and agriculture." [ ]

"The causes and manifestations of economic poverty combine in a vicious circle. Let us identify and focus on the causes of economic poverty, including inadequate education, poor health, large populations, poor leadership,discriminatory international trade/tariffs, etc." [ ]

"I don't like statements that include "only" in this context; there are many variables that contribute- including policy, politics, natural disasters, etc." [USA]

"It should be a priority, but not the only one,education,and fighting for human rights are just as important. There are countries like some of the Arabian gulf countries that even though cannot be consired poor, are kept in a seemingly level of ignorance and where everybody knows human rights (and specially women's) are not properly addressed." [Spain]

"Such a premise is nonsense. Addressing development issues in such a one-dimensional fashion is doomed to failure. Looking at the social and political changes that are necessary to deal with poverty is essential. Responses at the country and regional levels must be more wholistic. Are we to assume that conquering the devastating effects of disease or altering the balance of power within societies has nothing to do with development?" [USA]

"Poverty cannot be solely addressed through economics. It is the product of political, social, religious and cultural systems. I think poverty should be addressed in the context of other development issues. It cannot and should not be separated." [ ]

"Impossible to comment in detail because "economic poverty" is undefined. In any event, there is more than one dimension to the poverty problem, hence the need for more than one instrument(program)." [Canada]

"Economic poverty is, in part, due to injustices that deny the valididty of one culture to the benefit of another. There is no provision to appreciate each human grouping as a discrete part of the human family which is necessary to contribute to the overall thinking for survival of the whole planet. Until justice becomes the standard for human conduct poverty will continue to increase." [Canada]

"Poverty must be addressed concurrently with health as addressing only economic situations does not address the fact that infectious disease and attempts to manage the outcomes often drives those on the edge of poverty into poverty." [ ]

"This is not a right assumption. While elaborating CARE Int. in Mali stategic plan 2003 - 2007, the group dealing with civil society organizations capacity building found out that poverty is not as simple as economic input. Many development programs have done a lot about building classes, community heath centers,gardening,development works for agriculture and so on; the fact is that poverty is still there if not getting worse. Our analysis show that poverty is also and mainly linked to social, traditionnal, cultural. The leaders are seemed to be born to lead and the society accepts it. The richs people are getting richer and the poors poorer. We had better adressed the economic side in development, if this socio-cultural conditions didn't change, nothing will happen after another century. The simple example is that we found out that in the civil society organizations we were strenghtening, only the "elite" in the society were taking the benefit because the conditions established for membership by the law exclude the poors who are not participating in the community activities like literacy / numeracy classes, civic action, democracy and so on. The poors are more concerned about what to eat today and have not time to be trained and inform." [Republic of Mali]

"There are other factors which need to be considered when addressing developemental issues.What needs to be addressed are the underlying factor which lead to economic poverty.Addressing economic poverty can only be a short term and very expensive way of addressing developemental issues.For a long term solution to developement and addressing economic issues, measure need to be taken that would help eradicate economic poverty eg education, infrastructure leading to better invesetment and creation of jobs thus reducing economic poverty." [Kenya]

"Making economic poverty "The ONLY priority and programme" is a bad policy. Making a priority of Family Economic Enhancement is a good policy if it goes hand in hand with other family-oriented goals such as primary education, nutrition education, basic health care and access to birth-spacing." [Canada]

"Solutions to economic poverty must be globally extensive but culturally specific, hence even focusing on economics as the only approach to development, requires that one understand the socio-cultural reality of any given 'developing' region, even global 'late neo-liberal capitalism' is manifested differently in different places. To reduce the problem of poverty to realities that can be quantified in traditional economic calculus has been shown to be an exceedingly naive approach to poverty. This is prescinding from the issue of lack of political will to follow through on the economists solutions, which is after all, a cultural issue." [USA]

"Health and education are clear priorities." [Argentina]

"Economic poverty is of course important but issues like gender, health, literacy can not be ignored and need to be addressed simultaneously." [ ]

"Other factors such as education and health, are equal or perhaps higher priorities and without which there can be no economic development." [France]

"I don´t think economic poverty underpins, all development issues. On the contrary, when only economic issues are addressed as development priority and program, the result is inequity and the perpetuation of poverty." [Mexico]

"Improving the lives of women spans far more than economics; patriarchal norms must also be abolished." [New Zealand]

"Although I agree that economic poverty underpins all developing issues, the problem needs to be battled on all fronts. It is a liong term project while in the meantime people need day to day basics such as education, health care, housing, etc. The issue needs to be looked at in terms of short-term (immediate) and long range planning and activity." [Canada]

"It cannot be the only priority, although should be the leading one. One cannot neglect other fundamental issues ranging from environmental protection to human rights." [ ]

"Too narrow a view point. Many development initiatives would fall through an economic poverty 'catch all' net. What about HIV/AIDS, for example? Being at risk and access to information are not always poverty based? What about human rights? The right to choose when and how to space children, for example, is not necessarily a poverty issue." [UK]

"Without democratic participation from the poor and a responsive state (ie a democratically constituted and managed state) breaking out of poverty is unlikely." [ ]

"Come on! Perhaps it's the use of the word "only", or perhaps its because you should know better, but I have to disagree with the statement above. Should economic poverty be both the sole "priority" and "programe"? No. Economic poverty is the result of a combination of factors - government, value systems, resources, knowledge-base, political alignment... luck. International development efforts are most effective when they address poverty at its constituent causes. Sometimes this means on-the-ground education in literacy and business - and sometimes it means high-level diplomacy between governments. Is it a waste, therefore to spend a generation teaching a people to read, but not improving their annual income? Maybe, maybe not. But wouldn't it be equally dubious to improve someone's annual income, without providing them a chance for a healthier life, or a life with wider horizons for both them and their families?" [ ]

"It is not clear who this community is accountable to." [Ethiopia]

"There are other issues which underpin economic poverty. Political systems, government, civil society, geography, even culture underpin economic development. Focusing exclusively on "economic development" produced what most people consider disastrous results in the FSU. (Not that economic development can be ignored, either - all these systems interact, and we only distinguish among them for analytic and programmatic convenience)." [USA]

"There are important discrepancies between general (human) development and economic development in countries/regions and between them." [ ]

"Economic poverty deserve to be given a priority, but to say it should be the only international development priority and programme is simply beind unduly simplistic and unrealistic." [Nigeria]

"The issue of governance should also enter into the equation. Good governance and economic developmentare the two major components needed for any meaningful change in the lives of poeple." [Uganda]

"On the one hand, more focus than "poverty" is needed, and on the other hand issues such as human rights, empowerment, and the environment are not just poverty issues." [ ]

"There are social issues like caste, class, and race, equity issues. Poverty is a creation of vested interests working nationally and internationally. Therefore economic poverty is only one of the many issues which should be addressed. There is a need to analyse the new dependency and dominent modle of development." [India]

"What about health and education? Sickness is also a big issue in many poor countries. Economy cannot be good if everyone is sick and not educate." [ ]

"A major priority and programme - yes - but not the only one. Poverty reduction is a complex, long term process, and other issues should have short-term priority." [South Africa]

"Giving fish, or teaching to fish is a limited perspective. All the planet must learn to manage the fishery. Without education and democratic processes for self management in a stable environment, there won't be improvement in quality of life. The last will be first when they learn how." [USA]

"Poverty is certainly a determining factor in development, but sometimes it results from other influences, such as poor public health, and therefor can be reduced by improvements in the other areas, such as improements in public health. This is a significant issue rased by and centre stage of current WHO policy. Other issues also influence poverty as well as being the result of poverty, such as transport, environment, water supply. The relationship is always 2-way, so tackling from either end is valid, not just from the perspective of poverty but from other initiatives as well. Therefor,not "the only" priority." [UK]

"Everything may hinge upon it, but having it won't solve everything." [ ]

"Economic poverty is only one aspect of poverty and is more a symptom than a root cause. Poverty is more than a lack of things; it is a condition that is both personal and corporate which affects how and what decisions are made, proirities that are set and conditions that exist in which people live. Economic resources without mind and heart change are futile. Education is a key." [USA]

"To a great extent, economic poverty underpins all development issues. However, there are other lesser factors related to or independent of economic poverty that must be addressed for development to be realised in any given country. Take for example, the issue of peace. Some countries (for example Sudan and Uganda)need peace and stability more than economic deliverance. This is because, especially the southern Sudan is endowed with great potential in terms of natural resources and arable land. Before the war escalated, it is worth to note that the Sudanese Pound was equal to the English Pound. This is a clear indication that war, or lack of peace for this matter, has had a lot to do with this country's present situation. The international Community can not prioritise on economic recovery for a country such as this. The priority here becomes peace and relief. In some country's we are talking of natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods and storms even where we have economic stability. This is an international concern and needs be on priority list as well." [Kenya]

"Failure to address other issues such as health and education, undermines every effort to address economic poverty. A healthy, educated population is likely to be more productive, and able to sustain long-term economic growth." [ ]

"It include education,helath,social awareness etc..." [India]

"Economics is useless without social development, political support, advovacy and much else - surely we are not going back to world principles of economic focus on physical infrastructure without social implications - I thought we had got over this in the late 70s!" [ ]

"Needs to include focus on women, whose empowerment is essential to alleviating poverty." [ ]

"One cannot assume that better economics will promote better hospitals, schools, and exceptance of social and relgious diversity. Education, health care, and exposure to other cultures are also key in an economic development package for may underdeveloped countries." [USA]

"I disagree because major development agencies are in agreement that 'economic' poverty is only one (albeit an important) aspect of lack of development in poorer communities.... social factors, disempowerment of women in family decisionmaking structures, social exclusion, lack of access (often to free and crucial) health care or educational opportunity, unsustainable livelihood strategies...... all contribute in various ways to social as well as economic impoverishment." [USA]

"For years, we have been looking at the question of economic poverty, albeit alongside other issues which sometimes cloud our vision and understanding of poverty. However, to focus on economic poverty without a concomitant examination of the political structures and mechanisms that facilitate poverty, will be to no avail." [ ]

"I wholeheartedly disagree. Poverty is much more than a percentage of people living on less than a dollar a day. Poverty exists because society and its institutions fail to facilitate equitable access to resources, fail to provide space for voice and fail to fulfil conditions in which vulnerable people can improve their situation and claim support for that. If we start looking at welbeing from a purely economic perspective, we ignore peoples basic rights and the need for empowerment and social justice." [Bhutan]

"I would like to bring to attention Max-Neefs idea that there are many poverties and that they should be addressed holistically. Economic poverty is only one perspective on human suffering. Any unmet fundamental human need indicates poverty and is at times more urgent than the economic poverty. Poverty should be addressed holistically or at least very comprehensively to include the poverty of protection (peace sustaining systems,) affection (which may be unmet due to oppression, natuaral environment exploitation) understanding and knowledge (education) participation (due to marginalization, discrimination) identity (loss due to imposition of alien values, being in exile). Economic poverty seldom exists without some of these other poverties." [South Africa]

"If you have just one problem to solve... you have two problems: the problem you had and your approach. When you talk about the "only international priority and programme" you are going towards an unilateral and insensible approach and you lost the diversity and wealth of humankind and the challenges and lessons evolved from the "diversity of problems"." [Canada]

"The "only priority and programme" forgets that development problems root on people rather than on economic issues. People involvement and comitment to change should be addressed to and promoted." [Colombia]

"Should be a priority, but not necessarily the only initiative." [ ]

"The most important thing is to find a way to cut the web of economic poverty off by addressing development priority to education (developing a system of education which is inexpensive yet applicable in daily life of people in underdeveloped countries) and health program (not a charity one but programs for knowledge and awareness development)." [Indonesia]

"I believe that issues of health, agriculture, environment and economic factors should be addressed collectively in a holistic approach." [ ]

"There should also be a commitment to improving education. Simply addressing econmomic poverty is not enough." [Canada]

"Human rights are important regardless of economic prosperity." [Canada]

"Definitely a HIGH Priority, but not the ONLY one." [ ]

UNSURE [top]

"Addressing poverty of course should be top priority, but this should mean addressing the causes of poverty rather than fragmentarily taking care of their consequences." [UK]