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Measuring Poverty (51) How poverty is defined and measured

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New land grab website

GRAIN is launching today a new website that offers the most comprehensive information tool on the global land grab for outsourced food production. (GRAIN, June 2009)

http://farmlandgrab.org/

(Added: Mon Jun 29 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 43)

Zimbabwe: higher production but food insecurity persists

High food insecurity persists in Zimbabwe in spite of improvements in agricultural production and a more liberal import policy this year, according to a report issued today by FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP). (FAO, June 2009)

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/21481/icode/

(Added: Mon Jun 29 2009   Hits: 5)

Hunger Threat Widens, Deepens In Horn Of Africa

Millions of people in the Horn of Africa face a deadly mix of persistent drought, poor seasonal rains, conflict and stubbornly high food costs. At the same time, the global financial crisis is threatening to exacerbate levels of hunger and desperation across the region. (World Food Programme, 09 June 2009)

http://www.wfp.org/stories/hunger-threat-widens-deepens-horn-africa

(Added: Fri Jun 12 2009   Hits: 27)

Global Women's Project

Since 1974 the Global Women's Project has worked to advance gender justice and women's economic, social and political opportunity. As economic integration, guided by liberalization in trade and investment and domestic deregulation, progresses, inequality between nations and within countries has grown. Women and other marginalized groups too often bear the brunt of these dislocations. Economic and social justice is frustrated. For this reason, the Global Women's Project has committed itself to critically analyzing current economic policies and developing a new approach that puts social concerns at the center of economic policy-making. (Center of concern, 2009)

http://www.coc.org/gwp

(Added: Fri May 08 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 53)

PORGERA IN FLAMES: Mining Multinational Ordered Military Force burns down hundreds of homes in PNG

Hundreds of homes in the Porgera valley of Papua New Guinea are being set aflame. Local human rights organizations in Porgera claim that these fires are part of a strategy to clear people out of the way for the expansion of Barrick Gold's Porgera mine. On April 27th, without prior warning, the indigenous land owners of the villages surrounding Barrick Gold's Porgera open pit mine were violently evicted by a police and military operation with 200 troops. (Sakura Saunders and Tanya Roberts-Davis, Indymedia, 2 May 2009)

http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/77191/index.php

(Added: Fri May 08 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 64)

The effects of parental death and chronic poverty on children’s education and health: evidence from Indonesia

What are the impacts of of parental death and chronic poverty on children's education and health in Indonesia? This paper estimates the short- and long-term effects of maternal and paternal death on children's school enrolment, educational attainment and health in Indonesia, and compare it with the effect of chronic poverty. The authors also investigate whether there are any gender dimensions of the effects. (D. Suryadarma, Y. M. Pakpahan and A. Suryahadi, SMERU Research Institute, 2009)

http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=43055

(Added: Fri May 08 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 23)

Nature and Nurture: Poverty and Environment in Asia and the Pacific

This publication provides an overview of poverty-environment interactions and presents some of these case studies and others that show how poor communities in Asia and the Pacific have sought to break out of poverty through local actions that improved their environment or made them less vulnerable to environmental stress. (Asian Development Bank, April 2009)

http://www.adb.org/Documents/books/Nature-Nurture/default.asp

(Added: Thu Apr 23 2009   Hits: 156)

At Stake Are More Than Banks

The global economic crisis will cause an additional 22 children to die per hour in 2009 according to World Bank estimates. "The 500 richest people in the world, according to a U.N. calculation a few years ago, earned more than the 416 million poorest people. It's worth bearing in mind that the first group bears a measure of responsibility for the global economic mess but will get by just fine, while the latter group has no responsibility and will suffer the worst consequences." (NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, NY Times, April 1, 2009)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1

(Added: Thu Apr 16 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 29)

Slumdogs and small towns

Little is known or written about the 2,000 small and medium towns of India. The one characteristic that defines them all, says this report from towns such as Madhubani, Jhunjhunu and Sehore, is the absence of planning. Many of these towns do not even possess an accurate town map. And up to a quarter of their population lives in slums. (Kalpana Sharma, InfoChange News & Features, April 2009)

http://infochangeindia.org/Urban-India/Cityscapes/Slumdogs-and-small-towns.html

(Added: Thu Apr 16 2009   Hits: 35)

The Role of Gender Inequalities in Explaining Income Growth, Poverty and Inequality: Evidences from Latin American Countries [PDF 335KB]

The authors find that, among several gender related policies, promoting female labour participation has the biggest impact on reducing poverty and inequality.(Joana Costa, Elydia Silva, and Fabio Vaz, IPC, April 2009)

http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper52.pdf

(Added: Mon Apr 06 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 47)

Taking the credit: How financial services liberalisation fails the poor [PDF 1026KB]

This report assesses the role that UK, European and US banks play in developing countries, especially following trade deals which locked-in financial services liberalisation. We show how, even before the credit crunch had kicked in, the loan practices of big foreign banks in India and Mexico were reducing access to credit for small firms or poor households, and shifting credit away from 'productive activities' towards funding personal consumption for those on high and medium incomes. The financial crisis makes it even less likely that ulnerable sectors will be able to access the kind of financial services that we in the UK have traditionally taken for granted. (World Development Movement, 2009)

http://www.wdm.org.uk/resources/reports/trade/takingthecredit09032009.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 02 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 61)

Alternative Water Forum declaration

The Alternative Water Forum made a declaration that extends the description of safe drinking water as a "basic human need" by the 5th World Water Forum held in Istanbul, Turkey 6-22 March 2009. "The biggest threat to universal access to clean water and adequate sanitation is not mother nature but corporate globalization. Privatization of water is being aggressively exported to the developing world under the rubric of poverty reduction and debt relief strategies, free trade and economic development. In this context, civil society demands that access to drinking water be recognized as a universal human right, in order to ensure that everyone can benefit from water resources." (Alternative Water Forum - Istanbul Declaration, 22 March 2009)

http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/730.html

(Added: Wed Apr 01 2009   Hits: 78)

Civil War: A Review of Fifty Years of Research

Civil conflict has afflicted more than half of all nations since 1960, and since then a fifth of all nations have experienced at least ten years of internal war. Civil conflict may have been the greatest impediment to economic growth of the last half-century. This paper reviews several decades of scholarship on civil war, focusing on the answers to key questions: Why do wars begin? Who fights? How are armed groups organized? How can we end and prevent internal war? Blattman and Miguel then survey the growing body of macroeconomic and microeconomic evidence to assess the impacts of civil war on economic growth worldwide. (Christopher Blattman and Edward Miguel, Center for Global Development, 21 March 2009)

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1421335

(Added: Wed Apr 01 2009   Hits: 43)

Schooling Inequality, Crises, and Financial Liberalization in Latin America

Latin America is marked by high and persistent inequality in income, schooling, and land ownership. In such an unequal environment, the powerful are likely to dominate politics and push for policies that protect their privileges rather than foster competition and growth. As a result, changes in policies that political elites resist may be postponed to the detriment of overall economic performance. (Jere R. Behrman, Nancy Birdsall, and Gunilla Pettersson; Center for Global Development, 21 March 2009)

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1421333

(Added: Wed Apr 01 2009   Hits: 40)

Water crisis in Fiji

In our part of the world there is a tug of war emerging between providing access to water and the idea of water as a business opportunity. Fiji has started to make steps towards the privatisation of water, a move which is alarming human rights advocates, including Amnesty International Aotearoa NZ. With 49% of Fijians living in urban areas and only just over 50% of the rural population having access to water sources adequate for drinking, this move begs the question of how privatisation will improve this situation. History has shown that privatisation further compromises the ability for citizens to enjoy the right to equal, affordable, and physical access to water. (Amnesty International (NZ), 20 March 2009)

http://www.amnesty.org.nz/media_release/Water_crisis_in_Fiji

(Added: Wed Mar 25 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 76)

Changes in Earnings in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico: Disentangling the Forces behind Pro-Poor Changes in Labour Markets [PDF 272KB]

In this paper the authors discuss the link between labour markets, poverty and inequality. The authors find that, during crisis, the income of the poor may not fall as much as the non-poor. Yet, a small decline in their income can have devastating impacts. (Eduardo Zepeda, Diana Alarcon, Fabio Veras Soares, and Rafael Guerreiro Osorio, IPC, March 2009)

http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper51.pdf

(Added: Mon Mar 23 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 20)

Confronting Crises: Learning From Labour Markets in the Past [PDF 61KB]

In this paper Eduardo Zepeda discusses the link between labour markets, poverty and inequality. He finds that, during crisis, the income of the poor may not fall as much as the non-poor. Yet, a small decline in their income can have devastating impacts.(Eduardo Zepeda, IPC, 2009)

http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCOnePager80.pdf

(Added: Mon Mar 23 2009   Hits: 27)

As Indian Growth Soars, Child Hunger Persists

Small, sick, listless children have long been India's scourge - "a national shame," in the words of its prime minister, Manmohan Singh. But even after a decade of galloping economic growth, child malnutrition rates are worse here than in many sub-Saharan African countries, and they stand out as a paradox in a proud democracy. (Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 12 March 2009)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/asia/13malnutrition.html?_r=1&hp

(Added: Wed Mar 18 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 37)

Emerging Trade Issues for Policymakers in Developing Countries in Asia and the Pacific: Studies in Trade and Investment No. 64

This volume combines 11 chapters under five parts: Rethinking trade for developing countries; Trade and production sharing; Trade in services; Trade, poverty and inequality; and Managing regionalism. Most of the chapters are written in a nontechnical language, but all go a long way in reviewing the most up-to-date research of relevance to trade policy formulation and implementation in the developing countries of the region. (UNESCAP, February 2009)

http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1313

(Added: Wed Mar 18 2009   Hits: 68)

Rethinking Finance

A 'one-stop shop' for news, analysis, research and civil society action on finance and the financial crisis, it showcases alternative ideas and analyses of the current financial and economic crisis, collects information and comments on recent and upcoming events, giving an invaluable overview. environmental catastrophe. Blind faith in the virtues of markets, and inadequate public control, regulation and accountability of finance are at the heart of the financial crisis. Before the financial crisis, people across the world and in Britain were already suffering from the effects of rising food prices, inadequate essential services and the threat of climate chaos. There can be no return to business as usual. Fundamental change is needed. Rethinking Finance puts forward alternative ideas and analyses, provides information about and comments on latest events, and gives an overview of civil society and other peoples' activities. Rethinking finance is a website of several international civil society organisations and individuals that contribute to its content, keeping it a place of lively debate and up to date information.

http://www.rethinkingfinance.org/

(Added: Mon Mar 16 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 56)

The Proceeds of Crime

An article condemning the privatisation of prisons after two judges in Pennsylvania were convicted of jailing some 2000 children in exchange for bribes. "This revolting trade in human lives creates a permanent incentive to lock people up; not because prison works; not because it makes us safer, but because it makes money." (George Monbiot, Alternatives, Monday 9 March 2009)

http://www.alternatives.ca/article4600.html

(Added: Wed Mar 11 2009   Hits: 27)

Help the Poor or Learn From Them?

In a shantytown in Argentina, Father Pepe, learns from the poor when seeking solutions to poverty. "The idea is not to make them become aware of the fact that they need to liberate themselves, but to listen and watch what they do; understand the people, not lead them. Listen up ..." (Raul Zibechi, Americas Program report, February 24, 2009)

http://americas.irc-online.org/am/5899

(Added: Fri Mar 06 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 61)

How to Unlock the $1 Trillion that Developing Countries Urgently Need to Cope with the Crisis

Five billion people in developing countries are innocent victims of the global economic crisis. How well they cope will be crucial to sustained global recovery. In this CGD Note, Nancy Birdsall estimates that developing countries may need $1 trillion for bank rescues, fiscal stimulus, and to maintain their minimal social safety nets over the next couple of years. She then explains how these funds could be unlocked from existing resources. (Nancy Birdsall, CGD, Feb 2009)

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1421143

(Added: Thu Mar 05 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 48)

Bhushan: Little 'Baba'

With 40,000 farmer suicides in Maharashtra between 1995 and 2007, there are thousands of households where children have been forced out of school and into the fields to shoulder the family burden. This article tells Bushan's story. (Jaideep Hardikar, InfoChange News & Features, February 2009)

http://infochangeindia.org/Children/Child-farmers-of-Vidarbha/Bhushan-Little-Baba.html

(Added: Wed Mar 04 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 33)

Growth without development: Looking beyond inequality [PDF 277KB]

This Briefing Paper suggests that the measurement of polarisation may help us understand why growth does not automatically lead to human development.(Milo Vandermoortele, ODI,February 2009)

http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/briefing-papers/47-growth-development-inequality-polarisation-poverty.pdf

(Added: Tue Feb 17 2009   Hits: 40)

World of Work Report 2008:Income inequalities in the age of financial globalization [PDF 1617KB]

This report by the ILO's International Institute for Labour Studies looks at income inequality It finds that despite strong economic growth that produced millions of new jobs since the early 1990s, income inequality grew dramatically in most regions of the world and is expected to increase due to the current global financial crisis.It also notes that a major share of the cost of the financial and economic crisis will be borne by hundreds of millions of people who haven't shared in the benefits of recent growth.(ILO, October 2008)

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/world08.pdf

(Added: Tue Feb 17 2009   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 40)

Poverty and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: An overview of key issues[PDF 644KB]

This paper seeks to provide an introduction to current debates on what makes Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) the poorest region in the world and what can be done to deliver the sustainable and broad-based economic growth required to address this.(Geoff Handley, Kate Higgins and Bhavna Sharma with Kate Bird and Diana Cammack, ODI, January 2009)

http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/odi-publications/working-papers/299-poverty-reduction-sub-saharan-africa.pdf

(Added: Fri Jan 23 2009   Hits: 103)

(How) does aid work? A literature review of aid effectiveness & welfare studies

For many years, there has been a tendency to measure aid effectiveness primarily in terms of economic growth. Recently, though, there is also a growing awareness of the fact that measuring development and the quality of life solely from a growth perspective is inadequate. The most significant criticism of the growth-model is targeted at its limited ability to measure actual quality of life: while GDP indexes may offer a partial measure of collective production, they do not necessarily provide adequate measures of welfare. (Tina Maria Jensen, DIIS Working Paper, 2008)

http://www.diis.dk/sw69258.asp

(Added: Mon Dec 22 2008   Hits: 177)

Eradicating Child Poverty: The Role of Key Policy Areas

A series of short reports focusing on certain key policy areas relevant to the 2020 target of eradicating UK child poverty. Each report presents an overview of the importance of the area, progress over the last few years, the extent of its likely contribution to the overall goal and effective alternatives where necessary (Single page with links to each report)(Donald Hirsch et al., 2008)

http://www.policypointers.org/Page/View/8551

(Added: Mon Dec 22 2008   Hits: 76)

Climate, Poverty, and Justice

Climate change is the number one threat to human development. Yet progress towards limiting global warming to below 2 degrees C has not been sufficient. The global effort required to reduce emissions and support the poorest and most vulnerable people to adapt to unavoidable changes must be based on objective indicators of countries historic responsibilities for causing the crisis, and their capabilities to confront it. (OXFAM, December 2008)

http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/climate-poverty-and-justice

(Added: Thu Dec 11 2008   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 91)

Inequality undermines education opportunities for millions of children

The failure of governments to tackle deep and persistent inequalities in education is consigning millions of children to lives of poverty and diminished opportunity, according to a new UNESCO report. Political indifference, weak domestic policies and the failure of donors to act on commitments, are some of the reasons why. This report examines three key areas covered in UNESCO's report, launched on November 25th: overall achievements, governance, and finance.

http://www.id21.org/education/UnescoGMR09.html

(Added: Thu Dec 11 2008   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 99)

ACP-EU Press release: Combating Child Labour [77K]

This report is on the social consequences of child labour and strategies to combat child labour. The report recommends measures to harness the power of consumers and industry to discourage the exploitation of child labour - including a "without child labour" kite mark and a requirement that large firms eliminate child labour from their supply chains within three years, are set out in a report approved by the Social Affairs and Environment Committee on 24 November. (ACP - EU, November 2008)

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp/60_16/pdf/20081125_cp2_travail_des_enfants_en.pdf

(Added: Mon Dec 08 2008   Hits: 41)

Eliminating Gender Inequalities Reduces Poverty. How? [PDF 72KB]

The authors argue that tackling all types of gender inequalities reduces poverty levels. The greatest impact comes from promoting women's participation in the labour market. (Joana Costa and Elydia Silva, IPC November 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager73.pdf

(Added: Wed Dec 03 2008   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 194)

Global Aspects and Implications of Horizontal Inequalities: Inequalities Experienced by Muslims Worldwide

Within countries, increasing evidence shows that inequalities among groups (horizontal inequalities, HIs) are important for well-being. However, the global component of HIs is generally neglected. The paper reviews Muslim/non-Muslim HIs within developed and developing countries, and between Muslim and non-Muslim countries, finding that Muslims are systematically disadvantaged across many dimensions. It argues that, despite much heterogeneity among the Muslim population, there is evidence of multiple global connections and of shared perceptions, such that inequalities faced by Muslims in one part of the world may become a source of grievance and potential mobilisation in other parts of the world.

http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/abstract.shtml?wp60

(Added: Fri Nov 14 2008   Hits: 29)

Poverty-reduction goals to be hit by global crisis

According to the Cambodian commerce minister, world financial turmoil has pushed more Cambodians below the poverty line and experts predict rising unemployment. Global financial turmoil and rising domestic inflation will likely keep Cambodia from reaching its poverty-reduction target this year, the minister said. (The Phnom Post, 30 October 2008)

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2008103022417/National-news/Poverty-reduction-goals-to-be-hit-by-global-crisis.html

(Added: Fri Nov 14 2008   Hits: 44)

What Do We Mean by "Feminization of Poverty"? [pdf]

"Feminization of poverty", a concept dating back to the 1970s, was popularised at the start of the 1990s. Its various meanings include some of which are not entirely consistent with its implicit notion of change (Poverty Centre, 2008). This one-pager proposes a definition consistent with much recent study.

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager58.pdf

(Added: Thu Oct 09 2008   Hits: 97)

Wage Cutting in Kenya Will Expand Poverty, Not Decent Jobs (IPC One pager, pdf)

In this Onepager report from the International Poverty Centre, the authors debunk the view of some economists that excessive labour costs - due to high wages or labour-market rigidities - impede the growth of productive employment in low-income countries such as Kenya. Using recent household-level data, they show that cutting wages would only expand the number of jobs with poverty-level wages. (IPC, 25/9/08)

http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/IPCOnePager46.pdf

(Added: Fri Sep 26 2008   Hits: 68)

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 [pdf]

The latest Millennium Development Goals report says the world is on track to meet the number one goal of halving poverty by 2015. Much of this is due to the progress made by East Asia, particularly China.(UN, September 2008)

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/The%20Millennium%20Development%20Goals%20Report%202008.pdf

(Added: Fri Sep 12 2008   Hits: 175)

Crafting a Graduation Pathway for the Ultra Poor: Lessons and Evidence from a BRAC programme

The ultra poor are caught in a below-subsistence trap from which it is difficult for them to break free using available resources and mechanisms.In this paper, an innovative approach that BRAC has been experimenting with since 2002 to craft a graduation pathway for the ultra poor is described. Based on experiences of implementing this approach and evaluation research, a number of key lessons for the broader thinking on tackling ultra poverty are drawn. (Matin, I., Sulaiman, M. and Rabbani, M., Chronic Poverty Research Centre, 2008)

http://www.chronicpoverty.org/p/546/publication-details.php

(Added: Tue Aug 19 2008   Hits: 102)

A Fair Go for All Children: Actions to address child poverty in New Zealand [pdf]

This report provides an analytical look at the extent and characteristics of child poverty in New Zealand and what can be done about it. (Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) August 2008)

http://www.occ.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/4932/OCC_ChildPoverty_070808.pdf

(Added: Mon Aug 18 2008   Hits: 130)

An Empirical Test of the Poverty Traps Hypothesis [pdf]

In this Technical Paper, the author challenges the view that increasing returns in manufacturing generate poverty traps.(Francisco Rodríguez, IPC, August 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCTechnicalPaper4.pdf

(Added: Tue Aug 12 2008   Hits: 59)

Legacy or Complacency?Lula's Unfinished Business in Brazil

An overview of Lula's presidency and how he needs, in the last 30 months of his time in office,to take on a host of lingering economic and political reforms to make Brazil more open and fair.(Roger F. Noriega, AEI, August 2008)

http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.28435,filter.all/pub_detail.asp

(Added: Fri Aug 08 2008   Hits: 46)

Poverty Networks

This resource brings together web-based platforms that share development-related publications and initiatives. You will be able to access the International Poverty Centre (IPC)'s collaborating networks on this website. (United Nations Development Programme August 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/povnet/

(Added: Fri Aug 08 2008   Hits: 57)

The Recent Impact of Government Transfers on Poverty in Honduras and Alternatives to Enhance their Effects

In this Working Paper, the author argues that the CCT programme in Honduras can further reduce poverty with improved targeting mechanisms.(Rafael Osorio, IPC ,August 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper47.pdf

(Added: Tue Aug 05 2008   Hits: 48)

Changes in Living Standards in Villages in India 1975-2004: Revisiting the ICRISAT Village Level Studies'

This paper examines changes in living conditions in the six villages in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, initially surveyed during 1975-84. They link the original Village Level Survey (VLS) households to a new survey in the villages conducted during 2001-04 and further extensive survey work in 2005-06, including tracking survey of all individuals ever interviewed in the original VLS. Despite issues related to attrition and changes in the survey instruments, they find that monetary welfare indicators (such as incomes, assets, consumption and poverty), and non monetary indicators of well-being (such as basic literacy, education and health outcomes) have improved considerably.(Chronic Poverty Research Centre Working Paper 85, Reena Badiani, Stefan Dercon, Pramila Krishnan and K.P.C. Rao, 2007)

http://www.chronicpoverty.org/pdfs/85Badiani_et_al.pdf

(Added: Thu Jul 31 2008   Hits: 60)

On the Links between Violent Conflict and Household Poverty: How Much Do We Really Know? [pdf]

This paper assesses the usefulness of a new emerging body of work on the micro-level analysis of conflict and violence in advancing our current understanding of the relationship between violent conflict and household poverty. Micro-level empirical evidence on the relationship between violent conflict and poverty has been scarce and at times contradictory. This field of research has, however, grown significantly in recent years and evidence is slowly starting to accumulate. The paper makes use of new findings to propose a framework to understand fundamental transmission mechanisms from violent conflict through to household poverty, as well as the potential impact of household poverty on conflict.(Patricia Justino, 2007)

http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP1_PJ.pdf

(Added: Thu Jul 31 2008   Hits: 105)

Where Are the Jobs that Take People Out of Poverty in Brazil?

The authors argue that informal sector jobs are lifting people out of poverty faster than employment in the formal sector.(IPC One Pager #61, 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager61.pdf

(Added: Thu Jul 31 2008   Hits: 55)

A Consistent Measure of Real Poverty: A Reply to Ravallion

This onepager by Thomas Pogge argues that the formula for measuring 'poverty' ($1 US dollar a day) is inconsistent, discriminatory and does not ensure the nutritional needs of the poor. (IPC, May, 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager54.pdf

(Added: Fri Jul 25 2008   Hits: 123)

The Least Developed Countries Report, 2008

This UNCTAD report argues that 'least developed countries are achieving record rates of economic expansion, but growth is failing to trickle down into significantly improved well-being for the majority of their population. The Least Developed Countries Report 2008 argues that this results from the type of economic growth and development strategy that these countries are following. In order to decisively reduce material deprivation and embark on economic and social development, LDCs need to adopt new types of development strategies that are nationally formulated and owned. One of the elements of this change is to adopt management policies for the official development aid they receive.'

http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ldc2008_en.pdf

(Added: Fri Jul 18 2008   Hits: 233)

From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States can Change the World - New from Oxfam International

-Ever wondered how development really happens? -Will climate change throw all the progress into reverse? -Who has the power to change the world? Now available online at www.fp2p.org: -Browse book chapters -Secure online ordering -Read the background research papers and case studies -Get involved in the debate. Read and respond to author Duncan Green's Blog at http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/ -Only got 2 minutes? Watch the From Poverty to Power video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50MxlFHwDGM About the book: From Poverty to Power is a major new book from Oxfam International thatargues that ending the scourges of extreme poverty, inequality, and threatened environmental collapse is the greatest global challenge of the twenty-first century. The best way to tackle them is through a combination of active citizens and effective nation states. Why active citizenship? Because people living in poverty must have a voice in deciding their own destiny, fighting for rights and justice in their own society, and holding states and the private sector to account. Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prospered without a state structure than can actively manage the development process. Author Duncan Green believes: -To understand development we need to think much more about politics and the role of the state -Tackling inequality requires more attention to redistribution not just of assets but of power and opportunities -We need to build a secure, fair, and sustainable world before climate change makes it impossible.

http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/from_poverty_to_power

(Added: Tue Jul 15 2008   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 104)

Towards an Employment-centred Development strategy for Poverty Reduction in The Gambia: Macroeconomic and Labour Market Aspects [pdf]

According to the authors, growth in The Gambia has not been pro-poor. Weak productivity and the low quality of employment explain why. They recommend policies to increase the supply of credit to the economy, particularly to employment-intensive sectors.(James Heintz, Carlos Oya and Eduardo Zepeda, July 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCCountryStudy16.pdf

(Added: Thu Jul 10 2008   Hits: 61)

Creating Value for All: Strategies for doing buisness with the poor [pdf]

This 'UN Development Programme (UNDP) offers strategies and tools for companies to expand beyond traditional business practices and bring in the world's poor as partners in growth and wealth creation. Part of UNDP's Growing Inclusive Market's initiative, the report draws on extensive case studies and demonstrates the effectiveness-both for human progress and for wealth creation-of more inclusive business models.'

http://www.undp.org/gimlaunch/docs/GIM_EN.pdf

(Added: Mon Jul 07 2008   Hits: 133)

Centre for Research for Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE)

This website was was created "to investigate relationships between ethnicity, inequality and conflict, with the aim of identifying economic, political, social and cultural policies which promote stable and inclusive multiethnic societies."

http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/

(Added: Mon Jun 30 2008   Hits: 171)

Why Is the Tax System So Ineffective and Regressive in Latin America?

This Centre For Development Policy and Research 'Development View Point' argues that one of the key challenges to development in Latin America is that 'the economic elites, which dominate the political economy of much of the region, do not pay taxes that represent a fair share of their incomes.'

http://www.soas.ac.uk/cdpr/publications/dv/44227.pdf

(Added: Thu Jun 19 2008   Hits: 60)

Left behind : how social & income inequalities damage New Zealand children [pdf]

This report looks at how enduring and perhaps deepening social inequalities are damaging the lives of the poorest 20 per cent of New Zealand children.(Child Poverty Action Group, March 2008)

http://www.cpag.org.nz/resources/articles/res1209380220.pdf

(Added: Thu Jun 12 2008   Hits: 174)

Equitable Access to Basic Services: Who will Guarantee it? [pdf]

The author argues that the preconditions for successful utility service privatisation are high levels of initial access. (by Degol Hailu, International Poverty Centre (IPC), June 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager55.pdf

(Added: Mon Jun 09 2008   Hits: 80)

The Sugar Campaign for Change

Western Kenya is the home of Kenya's sugar industry. Wherever you go by road in western provinces, the tall green sugar cane is almost always present. At the beginning of the new millennium however, the state of the industry was much less healthy and on the verge of collapse.

http://actionaidusa.org/assets/pdfs/priorities/Kenya_CriticalStoriesofChange.pdf

(Added: Thu May 22 2008   Hits: 67)

The Gospel of Consumption

Most of the clothes, video players, furniture, toys, and other goods we buy today are made in distant countries, often by underpaid people working in sweatshop conditions. The raw material for many of those products comes from clearcutting or strip mining or other disastrous means of extraction. (by Jeffrey Kaplan, Common Dreams, May 3, 2008)

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/03/8686/

(Added: Mon May 05 2008   Hits: 53)

Assuring development gains and poverty reduction from trade: the labour mobility and skills trade dimension [pdf]

This study examines the impact of global labor movement on trade, development and poverty reduction and asks how temporary labor mobility can be better managed to improve people's lives and to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.(UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),March 2008)

http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Download.asp?docid=9685&lang=1&intItemID=2068

(Added: Tue Apr 29 2008   Hits: 176)

Strengthening Efforts to Eradicate Poverty and Hunger [pdf]

The book provides an overview of the key debates on poverty and hunger. It draws five lessons from experiences in Bangladesh, Barbados, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Ethiopia and Ghana in implementing policies towards the MDGs. (United Nations, 2007)

http://www.un.org/ecosoc/docs/pdfs/07-49285-ECOSOC-Book-2007.pdf

(Added: Tue Apr 29 2008   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 113)

DFID's Research Strategy on Growth [pdf]

There is broad acceptance that rapid and sustained growth is the single most important way to reduce poverty. Growth accounts for more than 80% of poverty reduction and has lifted 500 million people above the poverty line since 1980. DFID's Research Strategy aims to fill the gaps in our knowledge, including how best to sustain growth; how to increase productivity in developing countries; and how to extend opportunities for the poor to participate in growth (DFID, 2008).

http://www.research4development.info/PDF/Outputs/Consultation/DFID_ResearchStrategy2008LOWRES.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 24 2008   Hits: 108)

Financing Gender Equality Is Financing Development [pdf]

Gender equality is recognized as being essential to human development, making it critical to ensure that all aspects of development financing, domestic and international, fully recognize women's economic contributions, and support their economic security and rights. (UNIFEM discussion paper, 2007)

http://www.unifem.org/campaigns/csw/2008/documents/FinancingGenderEqualityIsFinancingDevelopment_eng.pdf

(Added: Fri Apr 11 2008   Hits: 138)

Making agriculture work for the poor [pdf]

This paper summarises recent work on poverty, agriculture and land. It reports on panel data analysis in five countries - Vietnam, Uganda, India, Nicaragua and Ethiopia. It focuses on rural exits from poverty, their relation with agricultural growth trends, and the contingent factors that supported these exits. (Overseas Development Institute, October 2007)

http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/nrp/NRP111.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 10 2008   Hits: 105)

EGYPT: Can't Wait a Generation to Eat

A World Bank official said this month it could take as long as "a generation" for the effects of Egypt's recent economic growth to be felt by the poorest segments of the population. But as "neo-liberal" economists urge patience, retail prices for essential foodstuffs continue to skyrocket, stretching many household salaries to breaking point (IPS, 26 March 2008).

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41744

(Added: Tue Apr 01 2008   Hits: 92)

Measuring and Reporting the Impact of Tourism on Poverty

This paper presents a brief review and critique of current ways of measuring and reporting the economic impacts of tourism. Drawing on work on tourism and poverty reduction and responsible tourism in The Gambia, Egypt and Tanzania it presents ways of measuring local economic impact, which can be used to measure change over time (Dr Harold Goodwin, 2006)

http://www.haroldgoodwin.info/resources/measuring.pdf

(Added: Mon Mar 31 2008   Hits: 128)

Priorities of the People: Hardship in Kiribati

This report summarizes findings from a participatory assessment of hardship in Kiribati conducted in nine sample communities. Among others, the study finds that hardship in Kiribati is more closely linked to limited economic opportunities, poor access to basic services, and increasing social problems, rather than hunger or destitution (ADB, September 2007).

http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Hardship-Kiribati/Priorities-People.pdf

(Added: Wed Mar 05 2008   Hits: 131)

Latin America's Progress on Gender Equality: Poor Women Workers Are Still Left Behind (pdf)

Latin America and the Caribbean has shown notable progress on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators for gender equality. But when national averages are disaggregated poor women workers are not making significant progress in securing decent wage employment in the non-agricultural sector. (International Poverty Centre, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), February 2008)

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager49.pdf

(Added: Tue Mar 04 2008   Hits: 148)

Who Benefits From Land Titling? Lessons from Bolivia and Laos (pdf)

Households in the developing world are becoming more feminised through the breakdown of marriages, the impact of civil war and HIV/AIDs. This research in Bolivia and Laos PDR shows, despite legal and policy contexts which support equal access to titling for both men and women, women still face significant social, political and cultural constraints to acquiring rights to land. (International Institute for Environment and Development, 2007)

http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/14553IIED.pdf

(Added: Tue Mar 04 2008   Modified: Thu Mar 20 2008   Hits: 197)

Is All Socioeconomic Inequality among Racial Groups in Brazil Caused by Racial Discrimination?

This paper presents extensive research on the controversial issue of whether current racial discrimination remains the decisive determinant of the notable and persistent inequalities in socioeconomic conditions between Whites and Blacks in Brazil. In making such an evaluation, it also investigates the importance of other factors, such as region of residence, parental education and household income (Rafael Guerreiro Osorio, IPC, February 2008).

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper43.pdf

(Added: Tue Feb 12 2008   Hits: 115)

The World's Most Deprived: Characteristics and Causes of Extreme Poverty and Hunger

This IFPRI report finds that despite progress reducing poverty worldwide, a large number of the world's poorest people are being left behind. Includes report, press release, podcast, fact sheets, bios, graphic and photo (IFPRI, 6 November 2007).

http://www.ifpri.org/2020/dp/vp43.asp

(Added: Mon Nov 12 2007   Hits: 149)

No place to call home--China's Migrant Workers

IN A narrow alleyway in Liguanzhuang village, residents idle away a hot afternoon near a stinking rubbish dump, worrying about when the bulldozers will come. To prepare for the Olympic Games next year, Beijing's authorities are removing such eyesores. Old villages surrounded by the expanding city are being demolished. With them goes cheap housing, vital to the city's huge pool of migrant workers. China does not like to admit it has slums. But it does, and it will find it needs them (The Economist, 7 June 2007).

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=9302841

(Added: Mon Jun 11 2007   Hits: 133)

Chinese Poverty: Assessing the Impact of Alternative Assumptions

This paper investigates how estimates of the extent and trend of consumption poverty in China between 1990 and 2001 vary as a result of alternative plausible assumptions concerning the poverty line and estimated levels of consumption. The exercise is motivated by the existence of considerable uncertainty about the appropriate poverty lines to apply and the level and distribution of resources in China. The essay concludes that commonly held beliefs about decreasing poverty in China in the 1990s are backed up by a variety of different poverty measurement techniques and assumptions.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=799844

(Added: Tue Apr 17 2007   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 167)

Has World Poverty Really Fallen?

This paper evaluates the claim that world consumption poverty has fallen since 1990 in light of alternative assumptions about the extent of initial poverty and the rate of subsequent poverty reduction in China, India, and the rest of the developing world. The paper concludes that, because of uncertainties in relation to the extent and trend of poverty in China, India, and the rest of the developing world, global poverty may or may not have increased.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=921153#PaperDownload

(Added: Tue Apr 17 2007   Hits: 116)

Wealthier and Healthier? China's Recent Health Achievements in Comparative Perspective

This paper examines whether China's remarkable reduction in income poverty has been accompanied by comparable progress in health. Its findings are fourfold: (a) province-level rates of improvement in life expectancy were higher in the 1990s than in the 1970s and the 1980s, and were lowest in the 1980s. (b) Even in the 1990s, when the province-level rates of improvement in life expectancy were highest, they were lower than for many countries with similar initial life expectancy level (although higher than the average for all such countries). (c) China's life expectancy improvement between 1980 and 2000 was achieved much more quickly by almost all other countries considered, and in particular by most lower middle income countries that had similar life expectancy improvements. Similar conclusions are drawn from an analysis of China's life expectancy improvements relative to two other sets of comparator countries: selected presently rich countries and high-growth East Asian countries. (d) Even those Chinese provinces which performed best over the period experienced rates of improvement that were significantly lower than for comparator countries.

http://search.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=918623

(Added: Tue Apr 17 2007   Hits: 139)

Social movements and the politicization of chronic poverty policy

This paper reviews the roles of social movements in addressing chronic poverty. It focuses on three domains in which such movements might influence chronic poverty. First, it discusses their roles in challenging the institutions, social structures and political economy dynamics that underlie chronic poverty. In this domain, movements can play potential roles in changing the conditions under which accumulation occurs and attacking relationships of adverse incorporation. They can also change the relationships that underlie processes of social exclusion. Second, movements have played important roles in the cultural politics surrounding chronic poverty. They have helped change dominant meanings associated with poverty, and influenced the ways in which the poor are thought of in society. Third, in some instances movements - and in particular social movement organisations - have direct impacts on the assets that poor people own and control. (Anthony Bebbington, Institute of Development Policy and Management, School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester, August 2006)

http://www.chronicpoverty.org/pdfs/63Bebbington.pdf

(Added: Fri Apr 13 2007   Hits: 126)

Analysing and Achieving Pro-poor Growth [PDF]

This report by the UNDP's International Poverty Centre examines the concept and reality of pro-poor growth. It examines the relationship between growth and poverty reduction. It looks at contributing factors to pro-poor growth (growth that is better at reducing poverty). And it provides a variety of case studies from around the world.

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCPovertyInFocus10.pdf

(Added: Fri Mar 30 2007   Modified: Wed Dec 00 0   Hits: 288)

Inequality Matters: Why globalization doesn't lift all boats

This essay by Nancy Birdsall in the Boston Review, looks at globalisation and inequality. Birdsall makes the case that inequality undermines economic and human development. She then analyses globalisation's impact on inequality and inequality's impact on globalisation.

http://bostonreview.net/BR32.2/birdsall.html

(Added: Fri Mar 30 2007   Hits: 339)

Urban Poverty in China and its Contributing Factors, 1986-2000

Food price increases and the introduction of radical social welfare and enterprise reforms during the 1990s generated significant changes in the lives of urban households in China. This academic paper argues that urban poverty increased significantly over the same timeframe.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-4991.2007.00222.x

(Added: Fri Mar 30 2007   Hits: 266)

The Hijacking of the Development Debate - How Friedman and Sachs Got It Wrong

Just a half decade after protests by citizen groups in Latin America and elsewhere discredited two decades of market-oriented neoliberal dogma, Friedman and Sachs have narrowed the debate with simplistic slogans of "more aid" and "more trade." They have done so by putting forward myths about the poor, economic development, and the global economy. (Robin Broad and John Cavanagh, World Policy Journal, 1 August 2006)

http://www.fntg.org/fntg/docs/Broad:Cavanagh.pdf

(Added: Wed Feb 14 2007   Hits: 140)

Whistling in the dark: Why the World Bank's latest poverty projections are meaningless

This artilce finds the World Bank's latest annual Global Economic Prospects report, which sets out the Bank's vision of the global economy until 2030, including its latest projections for poverty, meaningless and plain wrong. On of the reasons is that the World Bank fails to factor in the effects of climate change into the poverty projections. (David Woodward, Jubilee Research at the New Economics Foundation, January 2007)

http://www.jubileeresearch.org/news/Comment%20on%20Global%20Ec%20Prospects%202007.pdf

(Added: Thu Jan 25 2007   Modified: Fri Jan 26 2007   Hits: 255)

The World Distribution of Household Wealth

The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of global household wealth. This study is the first of its kind to cover all countries in the world and all major components of household wealth, including financial assets and debts, land, buildings and other tangible property. (UNU-WIDER, 5 December 2006)

http://www.wider.unu.edu/research/2006-2007/2006-2007-1/wider-wdhw-launch-5-12-2006/wider-wdhw-report-5-12-2006.pdf

(Added: Fri Dec 08 2006   Hits: 189)

Why development creates poverty

Development is not only failing to meet its aims to eliminate poverty, it creates poverty and destroys the environment. Traditional, non-monetary societies were usually well fed, and healthy, until their cultural patterns were disrupted by colonisation, and economic development, and the natural environment destroyed. Functions we regard today as economic were previously fulfilled freely for social rather than economic reasons. We must reverse policies causing environmental decline or the planet will become uninhabitable. (Edward Goldsmith, Pacific Ecologist, 2006)

http://www.pacificecologist.org/archive/11/Edward%20Goldsmith%20-%20Why%20development%20creates%20poverty.pdf

(Added: Thu Nov 02 2006   Hits: 201)

World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation

Developing countries which invest in better education, healthcare, and job training for their record numbers of young people between the ages of 12 and 24 years of age, could produce surging economic growth and sharply reduced poverty. With 1.3 billion young people now living in the developing world-the largest-ever youth group in history-the report says there has never been a better time to invest in youth because they are healthier and better educated than previous generations, and they will join the workforce with fewer dependents because of changing demographics. (World Bank, 16 September 2006)

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTWDRS/EXTWDR2007/0,,menuPK:1489865~pagePK:64167702~piPK:64167676~theSitePK:1489834,00.html

(Added: Tue Oct 24 2006   Modified: Tue Oct 21 2008   Hits: 199)

The poor philanthropist: how and why the poor help each other

This monograph documents the results of a qualitative research inquiry into how and why people who are poor in Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe help each other. A key objective of the inquiry was to understand and describe how, in the context of poverty, philanthropic impulses and behaviours are expressed and organised. Particular attention was paid to identifying the actors involved, the nature of the assistance given and received and the motivations and other factors driving people's decisions to help each other or not. (Susan Wilkinson-Maposa, Alan Fowler, Ceri Oliver-Evans and Chao F.N. Mulenga, UCT, 2005)

http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za/gsbwebb/userfiles/Poor_philanthropist_screen.pdf

(Added: Thu Oct 19 2006   Hits: 125)

The Uses of Chile: How Politics Trumped Truth in the Neo-Liberal Revision of Chile's Development

In response to the electoral successes of progressive Latin American governments, neo-liberalism's defenders are attacking their policy initiatives by pointing repeatedly to Chile's economic "success" - namely decades of steady per capita growth rates that they attribute to Chile's strict adherence to the neo-liberal model. This paper argues that looking at the policies actually implemented by Chile during the recent decades of growth reveals that Chile is far from being a model of successful neo-liberal policies. The paper concludes that many of the neo-liberal policies that the Chilean government did adopt have caused economic harm or have not helped needy sectors of society and the environment, while much of Chile's success in terms of per capita income and export growth can be attributed to the successful use of non-neo-liberal policies. (Public Citizen, September 2006)

http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=7460

(Added: Mon Oct 16 2006   Modified: Fri Sep 19 2008   Hits: 130)

AIDS, poverty, and hunger: challenges and responses

The "International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Food and Nutrition Security: From Evidence to Action" in Durban, South Africa, April 2005, provided a forum for stakeholders to collectively review emerging knowledge of the interactions between AIDS and hunger and to better understand what it implies for poverty, food, and nutrition-relevant policy and programs. As highlights from the conference, the chapters in this book amply illustrate the diversity of activity and the imperative for interdisciplinary work in this new field. (International Food Policy Research Institute, 2006)

http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/oc50/oc50.pdf

(Added: Fri Oct 06 2006   Modified: Mon Sep 29 2008   Hits: 342)

Development Requires Empowerment

Poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa will not come through a quick fix. Nothing other than the long process of building democratic institutions and the civil society needed to make them work will bring meaningful development to Africa. Communities need to have the power and develop the tools needed to govern their natural resources. (Leif Brottem, FPIF, 27 September 2006)

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3546

(Added: Thu Oct 05 2006   Modified: Fri Oct 13 2006   Hits: 121)

Globalization Tames the Left in Brazil

Writing for Yale University's Globalisation website YaleGlobal, American economist Thomas I. Palley examines why the current president of Brazil, Lula da Silva (from the left wing Workers' Party or PT), has done so little to tackle poverty and inequality in his country. Palley attributes Lula's failures to the following factors: the need to placate international investors and avoid capital flight; ideological surrender to neo-liberalism; and restrictive monetary policy which is obsessed with the need to stave off inflation and which, ultimately, leads to tax revenue being recycled to wealthy creditors. (Thomas I Palley, YaleGlobal, 5 September 2006)

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=8105

(Added: Thu Sep 28 2006   Hits: 277)

Lula's second breath

In the presidential election to be held on 1st October, the people of Pilõezinhos and thousands of other villages like it will weigh Lula's familiar populist persona and Brazil's improved financial and social circumstances, against disappointing economic growth and the disorganisation and the financial scandals that have marred Lula's administration. (Jonathan Power, Prospect, October 2006)

http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7825

(Added: Mon Sep 25 2006   Hits: 122)

What is Poverty? [PDF]

This one-page briefing, produced by the UNDP's International Poverty Centre, provides a succinct summary of Amartya Sen's 'Capabilities' approach to poverty measurement. It briefly covers income and consumption approaches to poverty measurement and explains how the Capabilities Approach overcomes shortfalls in these traditional measures. The article closes by making the case for some sort capabilities based measure to supersede existing $1 and $2 global poverty lines.

http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCOnePager22.pdf

(Added: Fri Sep 22 2006   Hits: 207)

Out of time: The case for replacing the World Bank and IMF

There seems no end in sight to the cycle of debt, and the free market policies imposed on poor countries continue, albeit with new names. Increasingly obvious is the need not just for debt write-offs and changes to Bank and Fund conditionality but for a more fundamental change to the role, remit and functioning of the international financial institutions (IFIs). In this 64-page report, a brief history of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund is followed by a detailed critique explaining the overwhelming case for change, followed finally by WDM's suggested agenda for scrapping the World Bank and IMF and creating very different international financial institutions (IFIs). (World Development Movement, September 2006)

http://www.wdm.org.uk/resources/briefings/debt/outoftimereport.pdf

(Added: Thu Sep 21 2006   Hits: 324)

Over two-thirds of the world's 50 poorest countries are experiencing increases in extreme poverty

A day before world leaders gather for their annual meeting, the U.N. General Assembly held a high-level session Monday to focus on progress toward implementing a 10-year action plan for the least developed countries adopted in 2001. The verdict from the countries themselves was unsatisfactory. (International Herald Tribune, 18 September 2006)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/19/news/UN_GEN_UN_Worlds_Poorest_Countries.php

(Added: Wed Sep 20 2006   Hits: 327)

Pro-poor growth in the 1990s. Lessons and Insights from 14 countries

This report explores the channels for the poor to participate in growth and the country context and initial conditions affecting the efficiency of growth in reducing poverty. It draws on 14 country case studies: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Romania, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia. The countries had at least two household surveys in the 1990s and early 2000s that offered comparable methodologies, consumption aggregates and poverty lines. The country studies systematically analyzed the distributional pattern of growth and how it was affected by country policies and conditions. To draw out the key lessons, it includes thematic papers were prepared covering: macro stability and pro-poor growth, growth and inequality, labor markets and employment, agriculture, public expenditures, institutions and gender. (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/the World Bank, June 2005)

http://www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/pdf/Pro-poorGrowthinthe1990s.pdf

(Added: Wed Sep 20 2006   Hits: 125)

Population Explosion Threatens to Trap Africa in Cycle of Poverty

There are 27.7 million people in Uganda. But by 2025 the population will almost double to 56 million. Startling as they are, the projections are feasible, and a glance at some of the variables shows why. A typical Ugandan woman gives birth to seven children - an extraordinarily high fertility rate that has remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years. Half the population is under 15, and will soon move into childbearing age. Fewer than one in five married women has access to contraception. Taken together, the factors point to a population explosion that has demographers and family planning experts warning that efforts to cut poverty are doomed unless urgent measures are taken. (The Guardian, August 25, 2006)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1857730,00.html

(Added: Mon Aug 28 2006   Hits: 273)

In a world of wealth, poverty has become a necessity

Poverty will not be eliminated for the very reason that the global developmental paradigm gives priority to the market over government, and even to the market over society. Despite this the United Nations' Millennium Goals, the assumptions by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the formulation of poverty reduction strategies, as well as pop stars, donors and charitable institutions continue to campaign against the malignant abstraction that is poverty, in the process of which they demobilise the poor from the struggle for social justice. (Jeremy Seabrook, Guardian, 27 July 2006)

http://society.guardian.co.uk/aid/comment/0,,1831221,00.html

(Added: Wed Aug 16 2006   Hits: 160)

A Wider Approach to Aid Effectiveness

In this paper the authors discuss the results of research into the impact of foreign aid on human development. Rather than focussing on per capita income, as is common in the existing literature, they look at how aid impacts on a range of human development indicators, including measures, of health, education and fertility, and allow for the fact that these different dimensions of wellbeing are likely to interact with each other. Overall, aid is found to have a substantial positive impact on many development outcomes. (David Fielding et. al. UNU Wider Paper, February 2006)

http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/rps/rps2006/rp2006-23.pdf

(Added: Wed Aug 09 2006   Hits: 413)

University of California Atlas of Global Inequality

Drawing on a wide range of data sets, this online Atlas "explores the interaction between global integration (globalization) and inequality." Some of the themes visitors can explore include economic globalization, health, and income inequality. Along with these interactive features, visitors also have access to time series maps of the world that show patterns of inequality and a database that allows tables and graphs to be generated and downloaded for selected data and countries.

http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/

(Added: Mon Aug 07 2006   Hits: 303)

Economic exclusion and discrimination : the experiences of minorities and indigenous people (pdf)

This report highlights the key role of ethnic, religious or linguistic discrimination in establishing and perpetuating economic exclusion against minorities and indigenous peoples. The causal link between these forms of discrimination and economic exclusion often remains hidden due to insufficient data and lack of understanding by development actors of their role in the process of entrenching poverty. However, this connection has serious implications for development policy aimed at reducing poverty and inequality, a major priority of many current development efforts. The report states that economic exclusion is just one of many forms of exclusion including lack of social and political opportunity and participation and argues that discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples is an important dimension of poverty and other forms of economic exclusion (such as under-employment or poor access to credit) that is often ignored. (Justino, Patricia, and Litchfield, Julie. London: Minority Rights Group International (MRG), 2003)

http://www.minorityrights.org/925/briefing-papers/economic-exclusion-and-discrimination-the-experiences-of-minorities-and-indigenous-peoples.html

(Added: Wed Jul 26 2006   Modified: Mon Sep 29 2008   Hits: 194)

The Least Developed Countries Report 2006

Aid money and trade policies from foreign governments have created uneven and fragile growth in the world's 50 least developed countries (LDCs). Instead, job creation and full use of resources, and utilising regional trade and manufacturing, are key to reducing poverty and delivering long-term, stable growth. (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, July 2006)

http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=7011&intItemID=3881&lang=1&mode=toc

(Added: Mon Jul 24 2006   Hits: 484)

Release of the State of the World's Cities Report 2006/7

The world is entering a historic urban transition; in 2007, for the first time in history, the world's urban population will exceed the rural population. Most of the world's urban growth - 95 per cent - in the next two decades will be absorbed by cities of the developing world, which are least equipped to deal with rapid urbanization. The report breaks new ground by showing remarkable similarities between slums and rural areas in health, education, employment and mortality. (UN Habitat, June 2006)

http://www.unhabitat.org/worldcitiesreport.asp

(Added: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 148)

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