Amandla

A new report - 'Restricting Growth: The Impact of Industrialised Country Climate Strategies on the World’s Poor' – was launched by World Growth at at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban.

The report reveals how proposals on land use and forestry advanced by industrialized countries (the so-called REDD measures) will reduce economic growth in developing countries and increase the likelihood that efforts to regulate global emissions will fail.

Report by World Growth International

Note from Polity.org.za

Living on a Spike: How is the 2011 food price crisis affecting poor people?

July 8, 2011 23:16 Source: Oxfam GB

From the Introduction:

In April 2011, world food prices fell back slightly for the first time in eight months, but remained at 37 per cent above their March 2010 level. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warns that food is likely to remain expensive into 2012. The World Bank estimates that in February 2011, world food prices were only 3 per cent below their 2008 peak, and in some places, for some items, they even exceeded their 2008 levels. Rapid rises in the basic costs of living are occurring in the slipstream of the global economic recovery, but have been overshadowed in the media by the drama of the Arab spring – events that some believe to be connected.

Coming in such rapid succession, these two price spikes suggest that after a long period of relatively stable, low food prices, volatility may be becoming the norm. It is therefore important to understand the cumulative impact of these price spikes on poor people, and their broader social and political consequences. In many poor countries, 70–80 per cent of household expenditure is devoted to putting food on the table (compared with 10–20 per cent in rich countries). Food prices are thus a matter of life and death, or at least, of hunger and plenty.

Most research on the food price spikes in 2008 and 2011 has focused on macro-economics, analysing global price trends and statistics, and their impacts, from afar. Oxfam GB and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) decided to take a different approach, seeking to reveal the human face of the crisis by soliciting the views of poor people in eight communities across four countries – two in Asia (Bangladesh and Indonesia), and two in Africa (Kenya and Zambia). This report summarises the findings.FROM Docubase

+ Full Report (PDF; 601 KB)

+ Summary (PDF; 118 KB)

http://www.chronicpoverty.org/page/index

There is a new report by UN-Habitat titled Infrastructure for Poverty Reduction and Economic Development in Africa.This report evaluates the role of infrastructure in promoting economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa. It is devoted to the study of the complementary physical infrastructure - telecommunications, power, transport (roads, railways, ports and airports), and water supply. UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Infrastructure for Poverty Reduction and Economic Development in Africa

Poverty in Numbers: The Changing State of Global Poverty from 2005 to 2015

Source:  Brookings Institution

Poverty reduction lies at the core of the global development challenge. For the international development community, this objective serves not only as a source of motivation, but as a defining theme across its work. Many of the world’s most prominent aid organizations cite poverty reduction as their overarching goal.

But while our common goal of poverty reduction is never disputed, we find it remarkably difficult to measure whether it is happening, and if so how fast. This is especially the case when it comes to producing global poverty data, as the challenges of national poverty data collection are multiplied several times over and then further compounded by the tricky—and unsatisfactory—business of converting national results into internationally comparable terms. Official global poverty estimates are only rarely produced, and when they do appear, they are out of date by the time they are published. Thus, when world leaders met in September 2010 to assess progress toward reaching the Millennium Development Goal of halving global poverty, they had to rely on poverty data from 2005. This, somewhat ironically, was the year of the last summit on the MDGs; the purpose of the 2010 meeting was ostensibly to review what had been accomplished in the intervening five years.

This problem is serious. The international development community cannot be held accountable for poverty reduction without a clear sense of the scale of the problem and an understanding of where poverty is most prevalent. Moreover, tracking global poverty is not just a niche issue but a matter of global interest. For instance, the G-20 has affirmed that the reduction of global poverty is integral to its Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth. While it may be easy for skeptics to dismiss global estimates as an indulgence for statisticians who excel in plucking numbers out of thin air, or bureaucrats who are overly concerned with messaging, the reality is that having a decent grasp on global poverty figures matters.

+ Full Paper (PDF)

from Docublog

The Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC) is an international partnership of universities, research institutes and NGOs which exists to focus attention on chronic poverty. It aims to stimulate national and international debate; deepen understanding of the causes of chronic poverty; and provide research, analysis and policy guidance that will contribute to its reduction. The CPRC is funded by the UK's Department for International Development.

CPRC 2010 International Conference

Ten Years of War Against Poverty: Chronic Poverty blog

 Ten Years of War Against Poverty  on Twitter: 

 Publications

Following the first Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05, which examined the dimensions of the problem of chronic poverty, the Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09 looks at possible solutions. Through our research we identify five main traps that underpin chronic poverty –  insecurity, limited citizenship, spatial disadvantage, social discrimination and poor work opportunities – and outline key policy responses to these.

We argue that the development of a ‘just social compact’ between citizens and states must be the focus for poverty eradication. We also argue that tackling chronic poverty is the global priority of our time and that eradicating poverty by 2025 is a feasible goal – if national governments and international organisations are willing to make the necessary political commitments and resource allocations.

It is our hope that this report will inspire deeper reflection on how to tackle chronic poverty effectively and – most of all – will stimulate action to make it happen.

Contents

Introduction and Overview

PART A: Chronic poverty as a key policy issue

Chapter 1: Foundations for understanding and challenging chronic poverty

Chapter 2: The policy and political challenge

PART B: Four sets of policies for poverty eradication

Chapter 3: Addressing insecurity through social protection

Chapter 4: Economic growth and chronic poverty

Chapter 5: Transformative social change

Chapter 6: Ending violent conflict and building a social compact

PART C: Conclusion

Chapter 7: Eradicating chronic poverty

References

Index

PART D: Annexes

The Annexes are available to download separately if downloading the full report.

Annexes A-E: Background papers for The Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09, Glossary of key terms, Summary of selected social protection programmes in low(er) income countries, Summary information on selected conditional cash transfer programmes in developing countries, Estimates of regional and global numbers.

Annexes F-L: Chronic poverty statistics, Figures and trends in chronic poverty indicators, Methodological note for demographic and health survey data analysis, Trends in US$1/day poverty estimates and trends in the rural share of the poor, CPR2 country classification (1970-2003), Comparison of country classifications, Life history summaries.

From:

The Summit is the culmination of 18 months work to design, develop and stage a global event, and the product of a partnership forged with the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation (which is supporting the event), the Ralph Bunche Institute, The City University of New York Graduate Center, CUTS International and Southern Africa Trust. It has been designed to bring together some of the very best minds working on all aspects of poverty, its study, and its alleviation.

The topic for the inaugural Summit is the role of global institutions in poverty reduction and its primary focus is the convening of two high-level task forces specifically designed to influence the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Development Agenda (DDA).

These task forces will work to produce two major international declarations (the Johannesburg Declarations on Africa and the Millennium Development Goals and Africa and the Doha Development Agenda) and two high-level reports (on the MDGs and the DDA, respectively).

The Summit will also share and disseminate knowledge beyond the task forces through: (i) site visits in and around the Johannesburg region; (ii) a day of public debate; and (iii) a series of events designed to bring local and global policymakers, practitioners, philanthropists, NGOs and activists together.

 Documents, reports & declarations

• Poverty and Cotton in the DDA 14 January 2011
• Achieving the UN MDGs in Africa 11 January 2011
• Challenges and the Way Forward to Achieve MDGs in Africa 11 January 2011
• MDGs and HIV AIDS 11 January 2011
• ECOSOC and the MDGs What can be Done 11 January 2011
• The Millennium Development Goals 11 January 2011
• Challenges to the achievement of the MDGs in Africa 11 January 2011
• Challenges to Achieving the 2015 MDG Target in Africa 11 January 2011
• Global Poverty Summit MDG Task Force 11 January 2011
• Africa’s Prospectus of Achieving the Millennium Development Goals 11 January 2011
• Africa and the MDGs Challenges and Priorities 11 January 2011
• The Millennium Development Goals 11 January 2011
• Issues note on MDGs 11 January 2011
• Africa and the MDGs 11 January 2011
• Conditional Cash Transfers and Poverty 11 January 2011
• The MDGS and Strategies for African Development 11 January 2011
• The Millennium Development Goals 11 January 2011
• Seize the narrow opportunity of 2011 11 January 2011
• Challenges facing the Doha Round 11 January 2011
• Thoughts and concerns on the Doha Development Round 11 January 2011
• Challenges facing the Doha Development Round 11 January 2011
• Doha development round 11 January 2011
• Doha Round Trade liberalization and development in subsaharan Africa 11 January 2011
• How to conclude the Doha Round 11 January 2011
• Concluding the Doha Development Agenda 11 January 2011
• The Doha Development Agenda and the WTO can Deliver on Africa’s Development Priorities 11 January 2011
• Food security and the WTO will the Doha Round make a difference 11 January 2011
• Africa and the Doha Development Agenda 11 January 2011
• Africa and the Doha Round 11 January 2011
• Yonov Agah 2 January 2011

The International Fund for Agricultural Development's (IFAD) newly released Rural Poverty Report 2011: New realities, new challenges: new opportunities for tomorrow's generation reports that, during the past decade, the overall rate of extreme poverty in rural areas of developing countries has dropped from 48 per cent to 34 per cent, lead by dramatic gains in East Asia.  But the report also points to the persistence of poverty in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Read more and download the report in full from the website (full-text, pdf).UN Pulse : Permanent Link: Rural Poverty Report 2011

2010 Human Development Report has been launched. Entitled The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development and available (full text) it examines decades of Human Development data trends, refines the original Human Development Index with new databases and methodologies, and introduces new measures adjusting the Index to reflect gender disparities and other internal national inequalities. The 2010 Human Development Report also features the Multidimensional Poverty Index, or MPI, which was developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UNDP support. This new index is designed to provide a fuller, more accurate picture of acute poverty on the household level than traditional “dollar-a-day” formulas.

From UN Pulse:   Permanent Link: Human Development Report 2010

The Centre for Development and Enterprise roundtable discussion on the politics and economics of inequality:

 Poverty and inequality: Facts, trends, and hard choices 

CDE Round Table 15, August 2010

CDE convened a round table in March 2010 at which some of South Africa’s leading experts spoke about the politics and economics of inequality. We also invited Professor Paul Romer, an internationally renowned, Stanford-based economist specialising in economic growth in developing countries, to explore key issues surrounding inequality, growth and jobs in developing country contexts.   :: Click below to download the executive summary and full report in PDF format   Media Coverage State focus on inequality may be misguided, study finds, CDE, 30 August 2010

	Poverty and Inequality_Exec Summary .pdf - 266.4KB
	Poverty and Inequality_CDE RT 15.pdf - 938.4KB

Enabling people living in poverty to adapt

Climate change is fast pushing communities, particularly the poorest and most marginalized, beyond their capacity to respond. Across the world, subsistence crops are approaching the limits of their viability as temperatures change; erratic rainfall patterns and changing seasons are upsetting agricultural cycles and leaving many struggling to feed their families; and rising sea levels are causing the inundation of crops and the contamination of water supplies with salt water.

This report draws on case studies from around the world and Oxfam’s experience working with rural communities to set out what is needed and a range of interventions that are available, to enable people living in poverty to adapt to climate change. Nonetheless, there are limits to adaptation, and without rapid and significant global mitigation, these options will be quickly lost.

Oxfam’s approach brings together experience in the areas of livelihoods, natural resource management, and disaster risk reduction. Uncertainty and risk can be managed using robust decision making in order to build adaptive capacity from household to national and global levels. Climate change forces us to draw the strands together, not only to lift people out of poverty, but also to enable them to manage risk and uncertainty and to shape, create, and respond to changes throughout their lives.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: failing minorities and indigenous peoples

When they were first introduced more than a decade ago, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) were roundly welcomed. PRSPs were initiated in 1999 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank for the eradication of poverty in Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) and other low-income countries.

Supported by the United Nations (UN), donor governments and civil society alike, they signalled a much greater role for those countries’ civil society organizations and community representatives in policymaking. Symbolically, the PRSPs represented a move towards a more just form of progress, and the recognition that economic growth alone is not sufficient in overcoming poverty. 

Climate change and the urban poor. Risk and resilience in 15 of the world's most vulnerable cities

This report outlines lessons learnt regarding the rincipal effects of climate change on 15 cities in low-income countries, and what makes them vulnerable to these effects. Coastal cities are susceptible to a rise in sea level and are made vulnerable by the low-lying land they are often built on, while dryland cities suffer from scarce water resources due to extended periods of climate change-induced drought. In these and other inland cities, the level of poverty, the rapid pace of urbanization and a lack of education about climate change increase vulnerability and aggravate the effects of climate change. Innovative urban policies and practices have shown that adaptation to some of these effects is possible and can be built into development plans. These include community-based initiatives led by organizations formed by the urban poor, and local governments working in partnership with their low-income populations.

Areas: Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh, Benin, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Sudan, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi

Published by IIED, 2009

Due South : exploring the impact of the recession on sustainable development in the South blog

Maintained by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). This blog aims to focus on the impact of the global economic recession upon poorer nations of Africa. Asia and Latin America. It also has a focus on examining how nature, economic growth and social justice are intermeshed. Links are provided to news stories, comment and IIED reports and those from aid agencies. If you are interested in following these issues another good starting point is the Choike website which spotlights the work and research of southern NGOs and civil society organisations.

http://www.iied.org/sustainable-markets/blog/due-south

From Intute.ac.uk

Download the report in English or Dari from the website.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        http://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/blog

A sample post :

Is African poverty falling?

Maxim Pinkovskiy and Xavier Sala-i-Martin (PSiM herafter) have confidently claimed that “The conventional wisdom that Africa is not reducing poverty is wrong” and that “African poverty is falling and is falling rapidly.” This sounds like good news. But is it right?

We must first be clear about what we mean when we say “poverty is falling”. What many people mean is falling numbers of poor. However, PSiM refer solely to the poverty rate—the percentage of people who are poor. (There is no mention of this important distinction in their paper.) And it is not falling over their whole period of their analysis, which goes back to 1970. Rather they find that the poverty rate has been falling since the mid-1990s. [19 comments]

With the theme, Rethinking Poverty, the 2010 issue of the Report on the World Social Situation seeks to contribute to rethinking poverty and its eradication. It affirms the urgent need for a strategic shift away from the market fundamentalist thinking, policies and practices of recent decades towards more sustainable development and equity-oriented policies appropriate to national conditions and circumstances. Read more and download the report (full report, pdf) or by chapters from the website.                                  UN Pulse Permanent Link: World Social Situation 2010

Full Paper

Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences

Independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty - report 2009

The report of the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, has been issued (A/64/279). The report addresses the impact of the global financial crisis on people living in extreme poverty. The mandate of the independent expert is outlined in Human Rights Council resolution 8/11

From UN Pulse Permanent Link: Independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty - report 2009

The interview with Dean Karlan is very good. The research paper on impact measurements can be found here. Over at the BBC (via Innovations for Poverty Action):

Academics have been trying to work out from the evidence whether microcredit does actually raise people's incomes.

But it's been hard to do a proper scientific survey, since you need to compare those who do get a loan with a control group of similar people who don't.

Dean Karlan, professor of economics at Yale University, has managed to do it - with a control group - in the Philippines. His results raise some serious questions about the effectiveness of microcredit in reducing poverty.

There is an embedded audio link, but it didn't work. Celia

The Practical Answers website, which includes more than 250 downloadable free technical briefs, can be found at: www.practicalanswers.org

Knowledge for Survival

FUMSI: Share

The charity Practical Action, writes Jane Eason, offers a Practical Answers service which is helping hundreds of people around the world overcome their own poverty, through the provision of knowledge and information. Through sharing and disseminating information, this practical support has had major impacts on the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of poor men and women throughout the world.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Yet, this service is more than just offering information; it is about putting communities in touch with others who have benefited, experts and also working in partnership with other organisations, encouraging people to share information and take ownership of their projects.'...FROM FUMSI

http://www.who.int/hhr/news/HRHPRS.pdf

http://www.worldbank.org/sixthemes

The World Bank works to combat poverty and to increase development opportunities around the world, but they also have selected six strategic themes that focus in on global development. First-time visitors to the site can listen to World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick talk about these themes, and they may also wish to follow along with the accompanying slideshow. Themes include global public goods, the Arab world, and middle-income countries. By clicking on one of these themes, visitors can read comprehensive reports, working papers, or take a look at presentations that explore these areas in greater detail. Many of these information sources are contained within a "Highlights" area. Visitors with a penchant for economic development, international political economy, or international affairs will find this site very useful. It's also easy to see how these materials might be used in a classroom setting to spark discussion or debate about some of these very timely matters. [KMG] Scout Report

 There are two lessons that history and our personal experience teach us. One is that when crises occur, the least responsible are usually the worst affected and the least able to cope. The second is that crises can provide the momentum for reform and radical change. These moments are fleeting and need to be grasped to put arrangements in place that will prevent their recurrence. In today’s globalised world, that means new arrangements that are more effective, efficient and equitable... [More]

The Executive summary of the evaluation of the role and contribution of UNDP in the environment and energy has been issued in advance of the forthcoming session of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) (DP/2008/46). The report argues that environment and energy are central to the core UNDP mission of poverty reduction, and makes recommendations about how to improve the UNDP programming.

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) report Food and Fuel Prices - Recent Developments, Macroeconomic Impact, and Policy Responses (full-text, 1.72 MB) claims that the sharp rise in food and fuel prices "have had adverse effects on the poor and could pose risks to macroeconomic stability in a number of low and middle-income countries." The report also assesses countries' policy responses and the role of IMF in responding to the challenges.

UN Pulse: Permanent Link: IMF study on food and fuel prices

Full report very large file (5MB, 164 pages)
Annexes F-L have to be downloaded separately. Links to individual chapters follow the Background Papers

Report Summary

Annexes F-L

Policy briefs :

Overview: Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09

Chronic poverty and violent conflict: ‘fragile states’ and the social compact
CPRC Policy Brief 7: Tony Addison and Tim Braunholtz-Speight

Escaping chronic poverty through economic growth
CPRC Policy Brief 8: Ursula Grant

Social protection: top priority to end chronic poverty
CPRC Policy Brief 9: James Scott

Supporting escape from chronic poverty: policies in action
CPRC Policy Brief 10: Tim Braunholtz-Speight

Untold stories: the human face of poverty dynamics
CPRC Policy Brief 11: Martin Prowse

Progressive social change: women's empowerment
CPRC Policy Brief 12: Tim Braunholtz-Speight, Caroline Harper and Nicola Jones

 

Background papers:

Individual chapters (smaller files):

Introduction and Overview (including acknowledgements, acronyms, foreword, contents)

 PART A – Chronic poverty as a key policy issue

Chapter 1 – Foundations for understanding and challenging chronic poverty

Chapter 2 – The policy and political challenge

PART B – Four sets of policies for poverty eradication

Chapter 3 – Addressing insecurity through social protection

Chapter 4 – Economic growth and chronic poverty

Chapter 5 – Transformative social change

Chapter 6 – Ending violent conflict and building a social compact

PART C – Conclusion

Chapter 7 – Eradicating chronic poverty

References

Index

PART D - Annexes

Annexes A-E

(Background papers for The Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09, Glossary of key terms, Summary of selected social protection programmes in low(er) income countries, Summary information on selected conditional cash transfer programmes in developing countries, Estimates of regional and global numbers).

Annexes F-L

(Chronic poverty statistics, Figures and trends in chronic poverty indicators, Methodological note for demographic and health survey data analysis, Trends in US$1/day poverty estimates and trends in the rural share of the poor, CPR2 country classification (1970-2003), Comparison of country classifications, Life history summaries).

CPRC is an international partnership of universities, research institutes and NGOs established in 2000 with initial funding from the UK's Department for International Development.

http://www.chronicpoverty.org

...CPRC expects its research and analysis to result in policy relevant findings which will be useful to all those working to combat poverty. This will include people in community level organisations, government and official agencies, NGOs, political parties, other researchers, the media, trade unions and the private sector.

The people who should ultimately benefit from CPRC's research, are those whose deprivation is sustained over many years and who are least likely to benefit from current national and international development efforts.

• Read more on CPRC's 'three pillars' approach: thematic research, policy analysis and policy engagement....
• See a brief outline of what CPRC means by chronic poverty.
• See how CPRC contributes to the Millennium Development Goals.

Research Themes

• Concepts
  
• Poverty Dynamic
• IGT
• Vulnerability
• Inequality
• Social Exclusion

Publications include :

Chronic Poverty Reports

first Chronic Poverty Report, 2004

second Chronic Poverty Report, 2008 will be released on 8th July 2008

national Chronic Poverty Reports

Policy Briefs

searchable publications database.

It is clear that many of today's poor will simply stay poor, even if economic growth is sustained. They are caught in one or more of five poverty traps: insecurity of life or livelihood; weak citizenship status; living in a deprived area; experiencing social discrimination; or held back by poor quality work. The second international Chronic Poverty Report, launched next week, shows that the poorest can be included in progress. ...(read more)

ODI blog

Creating Value for All: Strategies for Doing Business with the Poor, a new report released today by the 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. As 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. Visit the website to download the report in full or by chapters. UN Pulse Permanent Link: Doing Business with the Poor

Corruption and the poor

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a new Asia Pacific Human Development Report on corruption, entitled Tackling Corruption, Transforming Lives (full text, pdf, 895 KB). The report argues that low-level, pervasive corruption is a major burden on the region's poor and highlights ways in which communities fight the problem.

UN Pulse Economic and Social Development | | Permanent Link: Corruption and the poor

Permalink Docuticker

1. Bringing a social and economic human rights lens to organizing and policy work

2. Reframing the debate on security

3. Building strategic alliances to strengthen popular struggles nationally and internationally

The Institute addresses this work through education and advocacy activities in national and international forums. Our aim is not just to come up with a list of new policy solutions but to reframe the basic terms on which public debate takes place. Our goal is to stimulate public discussion and debate while creating an informed citizenry that can craft a new vision of action for the future.

http://www.povertyactionlab.org/

Many laboratories focus their attention on topics like Alzheimer's research, but this laboratory at MIT focuses on poverty. The objective of their work at the Poverty Action Lab is "to improve the effectiveness of poverty programs by providing policy makers with clear scientific results that help shape successful polices to combat poverty." The Lab was started in June 2003 by a group of professors at MIT and their collaborators. Visitors to the site will note that the materials here are divided into sections that include "Research", "People", "News", and "Courses". The "Research" section is a great place to start as policy makers and others can look over their completed projects (such as "Discrimination in the Job Market") and their publications. Moving on, visitors can click on the "People" section to learn more about their staff and directors. Finally, those who are curious about the reach of the Poverty Lab's work will want to look at their media features in the "News" section. [KMG]

Permalink Docuticker

Isandla Institute and the Open Society Foundation for South Africa invite you to a Development Dialogue on

 'The War on Poverty': Changing Tactics or Business as Usual?

 Thursday 17 April 2008, 16h30 - 18h00 

(tea and coffee served beforehand, please be seated at 16h30)    

Centre for the Book, Cape Town
 

In his 2008 State of the Nation Address, characterised by the phrase ‘Business Unusual’, President Thabo Mbeki emphasised the need to intensify efforts to reduce poverty. He spoke about a ‘War Against Poverty’, highlighting the importance of scaling up existing anti-poverty initiatives and integrating these into a coherent and comprehensive anti-poverty strategy. But given the mixed success of anti-poverty interventions to date, does government have the capacity to scale up these interventions sufficiently and speedily to address the scourge of poverty? Does the proposed ‘War Against Poverty’ target all dimensions and manifestations of poverty, or are there particular blind spots that need to be brought to the fore? What about inequality, for example? And is government able to overcome the institutional challenges of an integrated, cross-sectoral and intergovernmental approach to poverty? 

Malusi Gigaba, MP (Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, t.b.c.), Michael Aliber (PLAAS) and Elroy Paulus (Black Sash) have been invited to share their perspectives on these questions.

The Development Dialogue will be held on Thursday 17 April 2008 from 16h30-18h00, at the Centre for the Book, 62 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town. Tea and coffee are made available between 16h00-16h30. Kindly note that the event will start at 16h30. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for informal interaction over drinks and snacks. 

If you are interested in attending this event, please r.s.v.p. on admin@isandla.org.za by Tuesday 15 April. You will receive confirmation of your attendance.

Remittances, the sending of money from immigrants back to their home countries, are the newest anti-poverty, development activity of the poor to be applauded by international institutions and economists. Exceeding foreign aid and private investment to many developing countries, remittances are being hailed as a new, untapped resource with powerful poverty alleviation and potentially development attributes. After presenting the poverty, developmental, and economic characteristics of this new transnational connection between immigrants and their loved ones, as well as the dangerous effects of excessive remittance regulation, this paper argues that remittances should be understood as an anti-poverty tool, but not as a route to development.

Several options available for retrieval of full text (PDF; 508 KB).

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