PHA-Exchange> Food for a capital thought (5)

[Claudio]

From: Wim De Ceukelaire

A quick comment on the latest Human Rights Reader "It will be via poverty alleviation programs that human rights will be fulfilled". 
I'd rather say that it is only through genuine, comprehensive development programs that HR will be fulfilled. It is unfortunate that "poverty alleviation" has replaced "development" in the international discourse on poverty. It used to be generally acknowledged that poverty was caused by underdevelopment, and consequently development strategies would provide the way out of poverty, Although this analysis is far from flawless, at least it refers to the causes of poverty. These days, however, the powers that be prefer to omit any reference to the causes and structural solutions of poverty. 'Poverty alleviation' has become the buzzword and the panacea for poverty, much like as if a 'pain reliever' would be the treatment of choice for cancer when it is just a symptomatic treatment --ergo actually a justification for inaction.
Wim

On Tue, 2005-08-09 at 10:07 +0700, Claudio wrote: 
Dear Wim,

I read your piece which I now posted in pha-exch and liked it.

Particularly, I liked:

-MDGs are goals of the industrialized countries...never thought of it that
way.
-MDGs are a waterd down version of earlier goals;
-MDGs refer to consequences (and not the causes) of mal-development and that
does not mean that dev will be brought about by their erradication..... very
powerful point.
-By focusing o measurable indicators, MDGs consider dev as a technical prob
requiring technical solutions.....very true.
-solutions offered are quick wins;
-the whole Millenium Decl does not refer to causes of pov;
-The Alma Ata Decl could be called the People's Millennium Goals for hlth;
-MDGs falsely assume globalization can become a positive force;
-people are not content with health for half when health for all is
possible.
Claudio


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