<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; CHARSET=UTF-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2745.2800" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>From:</STRONG> <A
title=wim.deceukelaire@intal.be href="mailto:wim.deceukelaire@intal.be">Wim De
Ceukelaire</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>A quick comment on the latest Human Rights Reader "It will be via
poverty alleviation programs that human rights will be fulfilled". </DIV>
<DIV>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.<BR>Wim<BR><BR>On Tue,
2005-08-09 at 10:07 +0700, Claudio wrote: </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE="CITE"><PRE><FONT color=#000000>Dear Wim,</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>I read your piece which I now posted in pha-exch and liked it.</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>Particularly, I liked:</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-MDGs are goals of the industrialized countries...never thought of it that</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>way.</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-MDGs are a waterd down version of earlier goals;</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-MDGs refer to consequences (and not the causes) of mal-development and that</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>does not mean that dev will be brought about by their erradication..... very</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>powerful point.</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-By focusing o measurable indicators, MDGs consider dev as a technical prob</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>requiring technical solutions.....very true.</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-solutions offered are quick wins;</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-the whole Millenium Decl does not refer to causes of pov;</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-The Alma Ata Decl could be called the People's Millennium Goals for hlth;</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-MDGs falsely assume globalization can become a positive force;</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>-people are not content with health for half when health for all is</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>possible.</FONT>
<FONT color=#000000>Claudio</FONT>
</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>