Factors causing poverty and suffering

The Vrinda Handbook -  Development and Aid  -  Development

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See the issue:  National Governments and International Organizations –  their commitment to MDGs


 According to the United Nations, countries with an average per capita income less than 1 dollar a day are considered poor. This indicator is not enough to judge whether people are poor or not.

Ignorance and conflict are considered to be two most important factors causing poverty. These factors create a disequilibrium in the development processes of a country, resulting in poverty.

If we start reducing ignorance and conflict among people, we will alleviate poverty and suffering. And initiate the process of development. 

Reducing these factors requires good governance which is based on dialogue and cooperation among people in the country and across the world.

 

Developed countries usually give aid to people who suffer from poverty.

Development aid workers like us share our knowledge, skills and experiences with people of poorer regions across the world.

 

We assist those who are excluded from development in overcoming ignorance and conflict. Our work does provide temporary relief to the poor, gives them the opportunity to have two meals a day for a while. It gives them capacity and resources to earn a better livelihood. But this does not permanently eradicate hunger and poverty. 

 

Poverty can really be removed only when governments create a socio-economic and political environment so that people are able to live in a context of peace and security and work hand in hand to demand their rights and fight for justice.

 

The Indian government has seriously taken on the cause to fight poverty. It did not wait for the international donor agencies to intervene.

It has formulated policies and schemes and allocated resources to increase employment among the 70% of the Indian population that lives in villages; bringing education and vaccines to millions of children, working together with high risk groups to combat HIV/AIDS; empowering women and girls as well as protecting natural resources. 

As professionals in the field of international cooperation, we believe it is our vocation as well as our ethical responsibility to share knowledge, skills and experience with others, especially the poor and marginalised, so that they are enabled to choose the kind of "life" and the kind of "development" that they have "reason to value" for themselves, their families and their communities. One of the most important benefits arising from successful international cooperation projects is the expansion of people's outlook on development.

The two changeable factors of poverty and suffering are ignorance and conflict.

 

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The expected project outcomes are beyond the direct reach of the project activities performed by the project team and will be reached by the usage of project final outputs by project beneficiaries and other project stakeholders.