Comments on: Policy, action and outcome. Spot the gaps? http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/01/policy-action-and-outcome-spot-the-gaps/ Life and Work in the House of Lords Mon, 21 May 2012 08:48:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: ladytizzy http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/01/policy-action-and-outcome-spot-the-gaps/comment-page-1/#comment-655 ladytizzy Tue, 06 May 2008 03:04:50 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.wordpress.com/?p=297#comment-655 God, this takes me back years when, as a very junior research assistant, I crunched numbers on what was known then as Aid and Savings. Then, as now, throwing large amounts of money proved to be ineffective in the long term, much as you say in your post. Attempts at growing future leaders of the poorer countries in our universities hasn't worked well, either. It's the colonial thing that gets in the way. India seems to be progressing albeit unevenly. But looking at our own government's aim of lifting every child out of poverty, there appears to be a major problem with the definition itself, since so much is relative, thus there will always be 'poverty'. I do not accept that the inability to buy the latest trainers means that a child is poor, yet that child could be classified as relatively impoverished. Absolute poverty is unacceptable in a wealthy country and if the government can't solve that here, what chance with other countries? Maybe the Fair Trade Foundation is part of the solution. God, this takes me back years when, as a very junior research assistant, I crunched numbers on what was known then as Aid and Savings. Then, as now, throwing large amounts of money proved to be ineffective in the long term, much as you say in your post.

Attempts at growing future leaders of the poorer countries in our universities hasn’t worked well, either. It’s the colonial thing that gets in the way.

India seems to be progressing albeit unevenly.

But looking at our own government’s aim of lifting every child out of poverty, there appears to be a major problem with the definition itself, since so much is relative, thus there will always be ‘poverty’. I do not accept that the inability to buy the latest trainers means that a child is poor, yet that child could be classified as relatively impoverished.

Absolute poverty is unacceptable in a wealthy country and if the government can’t solve that here, what chance with other countries? Maybe the Fair Trade Foundation is part of the solution.

]]> By: baronessdsouza http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/01/policy-action-and-outcome-spot-the-gaps/comment-page-1/#comment-654 baronessdsouza Mon, 05 May 2008 13:42:25 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.wordpress.com/?p=297#comment-654 Francisco - good point and not at all unlikely to happen! However to me the salient point is that we have no real idea how many people are in this category (however defined) and thus plans to alleviate such poverty are necesarily unrealistic. Francisco – good point and not at all unlikely to happen! However to me the salient point is that we have no real idea how many people are in this category (however defined) and thus plans to alleviate such poverty are necesarily unrealistic.

]]> By: Francisco http://lordsoftheblog.net/2008/05/01/policy-action-and-outcome-spot-the-gaps/comment-page-1/#comment-653 Francisco Fri, 02 May 2008 08:43:07 +0000 http://lordsoftheblog.wordpress.com/?p=297#comment-653 Another problem that I can see is that the international definition of extreme poverty is less than (US)$1 a day and, with the current world financial situation, the US currency is dropping in value. If a particular currency is not pegged to the US dollar and the dollar drops, a person may, officially, no longer exist in that category despite the fact that their circumstances have not changed. Another problem that I can see is that the international definition of extreme poverty is less than (US)$1 a day and, with the current world financial situation, the US currency is dropping in value. If a particular currency is not pegged to the US dollar and the dollar drops, a person may, officially, no longer exist in that category despite the fact that their circumstances have not changed.

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