Global Interconnectedness and Poverty

I just read an interesting article about Bono addressing the World Economic Forum alongside Gore.

While I appreciate all the work Bono does in regards to poverty, he strikes me as somewhat of a self-serving phony who cares more about his own wealth and fame than actually solving problem of global poverty. But I have not studied the man enough, so I say that speculatively.

Nonetheless, he said something with which I agree and want to quote:

“The planet is in a precarious place right now and extreme poverty affects a billion people who are living on less than a dollar a day, scrambling for their life. We have a great life in the West. If we want it to continue we have to feel our interconnectedness with the people who are living on less than a dollar a day.” ~Bono

To me, it seems especially important now to recognize the interconnectedness of the people of this world considering the current rockiness of the U.S. economy. The rest of the world fears a global economic crisis if the U.S. economy falters. Because the whole world economically depends on the United States, the United States has no room to falter.

In other words, by economically dominating the world, the United States has it made it so that when its own economy falters nobody will have the economic strength to subsidize the United States. Since the rest of the world depends on the United States, the United States has nobody on which it can depend.

If the United States economy goes into a massive recession and it throws the average U.S. resident into poverty, then I think the West will realize how much better off it would have been if it had eliminated poverty and created a world that does not tolerate poverty.

It’s great to be the strongest in a lot of ways, but who will protect you when you lose your strength if you never helped others gain strength?

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

We as a world need to understand our interconnectedness, and we need to build a better world for all by solving problems such as world hunger, poverty, and global warming.

What do you think about poverty, the global community, and the current economic problems in the United States? Post your comments and responses in this thread at the World Hunger and Poverty Forums.

Teen Pregnancy Does Not Perpetuate Poverty

I just read an interesting article about a study by Frank Furstenberg that shows that teen motherhood does not perpetuate poverty.

According to the 30-year-study, postponing motherhood does not have a significant impact on a person’s chances of escaping poverty. For all intents and purposes, impoverished girls who bear children tend to do just as well economically and educationally as the ones who do not.

In other words, poor teens tend to get pregnant more often, but teenagers who get pregnant have the same odds of educational and financial success as the ones who do not.

Mainly, the economic conditions in which a person grows up determine their odds of ending up poor. Whether or not the person gets pregnant as a teenager has little affect.

Although the findings go against the common perception, I guess it makes sense. A poor girl will likely end up in poverty later in life regardless of whether or not she gets pregnant as a teenager. A wealthy girl’s parents can still ensure her success with their money even when the girl gets pregnant as a teenager.

I still see teen pregnancy as a significant mistake, but we have such a classist society that making mistakes has little statistical effect on who ends up poor and who does not. While we need to help people not make mistakes, we have to find a way to eliminate the classism of our society to ever end poverty.

What do you think about the relationship between classism, teen pregnancy, and poverty? Post your answers to that question and your thoughts about this post in this thread at the World Hunger and Poverty Forums. It’s completely free, and all viewpoints are welcome.

UK Retirees Face Poverty

I just read an unfortunate story from the UK press. According to the article, nearly 2 million people in the UK retiring before April 2010 could face poverty.

They face poverty because they do not qualify for full basic state pensions. To qualify, men currently need to have made “national insurance contributions” for 44 years, while women need to have made 39 years.

The government has decided to reduce the qualification to 30 years, but that reduction does not take effect until April 6, 2010.

Regardless, I do not see how a person can work 29 hard years, all the while having some of their money put into national insurance, and then get thrown under the bus when retirement time comes.

To fully end poverty, we need to make sure that everyone has a secure retirement. To that end, we must include the full costs of securing one’s retirement in the cost of living.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today, the shower in my house will no longer turn off. While waiting for it to get fixed (by the landlord or a plumber), we turned off the water in the house, which seems more desirable than leaving the water running all day. Anyway, not having running water is very unpleasant, so it made me think of the 1 billion in the world who do not even have access to clean drinking water–a thought which I decided to share with you all now.

On a different note, I wish you all a great Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

You may want to check out the post I made for last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Why Do The Good Die Young?

Also, you can check out this other post I made about King: King’s Dream for an End to Poverty Goes Unfulfilled

Finally, let me leave you with a few Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated.”

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. … Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.”

“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

“Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy’s point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.”

“Don’t let anybody make you think God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice and it seems I can hear God saying to America ‘you are too arrogant, and if you don’t change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn’t even know my name. Be still and know that I’m God. Men will beat their swords into plowshafts and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations shall not rise up against nations, neither shall they study war anymore.’ I don’t know about you, I ain’t going to study war anymore.”

“…there is no separate black path to power and fulfillment that does not intersect white paths, and there is no separate white path to power and fulfillment, short of social disaster, that does not share that power with black aspirations for freedom and human dignity We are bound together in a single garment of destiny.”

“We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. … And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.”

“It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.”

“Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.”

“Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Please discuss Martin Luther King Jr. in this thread at the World Hunger and Poverty Forums. It’s completely free, and all viewpoints are welcome.

5 Themes For Alleviating Poverty

The nationwide Community Action Network has suggested 5 themes and strategies that local communities can use to alleviate poverty. Essentially, they advised:

  • Get everyone involved.
  • Build an economy that works for everyone.
  • Put money into healthcare and education.
  • Maximize opportunities for people.
  • Eliminate false stereotypes such as the myth that poor people are lazy.

Generally, I agree with those 5 points. Of course, we have to figure out how to get local communities to implement such strategies.

Rising Food Prices Worsen World Hunger

I just read an article on Waterford Today about the threat that spiraling food prices pose in the battle against world hunger. The costs of basic foodstuffs have jumped 40% in the past year, according to the the UN’s food price index.

The article points to fuel as the main reason. Mainly, it says that the rising demand for fuel and worry over climate change have diverted agricultural land towards the production of biofuels rather than food.

Also, rising costs of fuel will directly increase food prices by increasing the cost of transporting the food.

Of course, I think we need to remember that the world has more than enough food for everyone. We can easily afford to feed everyone. Unfortunately, the people in power choose to use their power to gain luxuries for themselves rather than to let the hungry have food.