Product Description

The twenty-first century will be defined by the fight against the scourges of poverty, inequality, and the threat of environmental collapse–as the fight against slavery or for universal suffrage defined earlier eras.

From Poverty to Power argues that to break the cycle of poverty and inequality and to give poor people power over their own destinies a radical redistribution of power, opportunities, and assets is required. The two driving forces behind such a transformation are active citizens and effective states.

Why active citizenship? Because people living in poverty must have a voice in deciding their own destiny, fighting for rights and justice in their own society, and holding states and the private sector to account.

Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prospered without a state structure than can actively manage the development process.

There is now an added urgency beyond the moral case for tackling poverty and inequality, we need to build a secure, fair, and sustainable world before climate change makes it impossible. This book argues that there is still time, provided leaders, organizations, and individuals act. Starting today…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #502271 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 540 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780855985936
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"In telling us what can be achieved by ordinary people through organised action, this book generates hope even as it enhances understanding of what is involved in the removal of poverty." Amartya Sen "A tour de forceA... At once shocking, realistic and radical, this book takes us further on the road to understanding the challenges of development and what needs to be doneA... It should inform and inspire all who are committed to policy and practice for a better world." Robert Chambers, author of Whose Reality Counts? Putting the Last First"Oxfam's great strength is that it channels the moral outrage that global poverty evokes into effective action based on solid research. From Poverty to Power is a comprehensive look at development in this tradition." Dani Rodrik, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University "A unique blend of solid academic understanding, serious activist experience, and political acumen. It deserves be a standard reference for social activists and policy-makers as well as a required reading for students in economics, politics, sociology, and development studies." Ha-Joon Chang, Department of Economics, University of Cambridge "Will be of immense help to human rights organizations like Amnesty International in our campaigns to draw greater attention to the rights of the poor." Irene Khan, Secretary General, Amnesty International "Does justice to raising the spectre of inequalities in the world between the world's richest and poorest people and countries. It contributes to a better understanding of what to do to reduce global poverty." Bineta Diop, Executive Director, Femmes Africa Solidarite "Should be required reading for governments, development officials, and all those with an interest in the key challenges facing our civilisation."Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Australian Democrats Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs

About the Author
Duncan Green has been Head of Research at Oxfam Great Britain since 2004. He is the author of several books on Latin America, including Faces of Latin America (third edition 2006) and Silent Revolution: The Rise and Crisis of Market Economics in Latin America (2003). He has been a Senior Policy Advisor on trade and development at the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and Policy Analyst on trade and globalization at CAFOD.

Mark Fried coordinates advocacy for Oxfam Canada and writes regularly on policy issues related to international development.

Customer Reviews

Cosying up to the state is not the way forward

Duncan Green, who works for Oxfam International, recommends cooperation, active citizenship and organisation. He writes that the key to development is an active, national developmental state - "there are no shortcuts, and neither aid nor NGOs can take its place; the road to development lies through the state."

Only the state can provide free access to primary health care, education, clean water and sanitation, the free public services that emancipate women. Countries need `massive and long-term investment in public health services'.

But the IMF still forces privatisation and liberalisation on countries wanting loans. Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Reduction Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, developing countries must implement Structural Adjustment Programmes for decades, to get the debt cancellation promised as the swift solution to their urgent problems.

Africa has 24% of the world's disease burden, but only 3% of the world's health workers, too many of whom migrate to the West. Poorer countries give the West $500 million a year in health workers. Jamaica and Grenada train five doctors for every one that stays. Yet Green writes, "Increasing the quantity and quality of migration is one of the most effective ways to tackle global poverty and inequality." But increasing the supply of labour cuts its price - which increases poverty.

He reminds us that profits taken from developing countries rose from $17 billion in 1990 to $169 billion in 2005. The banks profit from every debt crisis, while the crises have cost the developing countries a quarter of their output in the last 25 years. As NatWest boasts, "Currency and interest rate volatility provided significant trading opportunities."

Green then says that powerful states and corporations must stop doing harm. Indeed, that would be nice. He admits, "the private sector on its own has never achieved growth with equity", but he says this is because we haven't understood markets properly.

He notes that reform proposals are blocked by `powerful governments and financial interests', that "Powerful interests profit from the lack of regulation ... global institutions are weak or are dominated by governments in thrall to those vested interests" and that `local elites' violently oppose land reform. He observes, "To curb the extreme volatility of capital flows will be politically difficult, as volatility has acquired its own constituency in the shape of powerful financial institutions which profit from the daily surges of capital markets. But the alternative is that an increasingly uncontrollable world of international finance will destabilise governments, drive up inequality, and precipitate deeper and more frequent financial crises."

After all this, he writes, "Sustainable growth means ... acknowledging that the private sector and trade ... are the ultimate drivers of the economy, and it means supporting them with policies, investment, and institutions." That will make them change their spots! He admits the flaws in development thinking, chiefly `excessive reformism without politics or history' - which this book exemplifies.

Green observes, "the misguided actions of global institutions and the short-sighted policies of wealthy countries often pose threats to development." But is the problem really a lack of knowledge and of vision, to be put right by Oxfam's wisdom? This is the academics' fallacy, that if only our rulers knew better, they would do better.

Does Oxfam really think anyone can persuade the world's capitalist classes to act against their own interests? We need the world's working classes to act in their own interests, to get rid of this failed, destructive system.

Awesome book!
I feel so enlightened after reading this book! Duncan Green proves himself to be an extremely interesting, compassionate individual - five stars!