From Poverty to Power: How Active Citizens and Effective States Can Change the World

540 Pages·2008·2.52 MB·English

by  Duncan Green

‘From Poverty to Power is about the choices that need to be made by govern-
ments, international institutions, non-government organisations, and poor
people themselves to bring about change for a just and sustainable future’
says lead author DUNCAN GREEN
The fight against poverty, inequality, and the threat of environmental collapse
will define the 21st century, as the fight against slavery or for universal suffrage
defined earlier eras. Unprecedented levels of prosperity co-exist with mass
poverty and extreme inequalities. The world, the nature of poverty, and our
understanding of development and humanitarian relief is changing.
From Poverty to Power takes a fresh look at development through the lenses
of rights, politics, and power and explores the impact of climate change, global
integration, and the spread of electoral democracy.
This powerful book argues that most positive change, including development,
is locally and nationally driven. Drawing on local, national, and global examples,
it argues that what is needed is nothing less than a global new deal – a
redistribution of power, voice, opportunities, and assets to achieve a dynamic
and inclusive society. Oxfam knows, from more than 60 years of working with
the poorest communities in the world, that such redistribution can be driven
by a combination of active citizens and effective states to make change happen.
‘A powerful book – everyone should read it’
‘Well researched and powerfully written, this is a must read for anyone
involved or interested in development’
‘... it will stand for some time as the definitive statement of reforms
desired by most of the development NGO community.’
‘This report offers a clear, readable, hard-hitting analysis of contemporary
global society ... From Poverty to Power draws heavily on Oxfam’s field
experience which provides a wealth of vivid and apt case studies, is well
laid-out with excellent subheadings and extensive, up-to-date references for
each chapter as well as an index ... provides an excellent resource for teachers DUNCAN
at all levels and is a challenging analysis of the issues. Not to be missed!
GREEN
ISBN 978-0-85598-593-6
9 780855 985936
www.oxfam.org.uk
Cover.indd 1 3/10/07 18:32:31
HOW ACTIVE CITIZENS AND EFFECTIVE STATES
CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
OXFAM INTERNATIONAL
Oxfam International is a confederation of13 organisations working
together with over 3,000 partners in more than 100 countries to find
lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.With partners and allies,
Oxfam International acts in solidarity with people living in poverty,
especially women,to achieve their rights and assert their dignity as full
citizens.It will support them to hold governments,corporations,and
international organisations (including Oxfam) to account for their
responsibilities.Oxfam International supports local,national,and
international organisations and social movements ofactive citizens to
demand justice,particularly gender justice,and to change ideas and
beliefs,policies and practices to achieve improvements in people’s
lives.
Oxfam America,Oxfam Australia,Oxfam-in-Belgium,Oxfam Canada,
Oxfam France - Agir ici,Oxfam Germany,Oxfam GB,Oxfam Hong
Kong,Intermón Oxfam (Spain),Oxfam Ireland,Oxfam New Zealand,
Oxfam Novib (Netherlands),and Oxfam Québec.
www.oxfam.org
HOW ACTIVE CITIZENS AND EFFECTIVE STATES
CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
DUNCAN GREEN
First published by Oxfam International in 2008
© Oxfam International 2008
ISBN 978-0-85598-593-6
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library.
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Cover design:Coralie Bickford-Smith
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CONTENTS
List of figures, tables, and boxes vii
List of acronyms viii
Acknowledgements xi
Foreword: Amartya Sen xiii
PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1
The unequal world 2
PART 2 POWER AND POLITICS 17
The political roots of development 18
I have rights, therefore I am 23
How change happens: A revolution for Bolivia’s Chiquitano people 31
I believe, therefore I am 34
I read, therefore I am 40
I surf, therefore I am 52
We organise, therefore we are 58
How change happens: Winning women’s rights in Morocco 67
I own, therefore I am 70
I vote, therefore I am 79
I steal, therefore I am 86
I rule, therefore I am 90
From poverty to power 104
PART 3 POVERTY AND WEALTH 107
An economics for the twenty-first century 108
Living off the land 119
How change happens: The fishing communities of Tikamgarh 146
The changing world of work 148
Private sector, public interest 168
Going for growth 179
How change happens: Botswana and Mauritius: Two African
success stories 192
Sustainable markets 195
v
PART 4 RISK AND VULNERABILITY 197
Living with risk 198
Social protection 207
How change happens: India’s campaign for a National Rural
Employment Guarantee 217
Finance and vulnerability 220
Hunger and famine 224
HIV, AIDS, and other health risks 231
How change happens: South Africa’s Treatment Action
Campaign 242
The risk of natural disaster 245
Climate change 257
Living on the edge: Africa’s pastoralists 268
Violence and conflict 273
Shocks and change 286
PART 5 THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM 291
Who rules the world? 292
The international financial system 295
The international trading system 318
The international aid system 353
How change happens: The 2005 Gleneagles Agreements 381
The international system for humanitarian relief and peace 384
How change happens: Landmines, an arms-control success
story 403
Climate change 406
Global governance in the twenty-first century 424
PART 6 CONCLUSION 427
A new deal for a new century 428
ANNEX: HOW CHANGE HAPPENS 431
Notes 445
Bibliography 472
Background papers and case studies 497
Glossary 500
Index 506
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1:Assessing developmental impacts 116
Figure 3.2:Unequal initial land distributions go together with
slower economic growth 122
Figure 3.3:Supply chain pressures create precarious employment 159
Figure 4.1:How vulnerability affects livelihoods 202
Figure 4.2:Causes of premature death worldwide, circa 2002 206
Figure 7.1:How change happens 437
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1: Great land reforms of the twentieth century 75
Table 3.1: Southern TNCs 173
Table 5.1: The Millennium Development Goals 355
Table 5.2: Three grand narratives on aid: Sachs, Easterly, and
Collier compared 359
LIST OF BOXES
Box 2.1: The golden rule 37
Box 2.2: Are effective states compatible with active citizens? 94
Box 3.1: Fisheries: managing a finite resource 126
Box 3.2: A beginner’s guide to sustainable agriculture 130
Box 3.3: The sweet taste of success in Colombia 135
Box 3.4: Niche solutions: Fairtrade and organics 139
Box 3.5: India’s women organise 162
Box 3.6: Can trade agreements promote labour rights? 165
Box 3.7: A tale of two tigers 184
Box 3.8: The disadvantages of comparative advantage 187
Box 4.1: The basic income guarantee: the next BIG idea? 214
Box 4.2: Coping with hunger 225
Box 4.3: SARS: what global collaboration can achieve 237
Box 4.4: The Asian tsunami of 2004 248
Box 4.5: Cuba vs Katrina, lessons in disaster risk reduction 252
Box 4.6: Climate change, water, and conflict in Central Asia 261
Box 5.1: Migrants make a difference 336
Box 5.2: Earning a ‘licence to operate’ 341
Box 5.3: Corporate responsibility or accountability? Voluntary
schemes vs regulation 349
vii
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome
ART antiretroviral treatment/therapy
ARV antiretroviral
ASEAN Association ofSouth-East Asian Nations
AU African Union
CAP Common Agricultural Policy
CDM Clean Development Mechanism
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination ofAll Forms of
Discrimination Against Women
CERF Central Emergency Response Fund
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research
CSO civil society organisation
CSR corporate social responsibility
DAC Development Assistance Committee (ofthe OECD)
DFID Department for International Development (UK)
ECOSOC United Nations Economic and Social Council
ECOWAS Economic Community ofWest African States
EFA Education for All
EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
EPA Economic Partnership Agreement
EPZ export-processing zone
EU ETS European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
viii
LIST OF ACRONYMS
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United
Nations
FDI foreign direct investment
FTA free trade agreement
G7 the seven richest nations (USA,UK,Germany,Japan,
Italy,France,and Canada)
G8 G7 nations + Russia
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GAVI Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
GBS general budget support
GCAP Global Call to Action against Poverty
GCE Global Campaign for Education
GDP gross domestic product
GNP gross national product
HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Country
HIV human immunodeficiency virus
ICC International Criminal Court
ICRC International Committee ofthe Red Cross
IDP internally displaced person
IFI international financial institution
IFRC International Federation ofthe Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies
IHL international humanitarian law
ILO International Labour Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
INGO international non-government organisation
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
LDC least developed country
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MDRI Multilateral Debt ReliefInitiative
MSF Médecins Sans Frontières
ix