Higher mods Flashcards
Political Factors leading to poverty - Conflict
Armed conflicts are fights/disagreements which involve land and/or the Government where weapons are used and at least 25 people have been killed.
Sudan is an example of a country which has experienced conflict over a long period of time and now has a poverty rate of 46.5%.
Conflict results in poverty amongst citizens within the Developing World for many reasons. Often important buildings such as schools and hospitals are destroyed or used as military bases which means citizens cannot get treatment for illnesses or education.
Although when conflict does occur it ultimately leads to poverty, it cannot be seen as a main cause of poverty in all developing countries. There are many countries facing huge issues with poverty which have very little or no significant experience of conflict.
Political Factors - Corruption
Political corruption is when a leader/government of a country are involved- it is dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
It is estimated that corruption costs Africa around $150 billion a year
Corruption ultimately results in poverty because it means that the Government is unwilling to spend money on the areas that will be most effective in giving people the chance to work and earn a living.
There are many countries in the developing world which are committed to anti-corruption. MEANING CORRUPTION DOES NOT IMPACT ALL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND DOES NOT COMPLETELY EXPLAIN POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD!
Political Factors - Weak Government
A government may not be corrupt but it may make bad decisions which result in poverty in a country.
Ghana’s Government do not prioritise healthcare spending and now only has 15 doctors per 100,000.
A Government making poor decisions means the education of the country suffers and so does the health. This not only means individual people are more likely to experience poverty, but it means the entire country is at risk of becoming poor as there will not be enough people to work and help the country advance.
The World Health Organisation (The WHO) have made a commitment to work with countries to help them strengthen their ability to fund healthcare systems. MEANING countries with weaker Governments are being given some support to help their spending, but this is not something that will be solved quickly.
Political Factors - Unfair Trade
But there is an imbalance of power between these countries which are rich in resources and the countries who are buying the natural resources. This means that unfair trade takes place and the Governments of these developing countries accept less money for the resources than they should.
A jar of coffee that costs around £3 sees the coffee producer earn only around 17p- the big profits go to the company who finished the product!
If developing countries continue to experience unfair trade, it is unlikely they will ever be able to generate the money required to help bring people out of poverty.
If Fair Trade continues to strengthen it could mean that unfair trade becomes less of a problem in the future and Governments and farmers in developing countries gain more money which can be reinvested in helping the country out of poverty.
Social Factors - Poor Education
Poor education exists due to: marginalisation, lack of teachers and an underdeveloped economy. Marginalisation means that many children cannot get access to education
In Yemen 80% of girls do not have access to education.
If a child cannot attend school or when attending school gains a poor education it will impact them for the rest of their lives.
Thanks to UNICEF, 12 million more children in the Developing World are gaining an education and there have been 415 new classrooms built.
MEANING more children now have access to high levels of education and will have the opportunity to gain well-paid jobs and break the cycle of poverty for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Social Factors - Poor Health
Often people in the Developing World do not have easy access to clean water and sanitation due to poor infrastructure. Often, this means they must travel for many miles in order to find clean drinking water or are forced to drink water which is contaminated with parasites likely to cause water-related diseases.
Around 1 billion people world-wide do not have access to clean water. This is 1 in 8 people!
If a person is suffering from poor health, in order to get better they must get medical treatment which is very expensive and requires them to spend what little money they have, making them even poorer.
In October 2021 it was announced that WHO has recommended a ground-breaking vaccine that may prevent Malaria’s spread amongst children. Such developments suggest that poor health as a cause of poverty may start to decline in importance.
Social Factors - Hunger/Malnutrition
There are many factors which create hunger and malnutrition which ultimately can lead to poverty. There are issues in many developing countries regarding food production due to climate. Extreme conditions such as drought can mean that food cannot be produced and results in famine.
In countries such as Somalia and Nigeria an estimated 20 million people are experiencing starvation.
When children are experiencing hunger/malnutrition they are more likely to become weak and ill. This can prevent them from attending education and gaining the skills they require to gain well-paid employment when they are adults. This mean child who start in poverty, remain in poverty.
World Food Programme (WFP) are two agencies who enter developing countries and provide food packages and train individuals on how to grow their own food to help them avoid this cause. MEANING… individuals have increased access to food, and sustainable farming which will give them the nutrition to attend work or school and help break the cycle of poverty. Selling crops and food will also help to generate a more productive economy which will break the cycle of poverty.
Social Factors - Lack of Infrastructure
Infrastructure is the basic physical and organisational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Transporting goods is made difficult by a lack of infrastructure in developing countries.
Kibera Slum in Kenya: The largest slum in Africa and possibly the World- home to 1million people.
If there is a lack of roads/transport people cannot easily access basic needs which would help them out of poverty (Eg schools and hospitals). Lack of sewage system will mean people are drinking dirty, contaminated water= ill health.
Many governments in developing countries are making efforts to ensure money is being spent on expanding infrastructure as they see it as a key way in transforming their country into a valuable trading partner. MEANING IN MANY COUNTRIES INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEING INVESTED IN AND IMPROVING AND COULD LEAD TO LESS POVERTY.
Economic Factors - Corruption
Political corruption is when a leader/government of a country are involved- it is dishonest or fraudulent conduct regarding money by those in power, typically involving bribery.
It is estimated that corruption costs Africa around $150 billion a year.
Corruption ultimately results in poverty because it means that the Government is unwilling to spend money on the areas that will be most effective in giving people the chance to work and earn a living. Such as education stopping people gaining qualifications.
There are many countries in the developing world which are committed to anti-corruption. MEANING CORRUPTION DOES NOT IMPACT ALL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND DOES NOT COMPLETELY EXPLAIN POVERTY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD!
Economic Factors - Debt
Under pressure to develop and advance many African countries have borrowed money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or World Bank.
For every $1 the developing world receives in grants it spends $13 on debt!
When money is borrowed there is a high rate of interest attached to these loans- meaning the amount they have to pay back is MUCH more than what they originally borrowed. This leads to the ‘cycle of debt.
Many countries now turn to other means of increasing funds aside from borrowing. This often includes increasing taxes or inviting investment from outside agencies.
Economic Factors - Lack of Government Investment
A government may not be corrupt but it may make fail to invest in areas which results in poverty in a country. Often Governments do not prioritise their spending and do not spend money on things that are required to improve the country’s development.
Ghana’s Government do not prioritise healthcare spending and now only has 15 doctors per 100,000.
A Government failing to invest sensibly means the education of the country suffers and so does the health. This not only means individual people are more likely to experience poverty, but it means the entire country is at risk of becoming poor as there will not be enough people to work and help the country advance.
The World Health Organisation (The WHO) have made a commitment to work with countries to help them strengthen their ability to fund healthcare systems. MEANING countries with weaker Governments are being given some support to help their spending, but this is not something that will be solved quickly.
Economic Factors - Unfair Trade
But there is an imbalance of power between these countries which are rich in resources and the countries who are buying the natural resources. This means that unfair trade takes place and the Governments of these developing countries accept less money for the resources than they should.
A jar of coffee that costs around £3 sees the coffee producer earn only around 17p- the big profits go to the company who finished the product!
If developing countries continue to experience unfair trade, it is unlikely they will ever be able to generate the money required to help bring people out of poverty.
If Fair Trade continues to strengthen it could mean that unfair trade becomes less of a problem in the future and Governments and farmers in developing countries gain more money which can be reinvested in helping the country out of poverty.
Effects of Poverty on Individuals, Families and communities - Conflict
Many conflicts around the world take place in developing nations as people fight over limited resources out of desperation. At a human level this often has a significant toll on the individuals of that country who may lose their home, place or work and for some children – even be forced to fight as child solders.
According to the WFP the ongoing civil war in South Sudan has seen 6.3 million people struggle to find enough food to eat, and almost 4 million have fled their home.
It has a negative effect because without food people will struggle to work and earn an income. By having to flee their homes, individuals must survive on their own, possibly having to gain access to another country. Children who are forced to fight as child soldiers will be mentally/emotionally/physically impacted for the rest of their lives.
There are many countries facing huge issues with poverty which have very little or no significant experience of conflict. It is therefore not the most important factor in all developing countries.
Effects of Poverty on Individuals, Families and communities - Poor Education
Developing countries struggle to provide an education system good enough to meet the needs of their populations and so millions of children are unable to go to school while others fail to get a good quality education that they need to be successful in life.
263 million children are missing from school.
The presence of a strong education system, and easy access to education has a positive effect on individuals. However, due to the lack of education seen in many developing countries, we can see how this negatively impacts individuals going forward in life. Without any education or a suitable experience of education, young people will leave school without the necessary qualification to secure employment. This will directly impact on their ability to source an income.
UNICEF is a UN agency which enters countries in the Developing World which are suffering from poor education and aim to help improve it.
Effects of Poverty on Individuals, Families and communities - Poor Health
Undeveloped countries have less infrastructure to meet the healthcare needs of their populations and so often individuals will suffer from preventable diseases that very few in the developed world suffers from.
According to the WHO, in 2019 there were an estimated 228 million cases of Malaria.
Poor health has a negative effect on individuals. With consistently poor health, individuals will struggle to go to work and may see their income fall or disappear. For young children, they will miss out on time in school and this will impact considerably on their ability to secure employment in the future.
charities like WaterAid aim to provide clean drinking water and sustainable infrastructure for those in the most rural areas.
Effects of Poverty on Individuals, Families and communities - Financial Difficulty -
Often one of the effects of underdevelopment is poor quality infrastructure. This ranges from poor roads, a lack of clean water, no electricity, poor quality or no health and educational services. All of these are vital for individuals to be able to lead a healthy life where they can be educated and work to avoid poverty.
In Sub-Saharan Africa just over 40% of people (or 400 million people) live on less than $1.90 a day.
Individuals become trapped in financially dangerous situations due to the absence of quality infrastructure. Poor roads mean people will struggle to leave their immediate surroundings, in which no schools or health centres may be found. No clean water will lead to ill health which impacts on the ability of individuals to work or attend school.
Many countries now turn to other means of increasing funds aside from borrowing. This often includes increasing taxes or inviting investment from outside agencies.
Effects Of poverty on individual Countries/Governments - Conflict
Many conflicts often occur where there are fewer resources and people are more desperate. This leads to high levels of corruption and often conflict as people prioritise their own needs, and will consume the full focus of the government.
6.3 million people struggle to find enough food and almost 4 million have fled their home because of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan
This places a huge strain on the government to try and control the country and aid the people who are in need. Additionally, the government need to respond to groups being hostile toward them. The govt. will also be left short of income and strong workforce if people are fleeing.
UN Security General – This council has helped in many conflicts. They have introduced ceasefires in many areas. This has prevented major hostilities toward governments. The
council may decide on enforcement measures, economic sanctions or collective military action, again supporting governments to effectively resolve conflicts quickly and effectively.
Effects Of poverty on individual Countries/Governments - Lack Of Teachers
The quality of life in developing world can be poor and governments are unable to both provide the right educational facilities and unable to pay the wages needed for educated and skilled people to become teachers.
Only 65% of teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa are qualified
The consequence is the government will not be able to develop the country further, as newer generations will not be receiving the skills necessary for progression.
Since July 2021, the ministry teaching service commission and UNICEF initiated an early grade teacher training programme to improve literacy and numeracy among children in grades 1-3.
Effects Of poverty on individual Countries/Governments - Lack Of Healthy Workers
This same inability to provide key and vital services will create a lack of healthy workers in a country. The less the government can afford in supportive treatments, the fewer workers the country will have to help the country develop.
The Africa region is one of the most underdeveloped in the world and accounts for 2/3rds of the worlds people living with HIV/Aids.
This means the government are left without a workforce to generate a strong economy, which would generate taxes to allow them to provide vital services, thus creating the cycle of poverty.
WHO – funded vaccine programmes for diseases such as HIV/Aids. This means that the government will have a more disposable workforce who will spend less time off work, increasing taxation and money within the economy as a whole.
Effects Of poverty on individual Countries/Governments - Loss Of Tax
Underdevelopment means the populations of such countries will struggle to provide the tax base the government will need to make the investments vital to developing the country they are responsible for.
According to the UN, the governments of Africa have been unable to provide safe drinking water and electricity to millions of people of Africa. Only 42% of people in Africa have internet access.
If these governments do not have these essentials then it will also be very difficult for the countries to develop and crate wealth that governments can tax meaning that, like the citizens of the country, the government is often trapped in a poverty related cycle.
UN Tax Committee - Strengthens international cooperation on tax matters, with a special focus on needs and capacities of developing countries. It generates practical guidance for governments, and taxpayers to strengthen tax systems for sustainable development.
Effects Of poverty on Wider International Community - Creates Refugees
Underdevelopment has contributed to some of the most devasting civil wars in places such as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, which have resulted in millions of people having to flee their country to seek safety.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, there are now over 80 million people who have been forcibly displaced from their home.
If countries want to reduce their exposure to refugees then they must prioritise more support for the developed world. For the international community, the refugee crisis’ that have developed over the years are becoming a key focus of policy for international organisations as they seek to help refugees.
However, the UN Refugee Agency is a global organisation that is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Although lots of regugees work is eing doen to reduce.
Effects Of poverty on Wider International Community - Poorer Overall
The problems faced by developing countries and the high number of potential consumers who remain trapped in poverty means the developed world is missing out on billions in sales while having to spend billions on aid.
Most of the world’s population live in the developing world and according to the World Bank 700 million people in 2021 live on less than $1.90 a day.
As a consequence of so many in the developing world living on so little money per day, the developed world will never be able to sell luxury goods or services to these people or countries, therefore impact hugely on the economy.
However, ending poverty in all its forms is the first of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. To do this, the UN want to ensure there is the significant mobilization of resources to help developing countries to put programmes and policies into place to help end poverty in all its forms.
Effects Of poverty on Wider International Community - Spread of Disease
Underdeveloped countries have less infrastructure to meet the healthcare needs of their populations and so many preventable diseases can grow in developing countries and then spread to others around the world in a way that can become devastating.
COVID-19 started in China at the end of 2019 (a less developed country) and quickly spread to become a global pandemic that has killed millions around the world, even in countries classed as being developed.
The international community must unite to give far-reaching support to developing countries in order to reduce the risk of future pandemics that can and will devastate the economies of developed countries.
However, in May 2022, the WHO launched a campaign to prevent the spread of a new pandemic (in the form of arboviruses), particularly in those countries least equipped to deal with it.
Effects Of poverty on Wider International Community - Attracting Skilled Workers (positive)
When considering the situation in many developing countries, with greater risks of conflict, poverty, gender inequality, hunger and more, the international community is able to attract those that do manage to get a good education with the promise of a better life.
According the Independent, around 15% of current NHS doctors come from Asia alone.
Therefore, countries like the UK are in a situation where global poverty is something that they can benefit from as they attract key workers from countries that will inevitably suffer more without them. This will lead to extremely contrasting positive effects on developed countries and severely negative effects on developing countries already struggling with escaping the cycle of poverty.
The OECD has found that immigrants can help stimulate economic growth in their countries of destination and thus promote development. This clearly shows the positive impact of key workers being attracted to developed countries and outlines their contributions.
Effectiveness Of Individual Countries in Tackling The Issue - Girls Into Education
It is a well-established fact that the richer and more developed a country is, the better educated its population is. Education can be very expensive for Governments to provide. DIFD is aware that alongside the fact that education is expensive, marginalisation of young girls is an important reason why poor education is a problem leading to poverty in many developing countries.
One of DFIDs main ways of helping with regards to education is the Girls Education Challenge (GEC). It currently supports 1 million girls to benefit from a good quality education.
Education is often described as the silver bullet to tackling poverty in the developing world and here is a clear example of the effectiveness of DFID in addressing one social factor holding many nations back.
Many criticise DIFD because whilst it does have its own projects such as the Girls Education Challenge, it also gives a large percentage of its funds away to large organisations.
Effectiveness Of Individual Countries in Tackling The Issue - DFiD and Investing in Infrastructure and Jobs
One economic factor that has held back development is often when countries lack good quality infrastructure needed to help the country become more developed. DFID often works with governments to help them create jobs in the country so that the citizens of that country can earn a better income resulting in higher tax receipts.
In 2016 the UK announced it was giving £80 million through DFID to Ethiopia to help create over 100,000 jobs in a new industrial park near the capital.
By investing in infrastructure and creating new jobs, DIFD is helping the Governments of developing countries create a working population who are earning enough many to pay tax to the Government. This means, ultimately, the government will be getting more money that it can in turn invest back into important areas such as education and healthcare which will eventually create a new generation who are able to work and earn their way out of poverty.
Some have said that DIFD wastes its money investing in projects that in the long run will impact very few people.
Effectiveness Of Individual Countries in Tackling The Issue - DFiD and Improving Health
A symptom of a lack of development is often the large number of people who die or are affected by preventable diseases. DFID does a lot of work globally to help tackle these diseases so that the populations of developing countries, the workers of now and tomorrow, are healthy and productive.
DFID reported in 2018 that it has given over 350 million child-friendly treatments for malaria in over 50 countries.
This means that DFID is contributing towards the treatment of diseases that prevent a large group of people from working, meaning that through the treatment of illnesses, developing countries gain a much healthier, active workforce that contributes to the economy.
DFID has been criticised for spending its resources in countries that are a part of the Commonwealth and at one point used to be ruled by Britain as part of the British Empire. It is argued that these countries have benefited because of a historical connection to Britain rather than because of need and that other countries in greater need have been neglected.
Effectiveness Of Individual Countries in Tackling The Issue - DFiD and Supporting Government
Countries that are poorly run or where the leaders make unwise choices often means that vital services go unfunded or spending is prioritised in the wrong areas. This could also be because of corruption common in the developing world. DFID uses its resources to support the governments of developing countries to be more effective.
In 2018 DFID announced its biggest ever tax partnership with Ethiopia. This programme will help the Ethiopian government to better collect its taxes, be more open and transparent.
This will mean that Governments will better spend the money they are collecting from citizens and be more aware of the benefits of investing this is into key services. It will also mean that citizens will more trusting of their Government if it is transparent which will also mean that conflict will be less likely.
Although DFID has done well in helping many weak or corrupt governments, many claim it does not spend its money sensibly.
DFID has in the past given money to organisations that try to tackle more complicated problems that are not often solved by giving food or building a road- meaning it has been unrealistic.
Effectiveness Of international Organisations in Tackling Poverty - UNICEF
UNICEF focuses on mothers and children. Its aim is to help reduce poverty by aiding education and health services.
UNICEF raises large sums of money which is donated to countries in need- UNICEF UK raised $48million in 2016 alone.
Investing money into education systems in developing countries by building new classrooms and training teachers will mean that more children can access education on a daily basis. If more children are educated, they will then have the capacity to earn high-paying jobs and receive a wage that will see them break the cycle of poverty.
UNICEF IS HELPING BUT THERE ARE STILL MANY ISSUES PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM GETTING AN EDUCATION- EVEN WHEN IT IS BEING OFFERED.
Effectiveness Of international Organisations in Tackling Poverty - FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation)
Similarly, to WFP, FAO is also concerned with dealing with the issue of hunger as a cause of poverty- but adopts a different approach from WFP. FAO is more about educating people about how to use their land and water supplies in order to increase food production- they do this by training farmers in new techniques so more food can be grown for farmers to not only feed themselves but others too.
In Sudan FAO is now supporting 8,400 vulnerable households who are facing drought, by supplying them with seeds, irrigation systems and some technology to make farming and food production a little easier in these tough times.
By targeting vulnerable households and supplying them with seeds and technology needed to farm poverty in the entire developing country will be lowered because food will become more sustainable and there will be less reliance on other countries for aid.
ALTHOUGH FAO IS DOING ALL IT CAN TO TACKLE TO FOOD PRODUCTION, THERE ARE MANY LONG-TERM CAUSES OF POVERTY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT FAO CANNOT TAKE CARE OF- EG. NATURAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE THEREFORE ITS SUCCESS WILL ALWAYS BE LIMITED IN THESE COUNTRIES.
Effectiveness Of international Organisations in Tackling Poverty - WHO (World Health Organisation)
The main aim of the WHO is to tackle poor health within the developing world. The WHO works to train local people and educate them about how to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.
The WHO has worked alongside other aid agencies and the Government in the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure that a new vaccine designed to tackle Ebola will be available to over 300,000 people.
Training medical professionals, offering vaccination programmes and investing money when healthcare emergencies arise will tackle poverty because it means individuals do not need to spend the little money they have on healthcare, but can instead invest it into other areas such as sustainable business. If the overall health of a nation is improved, there will be a higher percentage of people working and earning an income.
WHILST THE WHO MAY BE HELPING TO TACKLE POVERTY IN THE LONG RUN, THERE ARE STILL MANY DISEASES IT HAS NOT MANAGED TO TACKLE MEANING THE COUNTRIES EXPERIENCING THESE DISEASES WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM LOWER LEVELS OF POVERTY WHILST OTHERS WILL.
Effectiveness Of international Organisations in Tackling Poverty - WFP (World Food Programme)
It is the largest agency currently fighting the issue of hunger in the world. It is mainly an emergency response agency which aims to get food to those who need it quickly in times of need.
On average WFP helps 90million people in more than 70 countries each year
Supplying desperate people with food, whilst also teaching them how to use food as an asset will reduced poverty because malnutrition and hunger is a leading cause of poverty. Having a balanced diet will allow individuals to remain fit and healthy and able to work, attend school, and contribute to society in a much more positive way.
WFP is helping with regards to food productions, however until the bigger issues of corruption and conflict are tackled by many developing countries, its success is limited.
Reasons why wealth inequalities exist - Low Pay
This is one of the most obvious reasons why wealth inequality exists- people doing different jobs get paid different amounts. For a significant period of time, The Government’s thinking appeared to adopt the view that employment was a cure for poverty but this is too simplistic.
More than a fifth of the population live on incomes below the poverty line!
There is a substantial difference between those who are the highest and lowest earners that undoubtedly impact lives of individuals. Those on lower income are more likely to experience social exclusion/have a lack of access to resources that could help them take the steps needed to improve their pay.
When analysing low pay in the UK- there is hugely significant evidence which suggests that a greatly related factor determining low pay is gender! This would suggest that simply saying low pay is a main cause of wealth inequality is perhaps too simple and other issues such as gender inequality/discrimination should also be considered.
