| People in wealthy countries are not wealthy because | | | | needed to make even these measures effective - |
| people in poverty-stricken countries are | | | | nets must be re-impregnated with insecticide, |
| poverty-stricken, nor vice versa. Wealthy countries | | | | education needs committed parents and educated |
| are wealthy mainly because they have benefited | | | | teachers, HIV treatment requires a public health |
| from two centuries or more of evolution of their | | | | infrastructure and water systems require |
| political, economic and social institutions. | | | | maintenance. Even if such measures do not lead to |
| Poverty-stricken countries are poverty-stricken | | | | rapid economic growth they will make impoverished |
| mainly because they have not. | | | | lives better. |
| Even if this is partly true then the capacity of | | | | But while thoughtful observers of international |
| wealthy countries to "make poverty history" is | | | | development have moved from advocating broad |
| extremely limited. Wealthy countries can damage | | | | political programmes to targeted intervention, Sir Bob |
| poverty-stricken countries, by devastating their social | | | | Geldof has moved in the opposite direction. The first |
| structures or pillaging their resources, and they once | | | | Live Aid concert sought funds for famine relief and |
| did. De colonisation brought a common optimism | | | | was profoundly moving, but the supposed purpose is |
| about what could be achieved. Modern technology | | | | now to raise consciousness and not money. What |
| was available, so poverty-stricken countries could be | | | | should we do when our consciousness has been |
| spared the long and difficult process of development | | | | raised? The UK's Make Poverty History campaign |
| as experienced by existing wealthy countries. With | | | | offers advice: wear a white arm band, go to |
| sufficient inward-investment in infrastructure, plant | | | | Edinburgh, send an e-mail to the prime minister and |
| and machinery and education they could progress | | | | just be mindful about what is happening in the world. |
| rapidly towards higher standards of living and of | | | | It is time to get serious. |
| course aid could bridge the funding gap. In retrospect, | | | | The good news about extreme poverty is that more |
| this all seems naive. Some do still argue that these | | | | people have been lifted out of it in the past 10 years |
| measures failed because of insufficient resources, but | | | | than in any decade in world history; that this is mainly |
| there is general acceptance that the principal | | | | the result of rapid economic growth in China and |
| weakness of the programme was inadequate | | | | India, which is in turn principally due to internal reform |
| attention to institutions. | | | | not external action; that the real contributions of |
| But the modern mantra that institutions matter | | | | wealthy countries have mainly been through trade |
| became equally simplistic. The complexity of historical | | | | and investment, not aid; and that world leaders have |
| experience was discarded in favour of the belief that | | | | played only a minor though constructive role in that |
| the necessary institutions could be described in a few | | | | process. The lesson is that world poverty will be |
| phrases - free markets, limited government, private | | | | ended by the actions of poverty-stricken people |
| property and fiscal prudence. Most poverty-stricken | | | | themselves. |
| countries given this medicine spat it out before it had | | | | We in wealthy countries can make a modest |
| time to take effect, which enables those who | | | | contribution but if the United Nations' millennium |
| administered it to continue to argue for its efficiency. | | | | development goals to eradicate poverty are met, |
| It does not really matter whether the drug fails | | | | which is unlikely, it will be the achievement of the |
| because it is ineffective or because the patient | | | | poverty-stricken, not the wealthy, and the |
| cannot accept it, what matters is that the drug failed. | | | | achievement of individuals, not politicians. The idea |
| Since then analysis and policy have focused on | | | | that leaders have the power to "make poverty |
| small-scale issues that make a demonstrable | | | | history" but have been insufficiently engaged to |
| difference, such as the provision of malaria nets and | | | | exercise that power is ludicrous. Suggesting that |
| pure water, free elementary education and the | | | | political action is the source of economic advance |
| prevention and treatment of HIV and Aids. It is | | | | reinforces the mistakes that have made poverty all |
| daunting to discover how many other changes are | | | | too prevalent. |