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Omar Tall Dia

Julia Intawiwat
Eng112-07
Final
Poverty: Causes, Consequences and Solutions
It is unfortunate that millions of people around the world go to bed hungry, it is
unfortunate that many people especially children suffer from malnutrition, and it is absolutely
sad that in The 21st century we are still dealing with this problem, all because of poverty. Many
studies have shown that the world produces two times or even more, food to feed every single
living being on this planet, but still millions of people live below the poverty line. I absolutely
believe that the only way we can eradicate poverty is through better leadership and most
importantly education.
Poverty is present in every society and concerns everyone. Everybody can talk about it
because it is one of the biggest problems the world face today. Poverty robs human beings of
their most basic rights. It keeps people hungry; it deprives them of medical care, clean water,
education, the opportunity to work, and often results in a sense of powerlessness, hopelessness,
and inequality. The stats of poverty are striking, Despain explained it by using the poverty stats
of the most powerful country in the world; the United States of America: according to him, The
percentage of American families experiencing double-poverty economic deprivation is a
discouraging 31.1 percent, or 89,655,000 Americans. Using the standard measure of poverty for
international comparisons, a recent study revealed the United States has the highest incidence of

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poverty in the 17 developed countries examined and the highest incidence of children in poverty,
a disturbing 21 percent. So that is just a stat to show how the poverty is a problem for the US
and the world. Canada is also a developed country with little high rate of poverty, like how
Claire Wallet tells it in his paper: From coast to coast in Canada, poverty is on the rise. Over
300,000 jobs have been lost since 1991. One out of five children in Canada lives in poverty.
Many provinces are reforming their welfare programs, and "workfare" is gaining popularity
among government officials." With the countrys last budget, the federal government attacked
unemployment insurance recipients more than any other group of people. Yet popular protest
does not seem to influence Canadian politicians. With all the evidence of effects of poverty and
the consequences it has around the world.
There are so many consequences due to poverty, among which, the increase of the death
rate due to famine, the malnutrition, the rate of crime increase, the gap between rich and power
stay increased, high percentage of illiteracy, the rise of prostitution, use of drugs by young people
etc. Despain gave us some causes of the poverty in the United States of America with the income
disparity saying that : In the last 30 years the averages income of the Americans increased
impressively. However, the actual distribution of these increase is far from impressive,
mentioning that the poorest 20 percent of Americans receive less than one percent of the total
increase in income from 1979 to 2000; and a low average hours worked by these poor people
increased by 19 percent. And at the other side; the richest 20 percent received 74 percent of the
total increase in income. Despain gave us also some consequences of the poverty in the society
of the United States of America with a higher rates of violent crime, including murder, greater

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health risk, and incidences of anxiety, depression, and suicide for everyone living in these
communities wealthy or poor.
To eradicate poverty it is important to be organized and united to face that global
problem; improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities and
productive resources, providing universal access to basic social services, progressively
developing social protection systems to support those who cannot support themselves,
empowering people living in poverty and their organizations, addressing the disproportionate
impact of poverty on women, working with interested donors and recipients, and intensifying
international cooperation for poverty eradication. Claire Wallot gave us some examples how they
fight against poverty in Canada. She said, In Montreal, community groups are well organized.
There is a strong sense of solidarity between community groups dealing with housing,
unemployment and welfare issues, and other institutions such as unions and churches. On March
12, 1994, Montreal unions, national coalitions, churches and advocacy groups held a forum on
social solidarity to analyze Quebec's socio - economic situation, to reflect on potential solutions,
and to suggest ways in which governments should fight poverty and create a better environment
for all. Those attending this forum agreed that solidarity is the only way to bring about social and
economic change. Coalition building is an excellent strategy for pooling group resources, sharing
experiences and information, and mobilizing people more effectively. Coalitions can also help
promote a better understanding of issues and develop greater legitimacy and political power.
For the organization Plan International there are five ways to end poverty: They believe that
quality education is one by providing childrens with the knowledge and life skills they need to
realize their full potential. Access to health is the second one that they believe is essential. The

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third solution is water and sanitation for every child, they said Economic Security is also a
solution by helping communities around the world to gain the economic security they need to
thrive. The fight solution for them is Child participation meaning that the children should learn
and know their rights and take active roles within their community (5 Ways.) Amini is projected
in the future to fight against poverty and said : The future poverty reduction strategies should be
designed taking into account the nexus between economic development, inequality and the socalled "pro-poor factors", which represent the set of policies able to make economic growth
beneficial for the poor.
We live in a world full of abundance and wealth to rid the universe off poverty and
hunger. We produce enough food take care of the needs of everyone suffering from hunger. What
we need is good leaderships to guide us in the right direction, with policies that will properly
tackle the issue at hand, but most importantly we need to educate the masses and distribute
wealth wisely.

References

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"5 Ways to End Poverty around the World." 5 Ways to End Poverty. N.p., n.d. Web. 10
July 2016.
Amini, Chiara, and Silvia Dal Bianco. "POVERTY, GROWTH, INEQUALITY AND PROPOOR FACTORS: NEW EVIDENCE FROM MACRO DATA." The Journal of
Developing Areas 50.2 (2016): 231-54. ProQuest. Web. 29 June 2016.
Despain, Hans G. "The Social Consequences of Poverty in the U.S. are Dire." Telegram
& Gazette: A17. Aug 18 2005. ProQuest. Web. 29 June 2016 .
Wallot, Claire. "Fighting Poverty in Cities." City Magazine Spring 1994: 37-8. ProQuest. Web.
29 June 2016 .