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Notes
Moreover, most of the goals, including MDG1, could be met by addressing the needs of those who are closest to the poverty line (as most goals are measured against mean population figures).
See ILO's decent work agenda – http://www.ilo.org/global/Themes/Decentwork/langen/index.htm.
This is evidenced by the CPRC analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data, which shows a very strong correlation between education and dependency ratios among the poorest quintile.
By justice, we mean behaviour or treatment that is morally right. Allowing people to live in conditions of extreme deprivation throughout much or all of their lives is morally wrong. Fairness is about treating people equally. This includes an avoidance of absolute deprivation through basic entitlements and rights. Fairness also includes three further aspects: equality of opportunity; equality in process and a limited disparity of outcomes.
Importantly, the report suggests that commitment to a social compact does not need to stem from moral, ethical or altruistic reasons. Self-interest can also be an important factor. Improving global economic and political stability, stemming the spread of disease and crime and reducing terrorist threats are goals that can garner support from global and national elites. Such reasons can be central to mobilizing political support for national and international antipoverty initiatives.
The classification uses four welfare indicators – GDP per capita, child mortality, fertility and undernourishment. It is important to note that we do not make any assumptions about the ‘equivalence’ of GDP, child mortality or undernutrition indicators. Moreover, fertility is treated as an indirect proxy indicator of deprivation.
Chronically Deprived Countries (CDCs) are characterized by relatively low initial levels of welfare and by relatively slow rates of progress over time across all available indicators. Partially Chronically Deprived Countries (PCDCs) are characterized by relatively low initial levels of welfare and relatively slow rates of progress over time across at least one available indicator. Partial Consistent Improvers (PCIs) are characterized by relatively low initial levels of welfare, a fast rate of progress over time in at least one available indicator, and with no indicator showing chronic deprivation. Consistent Improvers (CIs) are characterized by relatively low initial levels of welfare, but faster rates of progress over time across all available indicators. A residual category, Others, are countries that are neither chronically deprived nor good performers in any of the four indicators.
Following Bebbington (2006) and Mitlin and Bebbington (2006), the report defines social movements as politicized collective activities by people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals – in this case, of and for the chronically poor. These are not necessarily organizations, but often uncoordinated forms of collective action, popular protest and networks, that link actors for social mobilization.
Recent research into the effects of social movement engagement with extractive industries indicates that although this may alter where exploitation takes place, many such protests fail to cohere or have an impact (Bebbington et al, 2008).
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Acknowledgements
The report was written by Tony Addison, Caroline Harper, Martin Prowse and Andrew Shepherd, with Armando Barrientos, Tim Braunholtz-Speight, Alison Evans, Ursula Grant, Sam Hickey, David Hulme and Karen Moore. The report's managing editors were Ursula Grant and Martin Prowse. Julia Brunt provided overall programme management. The CPRC would like to acknowledge our funders, principally DFID, but also those who chose to support specific areas of background work. These include: the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State of the Netherlands, USAID through BASIS at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Vienna Institute for Development and Cooperation (VIDC). In places this article draws directly on chapters of the report.
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Prowse, M. The Chronic Poverty Report 2008–2009. Eur J Dev Res 21, 160–168 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/ejdr.2009.4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ejdr.2009.4