Reducing the Development Gap

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Theories and Approaches to Reduce Poverty:

Global economic growth

Political stability (Aral sea/Syria)

Globalisation trends

Aid and foreign investment

Government investment in infrastructure (ICT, social services)

Food security

Trade strategies

Investment in healthcare e.g. ethnic, women, rural

Tourism development

Debt cancellation/reduction (Uganda)

Legal empowerment of poor

International cooperation

Technology - rainwater harvesting

Anti - development school of thought:

Development is a eurocentric ideal based on material prosperity

It's a process which creates dependency (both poor to rich and vice versa)

It undermines local cultures and ways of life

It is environmentally unsustainable

It infringes human rights and undermines democracy

Neo - Liberalism:

A set of economic policies popular towards the end of 20th century. Based upon market forces, privatisation and little state intervention. Governments abandoned key principles in 2008/9 with huge investment to prop up economies during the recession. Most developed and developing countries e.g. UK, USA, Germany, Russia, WTO, IMF This has no change on the development gap - the rich get richer and the poor grow poorer

Marxism:

Capitalism is based upon the exploitation of workers by owners of the means of production History recounts conflict between these classes. Marxism seeks to replace existing class structure which manages society for the good of everyone. e.g. Cuba, China This reduces the development gap

Populism:

A philosophy which supports the people against the elite in society. It urges economic, social and political reform but does not have a strong ideological identity. e.g. France, Spain. This is unlikely to change the development gap