Post your thoughts on tackling poverty and helping families in the developing world

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

We've been asked by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander for our ideas and comments on tackling global poverty.

Here's his statement where he outlines some of the issues and what's currently being done and what's planned. If you can post your questions/comments/suggestions here, the plan is that he will check back in the next couple of weeks and answer some of the questions/comment on the suggestions.

Over to you Douglas Alexander....

hanging on to your every word - well obviously not, but can you not give a politician the benefit of the doubt ever? if this was purly an exercise in getting labour's message accross it's avery nefficient one in the scheme of things.

"inefficient"

On a macro-level, I often wonder whether or not it would be possible for the economically wealthiest nations to "adopt" the economically poorer ones with the commitment from both sides to achieve globally agreed objectives.

I realise that this sounds suspiciously colonial, but I was thinking more of the obligation being on the wealthier countries to help tackle the key issues and provide key investment and training.

On a micro-level - here is an unashamed plug for my charity of choice - does wonderful work.

www.ethiopiaid.org.uk/

I was just trying to work out efficient/inefficient

Weeeeeeeeelll its not exactly a lot of effort is it.. supply one photo, one press release type question, wait a few weeks as 250 thou MN'er read it as its strangely stuck to the top of active convo's (!) get flunkies to ponder answers and delete my and other expletives and come back with crowd pleasing answers

But I take you're point about benefit of the doubt

(without giving it)

1. Issue every Person in the third world where malaria rife with free mosquito nets

2.Educate the girls/women, this will be passed on automatically to the next generation 3. Stop selling arms to third world countries 4. Every person living in a first world country who is fit and able should spend 2 years community servics in a third world country, with a guaranteed return to their old job. A late gap year and no-one is exempt 5. Invest in small local businesses in the third world 6. microbanking (give out small loans for people to start up small businesses)it is tried and it works 7. Encourage ethical and fair trade companies with financial incentives

Interesting manifesto, Wrinkly

Just what would all these enforced migrants be doing in developing countries? What skills do they have to offer? Some people will have some skills to offer but the vast majority will not.

Stop wasting money on murderous illegal wars for a start. To be fair GB is clearly trying to get out of the killing fields of Iraq asap, but maybe he should have thought about that before voting for it in the first place.
Come down hard on governments and theocracies which want aid while denying women basic human rights.
Make it foreign policy to take action when you are repeatedly told that a genocide is on the way that will involve displacing millions of people.
Stop wasting money on bloated 'consultants' such as Price Waterhouse. It is OBSCENE.
Work with the major charities instead. they know what they are doing.
Clean water, women's rights and education have to be priorities. With education for women right up there at the top.

Oh and give funding to the doctors urgently trying to find a vaccine for malaria

housing, sanitation, education and basic facilities to stop diseases like diarrhoea from killing. also facilities for safe pregnancy/childbirth - spend a bit more than something like 32c on a woman's health in countries like sudan and afghanistan. oh and stop the medical brain drain to western countries.

Put an end to the right to patent life forms, esp. plants like rice (which can be made GM) and spices like tumeric (which are currently free to use as medicines but which pharmaceutical companies are eyeing up).

Stop growing a ridiculous amount of food for the 'developed' world in countries that do not have food security, and allow them to go back to feeding themselves.

Understand that the local culture matters and needs to be respected. Sometimes this is necessary in order to facilitate change (encouraging contraception for example), sometimes it may be that 'our' way isn't actually right for a particular community.

Sorry, also agree with much of the rest of thread but didn't want to repeat.

mosquito nets yes, but do pay attention to local custom/diff habits of mozzies: in some countries they are not just out at night therefore BEDnets a bit useless - also families might sleep together therefore giant bednight might be better than single/double

appropriate solutions for diff cultures

Basic and effective public health measures: clean water, sanitation, vaccination, contraception. Then education for all (ie including girls and women), and a commmitment from us in the developed world to think about where our cheap goods come from, and why they are so damn cheap. Fair trade on the widest possible scale.

Many good suggestions here. My only contribution is to re-emphasise the importance of the re-distribution of wealth from wealthy elite to the majority. Fair trade, micro-credit and education are the main means that this can be achieved (and not pointless pr exercises).

everything aloha said

The 3rd world countries are so poor,the Iraq, Iran, & relating areas are torn apart by war,Mexico has ooddles of resources, but for some reason they are not developing them, & the natives just want to get into America & get jobs, or welfare.American border states (with Mexico)are having a terrible time trying to keep Mexicans in Mexico.I wish these wars would stop.Maybe things would get better.When I see on the TV the poor innocent mothers & children, I feel like crying.

Is it me or are there now 2 threads exactly the same?

I'm beginning to think I ought to see someone again, if no-one can see it I'm going to panic!

Hope that Mr Alexander pays attention to all of this and that this isn't just a PR gimmick. Sorry to be cynical, but please do LISTEN Mr Alexander, because I don't feel as though politicans give a flying fuck about what we, the people, think. I often feel as though we are treated like children and they are adults who 'know best'.

what's going on? how has this thread split into two?

I have a lot to time for yaddayah's pov/query. I too am pretty sceptical as to the value of consulting us which is why I asked why he's asking us and who else he is asking. policies and practice conceived in the west (by experts, let alone random members of the public) have frequently failed to address the issues. having said that it's clear from some of the answers here that there are a lot of people who realise that it's not as simple as doling out money or medecine.

education that empowers people to formulate their own solutions; consultation (ask people living in poverty rather than a random selection of your own voters)and participation (stop thinking of development as something we do to other people). As I said below if we carry on as we are it will take over a 100 years to eradicate world hunger.

I think one is tagged to the top and the other takes its normal journey up and down the page but they're actually one and the same thread

I too find it a bit odd. There are thousands of development consultants, in government, in academia and in various think-tanks and charities. I doubt that there is any sane suggestion on this thread that Mr Alexander and his advisers won't be aware of. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this sort of thread, but I don't understand the reason for it.

Phew! It's not just me then!

I empathise with yaddayadda, I'm cynical and wouldn't be surprised if his PR put out an article all about how he is consulting with mothers about political issues as he values their opinions and mothers are so important and please vote for me blah blah blah.

However, if one point, just one point, that we have made, sinks in then I don't care. It is an important issue and I'm fed up of our government making promises to eradicate third world debt and make children a priority etc etc and then ignore the wishes of the people by blowing up countries and creating a terrorism hysteria.

Put your money where your mouth is Mr Alexander. I'm ashamed to be British right now, we've cocked up big time. Put things right. Cancel the debt these countries owe to us, get tough on oil and drug companies, get tough on Zimbabwe and others (it's ok to bomb Saddam for crimes against humanity but President dickface gets away with it because BP aren't interested), get your finger out and fulfil the promises made by our ex PM.

Rhubarb for PM!

Oh, and stop privatising essential sanitary services (like water and sewerage) in developing countries just to see what will happen. What happens is that the poorest people, and those without legal tenancy, end up without potable water and swimming in their own sewage. You don't need two brains to work that one out. Hell, you don't even have to be Scottish.

I must admit I'm uncomfortable with this staying at the top of active convos, and I too don't understand the purpose behind it.

Here he is looking swell!

Is it me or are all these MPs getting younger these days?