Poor countries today commonly chiefly blame the governments and corporations of the richer stronger countries for enforcing unfair trading terms on them, that allow rich countries to unfairly profit from poor countries. The existance of rich-country organisations like NATO, G8 and others from which poor countries are excluded seems to confirm the inferior nation status of poor countries. G8 should maybe be agreeing fairer trade terms, and agreeing common progressive income taxation going to 60% for incomes over £1,000,000 to help better fund aid and ant-poverty programs for the poorer countries ?
Of course in some cases the governments, religions or other factors in particular poor countries have also helped maintain their poverty. Knowledge of what is causing poverty most in different countries is clearly needed to help stop poverty, and poverty maps by FAO and others can be of some help, with measures of hunger or of child health often being most useful as in the poverty map above.
In richer countries like the United States of America, it may be that up to 25% of people are relatively poor and another 2% or 3% absolutely poor. But in richer countries all of their poor are often treated as inferior citizens or social outcasts, and will often blame their middle-class governments for not helping fairly. Indeed this has often led to charities being set up with the intention of giving some help to at least some of these poor, though often run by the same class of people who run the unhelpful governments and do not really understand all of the actual problems of the poor.
International aid for poorer countries.
1. Government aid
Most international aid has come as direct loan or grant aid from one government to another government, with richer governments like the US often being the bigger aid givers. But this aid has generally gone to 'friendly' governments, rather than to the countries in greater need. And it has often been military aid.
2. International Body aid
Other international direct loan or grant aid has come from two bodies established in the 1940's, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The World Bank has been the bigger donor of both aid loans and aid grants chiefly for redevelopment or reconstruction, while the IMF has mainly managed exchange rates and gives some aid loans. Both of these bodies have been substantially under US government control and of limited effect in reducing world poverty, but these bodies have recently been concentrating on increasing aid predictability to improve aid effectiveness.
see International Monetary Fund
3. Charity aid
Charities of many kinds also give some aid in various forms, more often emergency or crisis aid but also a little longer-term aid.
Most of the little international aid going to poorer countries has been ineffective in reducing poverty in the longer term, though there have been a few real success cases.
Aid for the poor in richer countries.
1. Government aid
Most aid for the poor in richer countries has come from their government, some in the form of universal benefits but more as means-tested benefits. But this poor aid has generally gone more to those viewed as 'deserving' poor, rather than to those in greater need. Some also involves non-poverty policy aims, as maybe recent UK government trials of free school meals. And poverty aid has often been aid of limited longer-term use.
2. Charity aid
Some richer-country charities also give some aid in various forms to some of their poor, more often emergency or crisis aid but also some longer-term aid as well. This aid is generally very limited and often also less effective than it could be.
With around 80 million estimated to be living in relative poverty in the EU, the European Union has made 2010 the European Year For Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. There will be conferences and other events to raise public awareness, but as yet no new commitment to action by their governments - see EU 2010.
In richer countries, trying to target their poor people can create so many problems that often poor people can be helped more by targeting them less - as discussed further in our
Social Poverty section.
Clearly if you are poor in an entirely poor world, then you can simply say 'tough world'.
But if you are poor in a rich world, then you are going to be very concerned about fairness.
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