Can We Really End Poverty? A Debate on the Future of Development

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At the 2000 UN Millennium Summit, the largest ever gathering of world leaders pledged to work together to help the world's poorest people. They agreed on a set of targets that became known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The deadline they set themselves to meet these was 31 December 2015. With just over two years until the MDGs expire, how much progress has been made and what should happen next?
There have of course been successes: the world has already met the first MDG target of halving the world's population living in extreme poverty (on less than USD 1.25 per day). But 1.2 billion people are still living in extreme poverty and vulnerability remains high. At the same time, problems in measuring poverty present barriers to effective policy making. Progress has also been uneven -- not all countries, regions, age groups, social sectors or genders have benefited equally from the advances that have been made. The truth is, the quality of life has not improved for all.
This December, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will launch their new report on Ending Poverty. To coincide with this, Intelligence Squared will host a panel of experts to discuss the key issues that the report raises. How should we measure poverty? What can we learn from local solutions for tackling poverty? How can the fast progress made by middle-income countries like China provide lessons for Africa? How can we be "smarter" about how we use aid flows? How do we ensure that the next set of goals will be not just about "getting to zero" poverty, but about staying there?
On 5 December, thought-leaders from the world's leading development think tanks, the OECD, academia and civil society offered different perspectives on these questions, and discussed what needs to be done to end poverty after 2015.

[@PassportGods]

Good questions and insights that caught my attention. , 47:27 (local education, micro finance), 48:35 (empowerment, mobile technology), 50:45 (global economic restructuring), 53:00 (the global balance of power, infrastructure, services), 1:00:18 (poverty and corruption), 1:04:00 (global economic restructuring, oil!), 1:05:33 (Right to information act in India), 1:15:18 (education!), 1:17:43 (report), 1:18:05 (lots of power structures and interest groups), 1:20:20 (wars, Africa, South Asia, Planetary constraints), 1:21:59 (public convo and reject bogus datasets and reports), 1:26:20 (rich - poor country relationships, private businesses and job creation). Several more.

[@MuhammadIbrahim-nf7ez]

LP

[@Maltcider]

Universal Basic Income is the best way to end poverty.

[@saidulupalakuri6002]

except a few points,nothing is there in discussion, finally end up with questions rather than solution.

[@isaiahbot]

This forum actually showed why poverty persists. Poverty is purely a moral issue. It arises when A is deprived by B directly or indirectly. And the deprivation is done because B's ego does not take into account A's ego (his needs, skills and potential). At 1:23:04, Jamie mentions the need to campaign for the proper (moral) things through propaganda and advertising, backing up Eric's position. The moderator then counters that no one can dictate to him what is moral or not on a Saturday night. This actually shows the presence of a high ego (as the 'wall of apathy'), even if it was just a joke. And that's why Jamie tries to comment again by saying even the Guardian (a negative moral vehicle) can be turned into a moral tool, to try to save his position. The same high ego is present in warlords, North Korean leaders, polluters, and corporations that don't pay taxes. They all care only for their own egos and do not want to be told what to do.

[@SunnyIlha]

Of course.

[@CartoonManWhoo]

The only way to end poverty in the undeveloped world is to redistribute wealth completely. In the developed world, we institute BASIC INCOME so that people dont have to be tied to JOBS for survival.

[@One007]

This speaker should be brought together after 2030 so understood what is progress is made and not. Same people not different.

[@simonnai6188]

To end the poverty is to reduce the expense and increase the income.

[@shemnyachio9089]

Access to financial services I feel is different from earning income to help reduce poverty!

[@clarkkent4595]

Don't forget the margins

[@Yui714]

Many first world citizens are more poor than those in third world countries by having a net value in the negatives. I'm sitting at -$10,000 with no assets to show for it. Couldn't finish University with that amount of money and couldn't borrow more from the bank. My quality of life is substantially better than those in third world countries because I live in a prosperous nation with a great abundance of wealth and food. I don't think that loans shouldn't be required for a person to have a home, go to school, or to have food. I think that it is wrong that housing is a business investment for many who own multiple properties while many can't even afford a home. That upper-management makes enough money to be rich even if they decided to pay their employees enough to afford a home.

[@PlayNiceFolks]

A lot of words yet very little information beyond the most bare basics. They seem to keep repeating the same points in slightly different ways.

[@ivandate9972]

and what is poverty

[@hewoapreeez]

I am now dumber after listening to these people speak. Thankyou for your pitiful words gents

[@robertronning7016]

poverty is required by wealthy people

[@leetony6661]

i find most of audience are not capable of frame their thought, they totally cant give a speech.

[@bjrnhagen4484]

These peoples and their programs cannot end poverty. Poverty is not a mystery, poverty is the natural state of everything, the mystery is why someone is rich. So the way to end poverty is to study how some countries became rich. For instance China, China have pulled 1 to 2 millions people out of poverty every month for some decades now. Why don't these people, who are so concerned about poverty, celebrate? Why don't they study China? Or South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore or some other country in Asia that have had economic growth lately. The answer is simple; because it wasn't their programs that did it. It was freeing up the economy that did it. But, by advocating a free economy there wouldn't be any need for these people, and thus they would lose their jobs. They even claim, despite all the Asian countries with economic growth, that poverty is increasing. Which is a further dishonest attempt to promote their positions, and how important they are.

[@alkaloitongbam6684]

I got to learn so much but the host is so much in a hurry😑

[@miketv2331]

poverty is inherent in a civilization. There will always be janitors & there will always be people who offer something of more substantial value to the world.

[@MrRedskyOK]

Being a janitor doesn't mean you are living in poverty (far from it in fact) and offering something of more substantial value to the world doesn't mean you aren't. Watch the video please, and then try to add to the debate.

[@Yui714]

A lot of poverty in first-world countries is caused by people hoarding money. Paying employees as little as possible to maximize how much they can keep themselves.

[@miketv2331]

MrRedskyOK Oh, was "janitor" a little to literal, maybe a little too close to home for you? Replace the word "janitor" with the word "shit worker" then. Happy now?Sure, poverty is relative. But if millions of people depend on your work to raise their families, then no matter WHAT you're producing, it is by far of more substantial value than the work of guy who has nobody depending on him. Refute it or stfu.

[@miketv2331]

You sound like one of those crybabies that likes to make assumptions about people they dislike. Don't like reality? Too bad. Tell it to your pillow.