Take Action Now Against Poverty

I think poverty is the greatest problem facing mankind. A friend asked me recently what I thought of Jeffrey Sachs, who is one of the most visible advocates for the reduction of poverty. His views are controversial, but I think everyone I know agrees that he is doing great service by bringing world attention more fully to bear on the problem of poverty. Sachs is an advocate for the position that we know lots of things to do to reduce poverty, that appropriate technology exists and can be used, and that we should act now. Others suggest that the political economy of poverty is complex, and that without solution to problems of poor governance and poorly functioning economic institutions we will not make adequate progress in the fight against poverty. I think both are right, and that we need to both apply what we know works where it works (at the local level), and work to improve governance and economic institutions.

As individuals, we can contribute to local development projects, and I think we should do so. We can also encourage our governments and international agencies to work on the macro-problems of development.

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty

The One Campaign (GCAP's U.S. arm)

Do you know about Kiva? It is a marketplace online that allows donors to give small donations to projects of the kind you recommend.

There are other similar sites. I have donated at the Peace Corps small projects site. (My wife and I were Peace Corps volunteers in the early days, and I know how much impact a small amount of money can have in the hands of a volunteer.)

I have also donated via Heifer International, The catalog allows one to easily send a starter package for livestock production to a family. With a little more work you can specify that your donation go to a specific small project in a specific country. I have been especially interested in the projects promoting rabbit culture, since I fear that poultry will be culled in large amounts in many countries due to avian flu scares, and the poor will need alternate sources of animal protein.

I have also made small donations to the International Collaborative for Science, Education and the Environment (ICSEE) which works in East Africa. I have heard good things about its program in Uganda fighting HIV/AIDS/